EUGENE, Ore. -- (May 14, 2013) -- The University of Oregon School of Law will hold 2013 commencement exercises at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Eugene. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony at the Knight Law Center, 1515 Agate St.
The School of Law will welcome Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson as the 2013 keynote speaker. Abrahamson was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1976, and was the only woman to serve on the court. Prior to serving the Wisconsin court system, she was a professor at the University of Washington School of Law and worked in private practice for 14 years.
Adam Schulz, who will serve as the 2013 J.D. class speaker, is a Eugene native and graduate of South Eugene High School. He is a member of the Oregon Law Review's managing board and served as symposium editor for the recently completed and successful "A Step Forward: Creating a Just Drug Policy for the United States." Schulz plans to pursue a career in tax, estate planning and family law, and in the future, may run for office in Oregon.
The Honorable David Schuman '84, of the Oregon Court of Appeals, will receive the law school's 2013 Meritorious Service Award, an honor bestowed annually "to a person or persons who have made extraordinary contributions to legal education and the law." Schuman's influence has made a salient impact on Oregon Law. Prior to attending Oregon Law in 1981, Schuman had a background in education, teaching college English for 13 years. Upon graduating from Oregon Law in 1984, Schuman clerked for now-retired Oregon Supreme Court Justice Hans Linde for a year before practicing law as assistant attorney general in the Appellate Division of the Oregon Department of Justice, and later as deputy attorney general within the same division. In 2001, Schuman became an appeals judge for the state, a position he has occupied for 12 years.
Professor Mohsen Manesh, an Oregon Law assistant professor teaching contracts, business association and corporate governance, is the recipient of the 2013 Orlando J. Hollis Teaching Award during commencement exercises. The Hollis Award is the law school's highest teaching honor.
This year's commencement marshal is James Mooney, the Wallace & Ellen Kaapcke Professor Emeritus of Business Law. Mooney is an authority on and has written extensively about American legal history and contract law. Professor Mooney is also a beloved teacher with a loyal following among current and former students.
Oregon Law will also welcome dignitaries from across the country who will join in the commencement festivities including Oregon Court of Appeals Judge Darleen Ortega, Representative Gail Whitsett, Senator Doug Whitsett and Representative Phil Barnhart.
For additional information on the University of Oregon School of Law commencement ceremony, visit http://law.uoregon.edu/studentaffairs/studentlife/commencement/.
About Oregon Law
For more than 125 years, the University of Oregon School of Law has served the state, the nation and the world through a constantly renewed commitment to excellence in scholarship, classroom teaching and public service. Oregon Law is an American Bar Association accredited law school and the only public law school in the state of Oregon.
MEDIA CONTACT: Erick Hoffman, director of communications at Oregon Law, 541-346-1665, erickh@uoregon.edu
Ali Wayner, communications manager at Oregon Law, 541-346-7355, agreen@uoregon.edu