Excited. Nervous. Grateful. Accomplished. Proud.
These were the words Cardozo’s Class of 2026 used when asked to describe how they felt on Commencement Day.
The 48th Cardozo Commencement, held on May 31 in Lincoln Center, highlighted the achievements of the 64 LL.M. graduates and 304 J.D. graduates as they prepared to take on an ever-changing legal field—and world.
Passing the Torch with Kindness, Adaptability, and Humanity
In her remarks, Dean Melanie Leslie ’91 invited the graduates to think back to the start of law school and recall their fears and uncertainties. Dean Leslie celebrated the growth in these students, from orientation to graduation, as they learned how to think like lawyers. She encouraged them to carry Cardozo’s ethos into their careers: that lawyers must be not only competent, but also ethical, kind, and collaborative.
“Our brilliance may garner admiration, but kindness creates bonds of trust,” she said. “Over the course of your career, trustworthiness will carry you farther than talent alone ever could.”
Chief Judge of the State of New York and the New York Court of Appeals Rowan D. Wilson delivered the keynote address to the Class of 2026.
Chief Judge Wilson holds the same office once occupied by Benjamin N. Cardozo—a connection he reflected on throughout his remarks.
He encouraged the graduates to explore the unknown and balance the many complexities that come with law. He told them that although they will face challenges as the field and the world evolve, it is how they take on those obstacles that will define them.
“What I know each of you will do, as graduates of the law school that lives its namesake’s principles every day, is to pursue his quest for the welfare of society in the face of inevitable, sometimes extraordinary, changes,” he said. “Relish the quest.”
Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University, also discussed embracing change, while maintaining judgment and compassion, especially in light of major strides in technology.
Rabbi Berman experienced that step toward technology when his daughter turned to AI as a tutor instead of studying with him. Although he worried that he had been replaced, Rabbi Berman realized that technology cannot substitute for the human element of education.
“At a time when so much can be automated, the world needs you more than ever before,” he said. “It needs your judgment. Your integrity. Your humanity. Your heart.”
Graduates Speak to Their Peers
Graduates chosen by their classmates had the opportunity to address their peers.
LL.M. graduate Quentin Décurnex spoke to his graduating class, which represents 26 countries, including France, Bangladesh, and Argentina.
“All this diversity, in languages, cultures, jurisdictions, and backgrounds, created not barriers but bridges that brought us together and made this experience extraordinary,” he said.
These relationships helped graduates get through difficult parts of law school, including the loss of a classmate.
Décurnex honored Clara Géry, an LL.M. student from France who died in September 2025. A graduate of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Géry pursued her long-held dream of studying abroad while confronting high-grade osteosarcoma with remarkable resilience. Her father, Vincent, accepted her degree on her behalf.
“Reaching Cardozo’s LL.M. program was, in [Clara's] own words, the fulfillment of a long-deferred dream to study abroad and a victory she had fought years to claim,” said Associate Dean of Graduate & International Programs Val Myteberi. “She arrived with a clear ambition to practice international law, a deep curiosity about the world, and a generosity of spirit that touched everyone fortunate enough to know her.”
In her remarks, J.D. graduate Basya Bates encouraged her classmates to reflect on their own experience at Cardozo, noting that law school took courage, patience, and fortitude. The challenges she and her classmates faced over the course of three years shaped them into becoming lawyers.
“As you move forward, I hope you carry with you your accomplishments and the skills you built at Cardozo, but more importantly, I hope you carry with you what it felt like to begin this journey: the uncertainty, the passion, the strength, the dream to one day make a difference,” she said.
Embracing the Future
Commencement is a day of reflection for graduates as they prepare to step into the next chapter and apply what they learned at Cardozo to their careers. Graduates balanced apprehension with a sense of accomplishment.
“I want to feel like I have the tools to change the world,” said Sophie Kaplan, a 2026 J.D. graduate, when asked about her hopes for the future. “I want to feel like I have the tools to understand the world as it changes—and it is changing rapidly—and I want to make sure I understand how I can be a part of that in a positive way.”
As the commencement speakers made clear, these graduates will enter a profession—and a world—being reshaped by change. What will carry them isn't talent alone but the judgment, community, and compassion they built at Cardozo: the human qualities that develop with work and time, for which there are no shortcuts.
Honoring Faculty and Staff
Faculty members and administrative staff were recognized by the graduating class, with honors presented by outgoing Student Bar Association President Kyle Cohen.
The honorees were:
• Best First-Year Professor: Professor Michael Pollack
• Best Professor: Professor Alexander A. Reinert
• Best Professor: Professor David Rudenstine
• Best Adjunct Professor: Professor Brian Farkas
• Best Adjunct Professor: Professor Gary J. Galperin
• Best Administrator: Associate Dean Jennifer S. Kim
• Monrad Paulsen Award: Professor David Carlson
• Outstanding Assistance to the Student Body: Director of Special Events Brianna Rennie
More Commencement Coverage
In the days before Commencement, Cardozo held an awards ceremony to recognize select students faculty nominated for academic achievement, service, and character. See the list of honorees.
Members of the Class of 2026 were also elected to The Order of the Coif. Read more.
