CHICAGO, June 3, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Professor Hugh Mundy will be the keynote speaker for the 201st Commencement of The John Marshall Law School on June 5 at the Civic Opera House in Chicago.
"The students came to us with a unique suggestion this year: 'What if a professor gave the keynote address instead of an outside speaker?'" John Marshall Dean John E. Corkery said. "They reasoned that having one of their professors, someone who had personally helped them get to this point, would make the day that much more special. I thought it was a wonderful idea and am looking forward to Hugh's remarks."
Mundy will also be the first recipient of the Lex Ancilla Justitiae Award. This award will be presented to him at graduation in recognition of his service to the law school and its students.
Outgoing student body President Daniel Hernandez, who is presenting Mundy with the award on behalf of the graduating class, considers him an innovator.
"Professor Mundy was chosen by the Class of 2016 for this honor because he brings new ideas and teaching styles into the classroom, which makes learning fun and exciting for all," Hernandez said. "He establishes professional relationships with his students and ensures that every student understands the material."
Before entering academia, Mundy was an assistant federal public defender for eight years, working first in the Middle District of Tennessee and then in the Southern District of New York. His work included representing clients charged with a range of offenses, including narcotics, firearms, immigration, federal benefits, and internet-based crimes. He also argued multiple appellate cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Mundy received his law degree from Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America where he was a Charles & Louise O'Brien Public Interest Fellow and a Dulin-Hayes Law & Public Policy Fellow. His most recent publication, "Forward Progress: A New Pattern Criminal Jury Instruction for Impeachment with Prior Inconsistent Statements Will Ease the Court's Burden by Emphasizing the Prosecutor's," appears in the spring 2016 issue of the Fordham Law Review.
Also speaking is this year's valedictorian, Adam Bolotin. Bolotin has been named the valedictorian of John Marshall's 305 graduating students. A Chicago-area native, Bolotin earned his undergraduate degree from Johnson and Wales University in 2013. During his time at John Marshall, he was a member of the editorial board for The John Marshall Law Review, an associate justice for John Marshall's Moot Court Honors Board and a council member for John Marshall's Trial Advocacy & Dispute Resolution Honors Board. Last year Bolotin was also named national champion at the National Animal Law Closing Argument Competition held at Harvard Law School.
About The John Marshall Law School
The John Marshall Law School, founded in 1899, is an independent law school located in the heart of Chicago's legal, financial and commercial districts. The 2017U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Graduate Schools ranks John Marshall's Lawyering Skills Program 5th, its Trial Advocacy Program 19th and its Intellectual Property Law Program 21st in the nation. Since its inception, John Marshall has been a pioneer in legal education and has been guided by a tradition of diversity, innovation, access and opportunity.
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