USD Law Advocate, Spring 2026

Associate Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court addressed the new graduates at USD Law’s 68th Commencement.

GUARDIANS OF THE RULE OF LAW Justice Goodwin Liu’s Message to the Class of 2025

❱❱ University of San Diego School of Law celebrated its 68th Commencement on May 17, 2025, with a ceremony that awarded more than 300 JD and LLM degrees to the Class of 2025. In his address, Associate Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court—with his character istic wit and moral clarity—offered graduates a send-off that blended humor with a powerful call to service and reminded the class that the privilege of joining the legal profession carries profound responsibility. Justice Liu began with warmth and levity, praising the graduates’ “Suits-ready” appearance and offering his own “executive orders” granting straight A’s and student loan forgiveness for all. Yet beneath the laughter was gratitude as he asked graduates to stand and honor the families, friends and mentors who had made the journey possible. That moment of collective appreciation set the tone for an address centered on humility, purpose and service. His famous story about scoring in the third percen tile on the contracts portion of his bar review practice

test—an anecdote greeted with gasps and laughter— carried a reassuring message. Hard work and determina tion matter far more than innate mastery, he told them. If a bar student who barely passed contracts could become a justice of the California Supreme Court, then temporary setbacks should never define one’s professional future. “I don’t recommend that route,” he joked, “but it’s possible.” Justice Liu’s speech soon shifted to a sobering reflec tion on the essential role of lawyers in defending the rule of law—especially in turbulent times. Becoming a lawyer today, he said, “is dangerous work.” Quoting Shakespeare’s famous line, “The first thing we do is, let’s kill all the lawyers,” he reminded graduates that tyrants and authori tarian movements have always targeted lawyers first. Why? Because lawyers defend the unpopular, hold govern ments accountable and insist that power operate within the bounds of law. Justice Liu traced a lineage of moral courage—from John Adams defending British soldiers after the Boston

SPRING 2026

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