Commencement

Honorary degrees are awarded to prominent individuals whose accomplishments symbolize Pace's values and serve as inspirations for current students. Recipients become honorary members of the Pace alumni body. In this listing, the position or office indicated for the honorary degree recipient is the one held at the time of the conferring of the degree.

2023
Senator Elizabeth Warren
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

Professor Bruce H. Mann, MPhil, JD, PhD
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2022
Congresswoman Grace Meng
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2021
The Honorable Philip M. Halpern '80, U.S. District Judge, Southern District of New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2019
First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker, New York City Police Department (NYPD) 
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

Liliane A. Haub 
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2018
Judge Robert Keating
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

Eric Gonzalez
Distict Attorney, Kings County  
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2017
Roberta Kaplan
Partner, Litigation, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison 
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2016
Eric Schneiderman
Attorney General, State of New York 
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2015
Preet Bharara
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2014
Honorable Robert A. Katzmann
Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2013
Honorable Malachy E. Mannion
Chief United States Magistrate Judge in the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2012
Andrew L. Carter, Jr.
US District Judge for the Southern District of New York (SDNY)
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2011
Jonathan Lippman
State of New York Chief Judge
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2010
Lisa P. Jackson
Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2009
Nina Totenberg
Legal Affairs Correspondent, National Public Radio (NPR)
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2008
Hon. Theodore T. Jones, Jr.
Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2007
Hon. Margaret A. Ryan
Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2006
Larry D. Thompson, Esq.
Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary, PepsiCo Inc.
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2005
Mark Malloch Brown
Chief of Staff to the Secretary General, United Nations (UN)
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2004
Raymond W. Kelly
Police Commissioner, City of New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2003
Hon. Sonia Sotomayor
Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals-Second Circuit
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2002
Hon. Mary Jo White
United States Attorney, Southern District of New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

2001
Jay C. Carlisle II
Professor of Law, Pace Law School

2000
Janet Reno
United States Attorney General
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1999
Anthony Kronman
Dean, Yale Law School
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1998
Hon. Guido Calabresi
Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals-Second Circuit
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1997
Drew S. Days III
Alfred M. Rankin Professor of Law, Yale Law School
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1997
Peter Basil Carter
QC, Emeritus Fellow, Wadham College, Oxford
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1996
Derrick A. Bell Jr.
Visiting Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1995
The Right Honourable Gordon Slynn, Baron Slynn of Hadley, GBE, PC, QC
Member of the House of Lords, Parliament of the United Kingdom
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1994
Hon. Joseph W. Bellacosa
Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1994
John Joseph Cronin
Hudson Riverkeeper
Juris Doctor (JD)

1993
Bernie Grant
Member of the House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1992
Hon. Sol Wachtler
Chief Judge, State of New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1991
Hon. Robert Abrams
Attorney General of the State of New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1990
Hon. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
United States Senator for New York
Medal of Honor

1990
Oleg Stephanovich Kolbasov
Deputy Director, Institute of State and Law of the USSR Academy of Sciences
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1989
Mario M. Cuomo
Governor of the State of New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1988
Elliot L. Richardson
Partner, Milbank Tweed Hadley and McCloy LLP
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1988
Wolfgang Burhenne
Chairman of the Commission on Environmental Policy, Law, and Administration of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (Bonn)
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1987
Hon. Charles L. Brieant
Chief Judge, United States District Court, Southern District of New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1986
Hon. Fritz W. Alexander III
Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1985
Hon. Judith S. Kaye
Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1985
Michael L. Rovello
Supervisor, Town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, New York
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1985
Hon. Edward D. Re
Chief Judge, United States Court of International Trade
Doctor of Humane Letters (LHD)

1984
Edward J. Mortola
President of Pace University
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1984
John C. Haley
Executive Vice President, Chase Manhattan Bank; and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Pace University
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1983
Hon. Warren E. Burger
Chief Justice of the United States
Doctor of Humane Letters (LHD)

1982
Orville H. Schell, Jr., Esq.
Hughes Hubbard and Reed LLP
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1982
Hon. James D. Hopkins
Acting Dean, Pace Law School
Justice, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division-Second Judicial Deptartment
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1981
Robert B. McKay, Esq.
Director, Institute of Judicial Administration and Senior Fellow, Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1980
Hon. Lawrence H. Cooke
Chief Judge, New York State Court of Appeals
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

1979
Hon. William H. Mulligan
Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals-Second Circuit
Doctor of Laws (LLD)

Dear Students,

We are looking forward to celebrating with you at the Law School’s 2023 Commencement Ceremony on Monday, May 15 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY.

 

SCHEDULE FOR LAW COMMENCEMENT

Graduates should plan to arrive by 8:45 a.m. on Monday. Please give yourself extra time for parking and walking to the stadium.

