CXI X 119th
Commencement
Monday, May 13, 2019
Main Auditorium UMass Dartmouth Dartmouth, Massachusetts
UMass Dartmouth Mission
Board of Trustees
UMass Dartmouth distinguishes itself as a vibrant, public research university dedicated to engaged learning and innovative research resulting in personal and lifelong student success. The University serves as an intellectual catalyst for economic, social, and cultural transformation on a global, national, and regional scale.
Robert J. Manning Chair
UMass Dartmouth Vision
R. Norman Peters Vice Chair Mary L. Burns Robert Epstein David G. Fubini Maria D. Furman ’76 Stephen R. Karam
UMass Dartmouth will be a globally recognized premier research university committed to inclusion, access, advancement of knowledge, student success, and community enrichment.
Brian J. Madigan Katherine E. Mallett Jiya Nair Michael V. O'Brien
UMass School of Law Mission
Noreen C. Okwara Kerri E. Osterhaus-Houle
UMass Law is the Commonwealth’s public law school. We are committed to providing an excellent, affordable, and accessible legal education. Our collegial community respects and promotes diversity in identity and ideas. Our program balances legal theory, doctrine, skills, experience, and professionalism. We strive to graduate competent, ethical, and creative professionals who exercise sound judgment. Our involvement in the legal community enables our students to thrive in a changing profession and to serve the needs of their future clients. We advance justice within and beyond the Commonwealth through our research, writing, teaching, learning, practice, and engagement with the profession.
Imari K. Paris Jeffries
The permanent record kept in the Office of the University Registrar for each student will certify the award of degree and carry his or her grades, averages, and honors (if any). At commencement, students graduating with distinction are noted only if that distinction has been earned at the end of the previous semester.
The University of Massachusetts is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to, and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University.
The names appearing in the Commencement Program represent an unofficial listing of candidates.
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James A. Peyser Silavong Phimmasone ’19 Elizabeth D. Scheibel Sara Tariq Henry M. Thomas III Steven A. Tolman Victor Woolridge Charles F. Wu
Honorees Justice Elspeth B. Cypher / Doctor of Law / Commencement Address Associate Justice, Supreme Judicial Court
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ssociate Justice Elspeth B. Cypher was appointed to the Supreme Judicial Court by Governor Charles Baker on March 31, 2017. Justice Cypher received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Emerson College in 1980 and a J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School in 1986, where she served on the Suffolk University Law Review. From 1986 to 1988, she was an associate at the Boston law firm of Grayer, Brown, and Dilday. In 1988, she became an Assistant District Attorney in Bristol County, where she served for the next twelve years. From 1993 to 2000, she was chief of the Appellate Division of that office and argued many cases before the Supreme Judicial Court and the Appeals Court. In 2000, Governor Paul Cellucci appointed Justice Cypher to the Appeals Court. For many years Justice Cypher was an adjunct professor at Southern New England School of Law (now the University of Massachusetts School of Law), where she taught courses on legal writing; criminal procedure; criminal law; and women, law, and the legal system. She has participated in numerous educational programs for judges and lawyers and has written extensively about developments in criminal law in Massachusetts. Active in the Massachusetts Bar Association, Justice Cypher has served as co-chair of its criminal law section. She was the recipient of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s Lawyer of the Year Award in 2000 for her work in the long-running prosecutions of James M. Kater for the murder of Mary Lou Arruda.
Casey N. Shannon ’19 / Student Address School of Law
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asey Shannon, a native of Taunton, Massachusetts, served as the Business/Conference Editor of the UMass Law Review during the 2018-2019 academic year and collaborated with faculty, staff, legal professionals, and state legislators to present the 2019 Law Review Symposium, Navigating a New Reality: A Multi-Platform Look at Media and the Law. She has been deeply involved in community outreach throughout her life, including her mentoring of the Mock Trial Team at the Wheeler School in Rhode Island, supporting the United Way of New Bedford, and many other local endeavors. Ms. Shannon is grateful for the unwavering support, guidance, and love from her parents, Paul and Christine Shannon, and from her “better half,” Kyle, who never once doubted her in the pursuit of her dreams. Her speech is dedicated to the memory of her two brothers, Brian and Danny, who passed away during Ms. Shannon’s tenure at UMass Law, and whose pride and support fueled her drive to achieve her goals. After sitting for the Massachusetts Bar Exam in July, Ms. Shannon plans to continue her career at Bristol County Savings Bank where she will focus on enterprise risk management, corporate governance, contracts, real estate, and other legal matters. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminology with a minor in Business Administration from Stonehill College. 3
Order of Exercises
Awards
Academic Procession
Academic Achievement Awards (Highest GPA as of fall semester 2018)
The audience is requested to remain seated until after the processional has been completed.
