School of Law Honors Graduates at 2025 Commencement Ceremony The Washington and Lee University School of Law celebrated its 170th commencement on Friday, May 16, recognizing 110 graduates earning Juris Doctor degrees.
Law Class of 2025The Washington and Lee University School of Law celebrated its 170th commencement on Friday, May 16, recognizing 110 graduates earning Juris Doctor degrees.
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W&L President Will Dudley greeted the graduates and their families gathered on the front lawn between University Chapel and the Colonnade, evoking memories of the time the graduates have spent together building a remarkable community at one of the nation’s most unique law schools. The history of the law school loomed large in the President’s remarks, as he recounted its long tradition of educating principled lawyers, first in Tucker Hall on the Colonnade, and then in Sydney Lewis Hall, once isolated “across the ravine,” but now, again, a central hub on W&L’s beautiful campus.
“The tradition of excellence at Washington and Lee law school stretches back now more than 170 years,” said Dudley. “But it also aspires ever forward in keeping with our motto, ‘non incautus futuri’—not unmindful of the future.”
He added, “You all are part of this tradition now, and you should take it with you. Take Washington and Lee, the place, the people, and the lessons that you’ve learned into the world, and you and the world will be better for it.”
Melanie D. Wilson, Dean of the Law School, followed President Dudley to the podium. Dean Wilson praised the class for its intellect, grit, and compassion, thriving in the face of many difficult challenges. As has become her tradition, Dean Wilson also recounted by name many of the students and their accomplishments during their time in law school, noting that the class was made up of students who attended 80 different undergraduate institutions and hailed from 28 states, the District of Columbia, and eight foreign countries.
“With these incredibly different backgrounds and experiences, you came here, embraced the close-knit W&L Law community, and found common ground in each other, as you faced intellectual challenges on your way to more excellence,” said Wilson.
Dean Wilson drew inspiration for her address from words and deeds of the late civil rights icon John Lewis, recounting his lifelong, nonviolent, fight for equality.
“And, as John Lewis said clearly and through his lifelong acts – stand up for what you truly believe – and I would add — do so using the skills and knowledge you now have as lawyers – with wisdom, analysis, and integrity,” said Wilson. “We need more leaders like John Lewis. As well-prepared W&L lawyers, you’re ready to lead in your own way.”
After the graduates were awarded their degrees, Dean Wilson introduced Angelica Didier Light ‘75L as this year’s commencement speaker. Light was a member of the first class of women to attend W&L Law. She continued to shatter glass ceilings as the first woman attorney to practice in the law department of what was then called Norfolk & Western Railroad in Roanoke, where she practiced for 15 years.
Light next became the first woman general counsel and vice president at Shenandoah Life Insurance before moving from Roanoke to Norfolk to lead The Norfolk Foundation, a community foundation that would later become the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. As president and CEO, she more than doubled the foundation assets as well as the annual grants and scholarship distributions, growing them to more than $244 million.
During her remarks, Light regaled the graduates with stories from those challenging first years having women on campus, including struggles over bathroom access and locker room facilities. She and her classmates were undeterred, even by those classmates who bluntly accused them of taking spaces from men.
“As you might expect, my life has in many ways been about breaking barriers,” said Light. “I have found myself in the position of being the ‘first’ on more than one occasion, of asking institutions to accommodate who I am. I am naturally sympathetic to others who face barriers.”
Light went on to draw a direct line from the civil rights victories of the 1960’s to the ABA standards that forced the law school to open its doors to women, who today constitute roughly half of the student body each year. Jumping to the present, Light acknowledged the difficult political environment and its impact on the legal profession the graduates will now enter, where the rule of law is under threat.
However, Light noted that it is through their exposure to the unique traditions of W&L Law that the graduates will find their path.
“That is the uniqueness of this three-year exercise at W&L, this small school in this small town — not only to learn the law but the importance of respecting others, especially your colleagues in the law, being honest and ethical in all of your dealings and working for the benefit of the entire community,” said Light. “You will now join other communities — geographic, legal, business, governmental and nonprofit — where your experience here will attune you to the needs of those communities. You have the skill, habits of character and the confidence to make valuable in-kind contributions.”