8:45 a.m.     Graduate Arrival (Check in at Front Gate)

9:15 a.m.     Graduate Line Up for Processional (Louis Armstrong Stadium, Right Side Entrance)

9:45 a.m.     Law School Ceremony (Louis Armstrong Stadium)

11:15 a.m.    Law School Reception (Louis Armstrong Stadium, Upper Level Patio)

12:15 p.m.   University Main Ceremony (Arthur Ashe Stadium)

 

TICKETS/SEATING

Please refer to the University’s instructions regarding your tickets and address questions to: studentcommencement@pace.edu

NOTE: Please disregard any seating information listed on your ticket or your guests’ tickets. Seating is general admission and first-come first-served. Priority seating is reserved for family members of Alumni who have pre-registered to hood a graduate, as well as those students who are speaking or performing in the commencement ceremony.

 

WHAT TO BRING

Remember to bring your tickets and your Pace University ID to enter. Do not forget to your cap, gown and hood. All graduates must wear regalia to participate in the ceremony. Make sure it is pressed and ready to wear when you arrive. Following commencement, please make sure to return your cap and gown to Herf Jones using the prepaid shipping label you received to avoid being charged. The tassel is yours to keep.

 

TRANSPORTATION & PARKING

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is easily accessible by public transit (subway and Long Island Railroad) or car. Visit the Tennis Center website for specific information. Event parking is available for a fee of $40 at Citi Field (Mets stadium), located next to the Tennis Center.  Additionally, a bus will depart from the law school campus at 7:00 am for graduates, faculty, and staff who pre-register, and return to the law school following the University Ceremony. You MUST register for a seat by Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

 

ACCESSIBILITY

If you or any of your guests need accommodations—including the mobility shuttle, providing transportation from parking to the Tennis Center entrance, ADA parking, accessible seating, and wheelchair escorts—please submit an accessibility resources request for assistance. Please note: if a member of your party needs or prefers access to a wheelchair or other mobility device for the duration of the day, we recommend bringing your own personal device. Find more information about accessibility initiatives and resources.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

Check-In
Upon arrival, all graduates must check-in at the Law School’s table located at the front gate and pickup their yellow card. It is very important that you do not lose this card as you will hand it to the announcer on stage to present you. It will also be used as the order for processional line-up.

Processional
Promptly at 9:15 a.m., please assemble at the right side door of the Louis Armstrong Stadium (by the check-in table) to begin lining up for the processional. Graduates will line up in alphabetical order, with SJDs and LLMs in front. They will be led into the stadium by Dean D’Agostino. An usher will be in place to assist with seating.

Processing on Stage
During the law school ceremony, graduates names will be called by order of degree and then alphabetically – the same order that you process in with. Graduates will be signaled to rise row by row. They will hand their yellow card to the announcer and enter the stage one at a time. On stage you will hand your hood to the hooder, then turn and face the audience as you are hooded. Then you will continue across stage and have the opportunity to shake hands with our special guests, Sen. Warren and Prof. Bruce Mann. You will then continue to Dean Anderson who will present you with a symbolic degree.  Watch last year’s ceremony for a better idea of what to expect on stage.

Photos
A photographer will be positioned in front of the stage to capture your special moment as you cross. Don’t forget to smile! In addition, after you receive you diploma, you will exit from the stage and pause to take a photo with your diploma before you return to your seat.

Recessional & Reception
When the ceremony ends, students will be led out of the stadium by Dean D’Agostino in the same order you came in. Immediately following the Law School Commencement Ceremony, all graduates, their friends and family members are invited to a light reception on the Upper Level Patio of the stadium. The reception will end promptly at 12:00 noon and those who are attending the Main University Ceremony should then proceed to the Arthur Ashe Stadium to be seated.

 

PROGRAM & LIVESTREAM
Digital programs for Commencement Ceremony will be available to download from our website. Both ceremonies will be available to watch via a livestream on our website.

The livestream link and programs will be posted by Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. EST at: https://law.pace.edu/commencement

 

QUESTIONS?

Many questions about the schedule, location and what to expect can be answered on the university’s commencement site. We strongly encourage you to review the FAQs on the Pace University website. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any additional questions.

If you have questions about commencement tickets or accessibility, please email: commencement@pace.edu
For questions about renting your cap and gown, contact Herf Jones at: thegraduateguy@aol.com 
For questions about commencement registration or commencement portraits, contact Angie D'Agostino, Dean for Students at: adagostino@law.pace.edu
For all other questions, please contact Rachael Silva, Assistant Dean for External Affairs at: rsilva@law.pace.edu

Please save the date for these commencement activities celebrating the Class of 2023. For more information about Commencement, visit: www.pace.edu/commencement

Monday, May 15, 2023
Commencement 2023
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Flushing Meadows - Corona Park, Flushing, NY 11368

9:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m.: Elisabeth Haub School of Law | Louis Armstrong Stadium

11:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Graduate Reception | Louis Armstrong Stadium (Upper Level Patio)

12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Main Ceremony | Arthur Ashe Stadium