May is a special time of year. For one, it’s spring in Chicago, one of the most beautiful cities in the country.
For another, it’s graduation month for many college students who are ending one chapter of their lives and embarking on a new, exciting one.
As President of the UIC Law Alumni Association, I was honored to speak to the graduating class of 2024 this month. It is especially rewarding to me to be the first member of the university to address the class as alumni.
Thirty-one years ago I graduated from the same law school - then known as John Marshall Law School. It was then and still is the only public law school in Chicago.
In the early 90's, I could not have fathomed that one day I would stand before a graduating class, adorned in regalia. In 2024, the landscape of legal education has evolved, with classes being attended remotely and moot court being streamed. Yet, amidst these changes, the core values of our profession remain steadfast - a duty to advocate for those in need and the commitment to bettering society.
At Ankin Law, we are privileged to welcome many summer law clerks from UIC Law. It is a personal mission for me to pay forward the opportunities I was given, and to provide as many law students as possible with the chance to practice law and find fulfillment in their work, just as I have.
It was an honor for me to speak at commencement, impart a few words of wisdom to the class, and help get them excited for their future. - Howard
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