EUGENE, Ore. -- (May 16, 2012) -- The University of Oregon School of Law will hold 2012 commencement exercises at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 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 University of Baltimore School of Law Professor Garrett Epps as the 2012 keynote speaker. Epps is the former Orlando J. and Marian H. Hollis Professor at Oregon Law. At Baltimore, he teaches constitutional law and creative writing for law students. Epps is well known for his scholarly writing, novels and articles.
Bryan Boender, U.S. Army veteran and Tillman Military Scholar, is the 2012 elected class speaker. Several years after earning a master’s degree in public policy from Rutgers University, Boender enlisted in the army seeking a meaningful career path. Now a member of Oregon Law Class of 2012, Boender is involved in the Oregon Law Students Public Interest Fund and the Public Interest Public Service program.
Judge Procter Hug Jr. will receive the law school's 2012 Meritorious Service Award, an honor bestowed annually "to a person or persons who have made extraordinary contributions to legal education and the law." Judge Hug is a veteran federal judge and the former chief judge for the United States Court for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Hug previously served on the Judicial Resources Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States. He also is active in civic affairs and various bar activities. In 2002, Judge Hug took senior status.
Professors Jennifer Reynolds and Margie Paris will serve as this year's commencement marshals. Paris is the former dean of Oregon Law and now teaches advanced appellate advocacy, criminal law, criminal investigation, and criminal adjudication. Reynolds, the associate director for the Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center, also will receive the 2012 Orlando J. Hollis Teaching Award during commencement exercises. The Hollis Award is the law school’s highest teaching honor.
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, thenation and the world through a continually renewed commitment to excellence in legal scholarship, classroom teaching and public service. For four years running, U.S. News & World Report has ranked three Oregon Law programs in the top ten nationally, including, Legal Research and Writing, Environmental and Natural Resource Law and Appropriate Dispute Resolution. The National Jurist recognized Oregon Law in 2012 as among the top ranked public interest law schools in two categories: prosecutors and public defenders and public interest lawyers, illustrating continuing legal academic excellence. Oregon Law is an American Bar Association accredited law school and the only public law school in the state of Oregon.
MEDIA CONTACTS: 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.
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