IRVINE, Calif. (April 27, 2023) — The Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez, Chief United States District Court Judge, Central District of California, will deliver the address for the University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law) 2023 commencement ceremony Saturday, May 6. The ceremony will be held at the UCI Bren Events Center.
Featured speakers include UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI Law Dean Austen Parrish, faculty speaker Ji Seon Song, and student speakers Yonghyung (Tomas) Chung (Global LL.M. ’23), Eddie Coronado (Graduate Tax LL.M. ’23) and Jorge Iniguez (J.D. ’23). Karisa Yocham (J.D. ’17), President of the Law Alumni Association Board, is the ceremony’s Mace Marshall.
WHAT: UCI Law’s 12th commencement will celebrate 131 J.D., 25 Global LL.M., and 12 Graduate Tax LL.M. students.
The outstanding students in UCI Law’s class of 2023 personify the Law School’s commitments, including:
Pro Bono Volunteer Work: The J.D. class of 2023 participated in more than 10,500 hours of pro bono work during their three years of law school. Over 92 percent of the graduating J.D. class participated in pro bono work (the class average was more than 80 hours per person). Nearly one-third of the J.D. class will be graduating with Pro Bono Honors or High Honors (volunteered more than 120 hours of pro bono work). Five students completed over 300 hours of pro bono work and one member of the J.D. class completed 575 pro bono hours. All of the student pro bono awards for 2023 can be found here.
Helping Our Communities While Obtaining Hands-On, Real Experience: All students in the graduating J.D. class met our clinical requirement by working at least one semester in one of the Law School’s more than 14 core and elective clinics, under the careful instruction of our faculty, and one student fulfilled this requirement with an alternative field placement. Forty percent of the J.D. class of 2023 participated in more than one clinic or completed an advanced clinic to provide legal services in the community for those most in need. The Law School continues to be one of the largest providers of legal services to the underserved in Southern California.
Interdisciplinary Research: Three members of the graduating J.D. class have earned joint degrees. Many of the class worked closely with faculty as research assistants or teaching fellows, or serving in one of our 18 research centers and institutes, advancing our understanding of law and legal institutions and contributing to our reputation as one of the leading research-intensive universities in the U.S. — in both fundamental and applied research. Our students helped write books, articles, and policy papers, over the three years, and hosted guest speakers for conferences and workshops to address some of the most pressing issues of the day.
National and Global Engagement: Over 15 members of the graduating J.D. class participated in our unique New York summer program. Five students spent a semester in Washington, D.C. through our UCDC program, and approximately 11 countries are represented by students in this year’s 12th commencement.
Social Mobility and Launching Careers at the Highest Level of the Profession:At least 24 percent of the J.D. class of 2023 are the first in their families to graduate college or law school. Most of the graduating J.D. class have already secured legal employment in full-time, long-term positions, including at top law firms of all sizes, public interest and government agencies, and major corporations. Twelve students will be working for judges in prestigious federal and state clerkships, and one student is a Skadden Fellow.
WHO: The Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez, Chief United States District Court Judge, Central District of California, will deliver the keynote address.
Chief Judge Philip S. Gutierrez attended the University of Notre Dame from 1977 to 1981. He then attended the UCLA School of Law from 1981 to 1984. After graduating from law school, Chief Judge Gutierrez entered private practice. In 1988, he joined the law firm of Cotkin & Collins, where he became the managing partner of the Santa Ana office. His practice concentrated in complex business litigation, professional malpractice liability, and insurance coverage issues.
In 1997 California Governor Pete Wilson appointed Chief Judge Gutierrez to the Whittier Municipal Court. After the unification of the Los Angeles court system in 2000, he served as a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge. During this time, Chief Judge Gutierrez actively participated in various Judicial Committees and enjoyed several teaching assignments. In 2007, he was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate to serve on the United States District Court for the Central District of California. In June 2020, he assumed the position of Chief U.S. District Judge.
“We are thrilled to be able to gather our wonderful community together for commencement and celebrate our outstanding students and their tremendous accomplishments,” said Austen Parrish, UCI Law Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law.
WHEN: UCI Law Commencement is Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the UCI Bren Events Center.
For more information about UCI Law’s 2023 Commencement, including the livestream link to watch Commencement, visit here.
About the University of California, Irvine School of Law
The University of California, Irvine School of Law is a visionary law school that provides an innovative and comprehensive curriculum, prioritizes public service, and demonstrates a commitment to diversity within the legal profession. UCI Law students have completed more than 135,000 hours of pro bono work since 2009. Forty-eight percent of UCI Law’s J.D. graduates are people of color. At UCI Law, we are driven to improve our local, national, and global communities by grappling with important issues as scholars, as practitioners, and as teachers who are preparing the next generation of leaders. The collaborative and interdisciplinary community at UCI Law includes extraordinary students, world-renowned faculty, dedicated staff, engaged alumni, and enthusiastic supporters. More information on UCI Law is available here. Connect with us on Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, and sign up for our monthly newsletter for the latest news and events at UCI Law.