Following Light’s remarks, third-year class officers Sara Fe’ White and Michelle Shaw-Patino presented Light with a walking stick, traditionally given to students at the awards ceremony preceding graduation. The walking stick, or cane, originated in the 1920s as a way to distinguish third-year law students on campus. At that time, only two years of law school were required, and the walking stick served as a way to reward and honor those students who stayed for a third year.
Graduation festivities began Thursday with the annual awards ceremony, which was held in Holekamp Gym. Three students graduated summa cum laude, 16 graduated magna cum laude, and 20 graduated cum laude. Eleven students were named to Order of the Coif, an honorary scholastic society that encourages excellence in legal education. A list of honors and awards appears below.
The Student Bar Association Teacher of the Year and Staff Member of the Year awards were also presented at the awards ceremony. Speedy Rice was named Teacher of the Year, and Mary Ervin, executive assistant to the dean, won the staff award.
Special honors at Thursday’s awards ceremony went to the following students:
Kali McKayla Venable – John W. Davis Prize for Law (highest cumulative grade point average)
Zoe V. Speas – Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Commercial Law Award (excellence in Commercial Law)
Steven P. May – Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Award (effective trial advocacy)
John Michael Perryman – A. H. McLeod-Ross Malone Oral Advocacy Award (distinction in oral advocacy)
Nicolas Frank, Brooklyn Garrett Hills, Simon Dusan Rybanksy – Frederic L. Kirgis Jr. International Law Award (excellence in international law)
Saylor Victoria Snowden – Virginia Bar Family Law Section Award (excellence in the area of family law)
John Michael Perryman, Spencer Lee Thomas– Barry Sullivan Constitutional Law Award (excellence in constitutional law)
Zoe V. Speas, James Warren Supplee – James W. H. Stewart Tax Law Award (excellence in tax law)
Matthew James Radford, Kali McKayla Venable – Thomas Carl Damewood Evidence Award (excellence in the area of evidence)
Spencer Lee Thomas – Criminal Law Award (excellence in courses of criminal law)
Zachary Clark Irwin – Business Law Award (excellence in courses of business law)
Sean David Bernstein – Administrative Law Award (excellence in courses of administrative law)
Gabriella Roberts – Clinical Legal Education Association Award (outstanding clinic student)
Kendall Alexandra Groza – Charles V. Laughlin Award (outstanding contribution to moot court program)
Katherine Anne Berman, Sydney Devon Layne – The Washington and Lee School of Law Women’s Law Award (outstanding contribution to women in the law)
Katherine Anne Berman – Calhoun Bond University Service Award (significant contribution to the University community)
Annelise Estelle Burgess, Gabriella Roberts – Randall P. Bezanson Award (outstanding contribution to diversity in the life of the Law School community)
Summa Cum Laude
- David Bosco Corasaniti
- Zoe V. Speas
- Kali Mckayla Venable
Magna Cum Laude
- Natalie Anne Beers
- Rheise Gabriel Berro
- Caroline Elizabeth Deese
- Samantha Michlin Ennis
- Virginia Naomi Hitchman
- Sydney Devon Layne
- Sadie Elizabeth Mapstone
- Edoardo Muzzi
- John Michael Perryman
- Madeleine F. Popp
- Simon Dusan Rybansky
- James Warren Supplee
- Spencer Lee Thomas
- William Carlyle Turner II
Cum Laude
- Jacob H. Belham
- Annelise Estelle Burgess
- Sabrina Callender-Clewett
- Cameron Jan Cummins
- Phillip S. Day
- Dillon Michael Ebner
- Kile Anton Granai
- Brooklyn Garrett Hills
- Jacob Kansco
- Jack William Kellerman
- Arianna Kiaei
- Victor Alexander Oberting IV
- Matthew James Radford
- Kevin Andres Rodriguez
- Gabriel Joseph Sipiora
- Lillian Weitz
Order of the Coif
- Natalie Anne Beers
- Rheise Gabriel Berro
- David Bosco Corasaniti
- Virginia Naomi Hitchman
- John Michael Perryman
- Madeleine F. Popp
- Simon Dusan Rybansky
- Zoe V. Speas
- Spencer Lee Thomas
- William Carlyle Turner IV
- Kali Mckayla Venable
If you know a W&L student who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.
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