More than 1,500 friends and family of the Class of 2012 gathered in Canfield Courtyard on June 16, 2012, for this year’s Stanford Law School graduation ceremony.

Temperatures in the 90s were not enough to dampen the enthusiasm of the newest crop of grads, which included 182 candidates for the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, 11 for the degree of Master of the Science of the Law, 3 for the degree of Doctor of the Science of the Law and 47 for the Master of Laws degree in the areas of corporate governance and practice, international economic law, business and policy, and law, science and technology.

In his charge to the class, Dean Larry Kramer praised a key value that he thought all lawyers should embrace. “Compromise is not at odds with values in a democratic society. On the contrary, it is one of such a society’s paramount values,” he said.

Kramer charged the Class of 2012 to do better: “Fortunately, if history teaches us anything, it’s that great challenges bring great opportunities. Which means you leave here with opportunities to make a difference that are rare. So we say to you, rise to the challenge. Be ambitious, take chances, do something that makes the world a better, safer place.”

Program

• Graduation Program

Heraldy

Read here about the symbolism within each banner of the University.

Speeches

• Dean Larry Kramer
• Rob Daines
• Maggie Filler

Videos

• Class of 2012 Graduation Ceremony (Full Ceremony)
• Awards Presentation and Address by Professor Rob Daines
• Dean Larry Kramer’s Charge to the Class
• Student Remarks by Maggie Filler
• The Stanford Law School Experience

Photos

• Flickr

Storify

• SLS 2012 Graduation

Press

• “Law School graduating class urged to strike a balance with career and personal life – and to make a difference in the world”, Stanford Report, June 17, 2012