U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng to Deliver Law School 2022 Commencement Address to Graduates and Alumni
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to announce that U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng will deliver the law school’s commencement address and receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa at its 2022 Commencement, to be held on May 16, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. This is the first year that the law school will join Pace University for a university-wide commencement celebration of all Pace graduates. The ceremony will also include recognition of the Classes of 2020 and 2021, who were not able to have a traditional celebration due to pandemic-related restrictions.
Additionally, New York City Mayor Eric Adams will address all graduates at the University’s main ceremony to be held prior to the law school’s commencement ceremony, where he will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. Finance and philanthropy leader Baroness Ariane de Rothschild, a Pace alumna, will also be recognized with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa.
“Congresswoman Meng is a dedicated public servant with a long and accomplished career as a lawyer and legislator. Among her outstanding work, she he has tirelessly advocated for justice and equality for people of all backgrounds and genders,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “She is an incredible role model to our students and recent graduates and we are pleased to welcome her to deliver the Law School’s Commencement Ceremony address.”
U.S. Representative Meng is serving her fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and represents the borough of Queens in the Sixth Congressional District of New York. She is the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State, and the first female member from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro.
She is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and is Vice Chair of its Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She also sits on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, as well as the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. She is a founder and Co-Chair of Kids’ Safety Caucus, which promotes child-safety issues.
Rep. Meng has been responsible for several pieces of legislation including bills protecting religious freedom, making Queens historic sites part of the National Park Service, striking “Oriental” from federal law, and protecting public housing residents from the cold. Also signed into law were her measures to assist veterans, and to improve consumer protections for children.
As a second-generation Chinese American, she has spoken out against anti-Asian violence, and she has been a tireless advocate of immigrants’ rights and immigration reform. She has also made a bold public stand against sexual assault and harassment of women, and in support of the #MeToo movement.
Parts of her Menstrual Equity for All Act have led to legislation making menstrual products available for incarcerated and detained individuals, allowing FEMA funds to be used to purchase menstrual products for those in need after natural disasters, and making menstrual products eligible for Flexible Spending Account purchases. Her work has served as an example to faculty and students at Haub Law, and last year the law school’s Women’s Association of Law Students recognized her with its annual Pioneer of Justice Award.
Born and raised in Queens, Rep. Meng attended local schools and graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Michigan. She then earned a law degree from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin Cardozo School of Law. She worked as a public-interest lawyer before entering public service as a member of the New York State Assembly, then Congress.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Commencement Ceremony will be live-streamed at 12:00 p.m. EST on Monday, May 16, 2022. For more information, visit: www.law.pace.edu/commencement
Read the Pace University Press Release here.
About Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law offers JD and Masters of Law degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The school, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, NY, opened its doors in 1976 and has over 9,000 alumni around the world. The school maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs, with a current #1 ranking by U.S. News & World Report.