National Anthem Lauren Barrington ’19 Invocation Rev. David C. Frederici Welcome Robert E. Johnson Chancellor Greetings from the Dean Eric J. Mitnick Greetings from the President Martin T. Meehan Greetings from the Board of Trustees Mary L. Burns Greetings from the Alumni Association Louis A. D’Amarino JD ’14
Clinical Legal Education Award (CLEA) Andrea Rebeca Martin Connecticut Attorneys Title Insurance Company (CATIC) Foundation, Inc. Award Stephanie Rodriguez-Ruiz Dean’s Service Award Christopher J. Leazott Pro Bono Award Jalessa L. Almonacy (644 hours of pro bono work) St. Thomas More Award David M. Kaiser
Student Address Casey N. Shannon ’19
Student Bar Association Hon. Francis L. Larkin Amicus Award Dionte Germon Salvi
Conferring of the Honorary Degree Justice Elspeth B. Cypher
Thurgood Marshall Social Justice Award Jesse G. Purvis
Commencement Address Justice Elspeth B. Cypher Announcement of Awards Eric J. Mitnick Dean Hooding of the Candidates and Conferring of Juris Doctor Degrees Robert E. Johnson Chancellor Eric J. Mitnick Dean
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Full-time student: Kayla J. Venckauskas Part-time student: Patrick J. McKeon
2019 School of Law
Eric J. Mitnick Dean
Patrick J. McKeon ** Barnaby E. McLaughlin * Stephanie Y. Melhem Charles C. Merrill
Reader Shaun B. Spencer Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Alexander S. Nee ** Karima Amalya Ortolano Joshua Overton *
Juris Doctor Recipients
Maria Cristina Pagan Colon *
Jalessa L. Almonacy
Brianna M. Prince
Reza Amirmotazedi **
Jesse G. Purvis
Lauren Barrington
Stephanie Rodriguez-Ruiz *
Melissa Benner **
Dionte Germon Salvi
Shaina P. Bethala
Casey N. Shannon
Sushantika Rajya Laxmi Bhandari
Kerina Silva **
Krista Grace Brown
Janice E. Small **
Tatiana Chiu
Kayla J. Venckauskas ***
Peter Stephen Christopher *
Ann D. Walsh
Mayara Jordani Cordeiro *
Chad Yates *
Kathleen C. Flannery * Jayme Heather Fleischer Jorge Marcel Franco Kathleen Lyne Franklin Robert L. Fread Abigail K. Frerichs James A. Glick Krystal R. Gonzalez William Ryan Gregory Jackson David M. Kaiser Aileen Coakley Kirwin * Kalene Elizabeth Kobza Charles Henry Lanham Stoshu J. Larkin-Nabozny Christopher J. Leazott * Alexander Y. Lengyel * Andrea Rebeca Martin Joseph R. Martin Catharine Patricia McGlynn
Honors designations, pending final grades *** Summa Cum Laude ** Magna Cum Laude * Cum Laude
#UMassD2019
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Recognition
Academic Fellows Sushantika Rajya Laxmi Bhandari Kathleen C. Flannery David M. Kaiser Stephanie Rodriguez-Ruiz Casey N. Shannon Kerina Silva Kayla J. Venckauskas Chad Yates
Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity Award Shaina P. Bethala
Public Interest Law Fellows Sushantika Rajya Laxmi Bhandari Aileen Coakley Kirwin Kalene E. Kobza Barnaby E. McLaughlin Karima Amalya Ortolano Jesse G. Purvis Stephanie Rodriguez-Ruiz Kayla J. Venckauskas
Law Review Board Editor-In-Chief Kayla J. Venckauskas Managing Editor Christopher J. Leazott Executive Articles Editor Joshua Overton Executive Notes Editor Catharine Patricia McGlynn Business & Conference Editor Casey N. Shannon
I.T. Editor Barnaby E. McLaughlin
Lead Editors Melissa Benner Sushantika Rajya Laxmi Bhandari Peter Stephen Christopher Stephanie Rodriguez-Ruiz Chad Yates
Staff Editors Mayara Jordani Cordeiro Patrick J. McKeon
Associate Editors Jalessa L. Almonacy Robert L. Fread
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#UMassD2019
The Alumni
“Servant of Justice Award” for performing 100 hours of pro bono or community service work Shaina P. Bethala Abigail K. Frerichs William Ryan Gregory Jackson Kerina Silva Ann D. Walsh
Alumni Marchers Louis A. D’Amarino JD ’14 Roger J. Dugal ’70, JD ’89 Tisha M. Giles-Radek JD ’99 Kimberly Hogan JD ’98 George L. Mesmar JD ’17 Leigh A. Mills, JD ’96 Judge Carolanne Rowe JD ’05
“Leader for Justice Award” for performing 200 hours of pro bono or community service work Jalessa L. Almonacy Sushantika Rajya Laxmi Bhandari David M. Kaiser Aileen Coakley Kirwin Kalene E. Kobza Alexander Y. Lengyel Barnaby E. McLaughlin Karima Amalya Ortolano Jesse G. Purvis Stephanie Rodriguez-Ruiz Kayla J. Venckauskas
Albert H. Thornton, Jr. JD ’00
Faculty and Staff Marshals
Chief Marshal Professor Philip E. Cleary Faculty Marshal Professor Dwight G. Duncan Julie Cahill Sandra Leger Silva
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