Law School Celebrates 2018 Commencement
Credit: Nina Johnson
Members of the Class of 2018 were celebrated by family, friends, faculty, and staff at the commencement ceremony on May 19. The Honorable Anna Jaeger Brown ’80, senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, gave a heartfelt commencement address.
Brown is a lifelong Oregon resident and the first American-born citizen in her family of displaced immigrant farmers from East Prussia. She told her story of hard work, strife, self-discovery, and success as the third woman to serve as a U.S. district judge in Oregon since 1859.
“I am most grateful for this law school’s evening division, which provided my only chance to become a lawyer and to start my ‘accidental journey’ here,” said Brown.
She closed her speech with personal advice for graduates moving forward in their careers and lives.
“You’ve already faced complicated and persistent challenges when trying to balance the many demands in your lives. As you begin to practice your profession, choose your priorities deliberately and recommit each day to your important relationships,” said Brown.
Brown was recognized in 2000 as Lewis & Clark Law School’s Distinguished Graduate and, most recently, she was honored in a ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court as the 2017 recipient of the American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Ninth Circuit.
Another highlight of the commencement ceremony was the speech given by Katrina Krebs ’18, who delivered a reflection for the graduates.
“Despite how challenging these past three years have been and the amount of stress I endured, I can easily say that going to Lewis & Clark was the best decision I ever made,” said Krebs. “We are stronger, more confident, more driven individuals than when we entered law school— and we are equipped with the skills to be effective and fair attorneys that can affect change, improve our communities, and advocate for our clients’ interests.”
Credit: Nina Johnson
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