During the Law School’s Senior Day celebration on May 6, speakers addressed the Class of 2024 graduates with very personal messages to be true to themselves—even when faced with challenges—as they start to write the next chapter of their lives.
“When all is said and done, most of us want to have a productive life that doesn’t require us to constantly compromise ourselves and our core beliefs,” said the Hon. Judith E. Levy, ’96. “Yes, your clients may drive a particular argument or decision, but your work can be in harmony with your beliefs and your own strengths.”
Levy, who has served on the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan since 2014, drew on her own experiences in speaking to 325 JD students and 38 graduate students at Hill Auditorium. She cited a current period of uncertainty within some of the country’s courts, saying that, as a judge, she is required to make decisions that are consistent with some opinions that do not appear to be grounded in law.
“Our brand of constitutional democracy in the United States relies on judges to do our best to apply the Constitution and the laws that Congress has enacted to the facts of each case and come out with a fair decision,” Judge Levy said. “Yes, our life experiences impact how we understand the facts and sometimes even what we think the law requires. But, fundamentally, our decisions should be understandable to the litigants and the public. And they should reveal that we care more about getting the decision right than following a partisan or other political agenda.”
In preparation for her speech, Levy said she looked back at the personal statement she wrote in 1993 for admission to the Law School, when she was 33 years old and “coming out of a 12-year period where I had been a full-time troublemaker and an elected union official here at the University of Michigan.”
Yes, our life experiences impact how we understand the facts and sometimes even what we think the law requires. But, fundamentally, our decisions…should reveal that we care more about getting the decision right than following a partisan or other political agenda.”
In that statement, she wrote that becoming a lawyer would offer her an opportunity for meaningful work “to move the dial closer toward justice.”
She also spoke of her bouts of cancer and the lessons she took away from that experience and others in her life. “I have learned how to continue onward and accept the setbacks and challenges I have faced, and it has served me well.”
Also drawing on personal experiences was student speaker Ewurama Appiagyei-Dankah, ’24, who was selected by her fellow students to deliver the speech.
Appiagyei-Dankah is a first-generation American who was very active in the Michigan Law community as a student-attorney for the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative, a fellow in the Program in Race, Law, and History, and co-editor-in-chief of the Michigan Journal of Gender & Law. In addition, she was admissions co-chair for the Black Law Students Association and a senior judge in the Legal Practice program.
She spoke of the challenges that some of her classmates have experienced while in law school—from family crises to struggles with their own mental health. She also paid tribute to Brendan Jackson, a Law School classmate who is seriously ill.
The most important thing we can do for each other in this life is show up. Show up for people’s pain and for their joy. Look first to the humanity in the people around you.”
Appiagyei-Dankah acknowledged the difficulty of balancing personal challenges with the arduous work of being a law student.
“Forget work-life balance—we’re told that the balance should always tip in favor of work,” she said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked with someone who felt crushed under the weight of those expectations. I certainly have. And we are feeling that way before we’ve even fully entered the profession.”
However, she added, allowing professional obligations to come first will cause more harm than good and advised her fellow students that, when the going gets tough, not to go it alone. As a student, it was that kind of support that helped her.
“The most important thing we can do for each other in this life is show up. Show up for people’s pain and for their joy. Look first to the humanity in the people around you. Share in the mess of being a human being with other people because those moments are what make us most fully alive.”
Appiagyei-Dankah, who will serve as the ACLU of Michigan’s West Michigan Legal Fellow after graduation, also gave a shout-out to her fellow public interest law students. “It takes fierce dedication to follow this path. And I’ve been so lucky to be with you during this journey.”
A very proud alumna of Michigan State University, Appiagyei-Dankah joked that she wasn’t sure if she would have the same feelings for the University of Michigan that she did for her undergraduate alma mater when she started law school.
“But after the three years I’ve spent learning and growing here, I’ve realized that Michigan Law and, more importantly, the people who make this the special place that it is, will forever be a part of me.”
