American Constitution Society Celebrates Resilient and Dedicated Class of 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Pablo Willis, pwillis@acslaw.org

Washington, DC – The American Constitution Society held a virtual graduation ceremony today to honor the more than 800 graduating Class of 2021 ACS Student Chapter leaders from law schools across the country.

The virtual graduation celebrated the incredible accomplishments of the students and to inspire them as they enter the legal profession.

“For most of our graduates, this past year was not the year they envisioned. From the pandemic, to police violence; from gun violence, to violence against Asian American communities, and an insurrection on our Capitol, this year was an unrelenting series of tragedies and hardships,” said ACS President Russ Feingold, during his address to the students. “Against this backdrop, I have been inspired and amazed by the dedicated work of our student chapters. They reached across states and across the country to partner with other chapters, with experts, and with people on the frontlines of these pressing issues.”

In addition to Feingold, the graduates heard remarks from ACS Executive Vice President Zinelle October, the Chair of the ACS Board of Directors and Partner at DLA Piper LLP Peter Karanjia, ACS Board of Directors Student Board Member David Adeleye, and Legal Program Director of Mosaic Family Services, Inc. and Co-Chair of the ACS Dallas – Fort Worth Lawyer Chapter Kristine Cruz.

 Featured speakers included Jarrett Adams, Attorney, The Law Offices of Jarrett Adams, PLLC; Cecile Richards, Co-Chair, American Bridge 21^st Century and former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America; and the Hon. Luis Felipe Restrepo, U.S. Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

During the ceremony, ACS presented its annual chapter awards.

The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law ACS Student Chapter was honored as the 2021 ACS Rising Chapter of the Year. This award goes to a new or recently revived chapter that has done the most to advance progressive causes.

The Boston College Law School ACS Student Chapter received the 2021 Reproductive Rights and Justice Award. This annual award is presented in conjunction with the Center for Reproductive Rights and goes to the chapter that has had the greatest impact in the area of reproductive rights.

The following ACS Student Chapters were recognized with the 2021 ACS Programming Awards, which are presented annually to the most active ACS chapters:

• Boston College Law School
• Columbia Law School
• Harvard Law School
• New York University School of Law
• Notre Dame Law School
• Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Stanford Law School
• The University of Texas School of Law
• UC Berkeley School of Law
• University at Buffalo School of Law
• University of Chicago Law School
• University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
• University of Virginia School of Law
• William & Mary Law School
• Yale Law School

The University of Chicago Law School ACS Student Chapter was recognized as the 2021 Student Chapter of the Year, which is given to the chapter that has shown the greatest strength in meeting ACS’s mission and goals.

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AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY
ACS believes that the Constitution is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” We interpret the Constitution based on its text and against the backdrop of history and lived experience. Through a diverse nationwide network of progressive lawyers, law students, judges, scholars, and many others, we work to uphold the Constitution in the 21st Century by ensuring that law is a force for protecting our democracy and the public interest and for improving people’s lives. For more information, visit us at www.acslaw.org or on Twitter @acslaw