Florida A&M University (FAMU) will recognize students graduating from its College of Law during a commencement ceremony set for Monday, May 10, 2021, 9 a.m. at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. The event will take place at the arts center’s outdoor, socially distanced Frontyard FestivalTM venue on the Seneff Arts Plaza.
The outdoor event will mark the first time the FAMU College of Law has held a full Commencement ceremony in Orlando. Underscoring the importance of the occasion, President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., will serve as the keynote speaker.
“The College of Law commencement comes at a time when the issues of justice and equality are at the center of our national consciousness,” Robinson said. “We urge our graduates to venture forth in the tradition of former Senator Arthenia Joyner and the late Congressman Alcee Hastings, both of whom have left an indelible mark on our legal and legislative landscape.”
The University has traditionally conducted commencement ceremonies on the main campus for all students, including those from the Orlando-based College of Law. After traveling to Tallahassee, law students would return to Orlando to participate in the annual hooding ceremony, which law schools customarily conduct.
During Monday’s ceremony, 138 individuals will be honored, including graduates from the fall 2020 semester and spring 2021 semester, along with candidates for the summer 2021 semester. Dean Deidré Keller is delighted that President Robinson will address graduating students during the first commencement ceremony to be held in Orlando.
“These graduating students have succeeded against immense odds to obtain a quality legal education,” Keller said. “President Robinson is the ideal person to help us celebrate their accomplishments because he fully understands and appreciates their struggles and their triumphs.”
The University will adhere to all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Board of Governors guidelines during the commencement ceremony to ensure the health and safety of all participants. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony may be moved to the Dr. Phillips Center’s Walt Disney Theater. Each graduating student is allowed up to four guests for the ticketed event.
The ceremony will be livestreamed and available to view on FAMU Law’s website www.law.famu.edu and the FAMU Law Facebook.
