Anna Maxwell, Class of 2025
Commencement Speech (as written)
May 10, 2025
Good morning, Dean Sant’Ambrogio, esteemed faculty, distinguished guests, family, friends, and fellow graduates.
My name is Anna Marie Maxwell, and I have the honor of being your class speaker.
Today marks the culmination of three years’ worth of our hard work, perseverance, and dedication to the law. It represents the long nights in the library, the never-ending battles with The Bluebook, and the daily struggle of finding parking in Shaw and Wharton. But beyond that, today is about something greater: Why we chose this path and what we will do with it.
For some, law school has been a time of growth, filled with lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories. For others, this time has also been marked by personal hardship, loss, and grief. While we may not have traveled the same road, today, we stand at the same destination—together.
Together, we’ve all learned that there is an actual legal definition for what it means to be a “reasonable person”; we learned that some writing on a napkin could become a binding contract; and we learned—well, some of us—about what the Erie Doctrine is. And now, together, we’re graduating from law school.
As we reflect on our time at MSU, it’s important to highlight our achievements and recognize the challenges that shaped us. Among those challenges was a tragedy that left a profound impact on our community. February 13, 2023, is a day we will never forget—the day that the lives of Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson, and Alexandria Verner were taken far too soon by a senseless act of violence.
This tragedy, in addition to every challenge we’ve faced together and individually these past few years, did not just impact our law school experience: It shaped our perspectives and deepened our resolve to use our education for something greater than ourselves—to be agents of change.
I bring up such painful memories today to show how resilience is not just a personal achievement—it is a collective one. As a class, we stood strong in the face of this tragedy and throughout these last three years. Together, we have made our voices heard, created new organizations, and used our collective power to effect change in our school. We have done so because we are bound by a shared purpose: to seek justice and to demand accountability. If law school has taught us one thing, it is that the law is more than an academic pursuit; it is a tool—it is a sword to fight against injustice and a shield to protect the voiceless.
Philosophers seek wisdom to fight ignorance; poets speak the truth to overcome the silence; and mathematicians find order in the chaos.
But we are not philosophers, poets, or mathematicians. We are lawyers. So, if there is one lesson we must carry forward, it is the words of Benjamin Ferencz (fer-ANZ):
“Make law, not war.”
As one of the chief prosecutors at the Nuremberg trials, Ferencz believed that justice—that the law—was the path to lasting peace. So, as we celebrate this milestone today, we must also recognize the responsibility that comes with it. Whether we enter courtrooms, conference rooms, public service, or academia, we carry this responsibility—a duty to correct mistakes, to lighten another’s burden, and to make the world a more just place.
But this duty is not ours to carry alone. We stand here today thanks to the assistance, guidance, and encouragement of others. To our loved ones—thank you for your support through every exam, late night, and moment of self-doubt; your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. To our professors and faculty, thank you for challenging us to think critically, question assumptions, and accept that sometimes, “it depends” is the best answer.
The future may be uncertain, but one thing is clear: we, the Class of 2025, are equipped with the tools to navigate whatever lies ahead. So let us use our degrees to Make Law, Not War. Let us leave here today with a passion for the law, the courage to face the unknown, and maybe—just maybe—with slightly fewer footnotes.
Congratulations, Class of 2025, and thank you all.
