Vanderbilt Law School celebrated Commencement Day for the Class of 2026 on May 8. Gathered on Curry Field, 181 students were awarded their Juris Doctor degree, 17 students were awarded a Master of Laws degree, and 45 students were awarded a Master of Legal Studies degree.
In his opening remarks, Dean Chris Guthrie thanked the faculty, staff, family, and friends for their support and commending graduates on their achievements. “You are ready for what comes next. During your time with us, you have developed a unique set of skills that will set you apart,” he said. He encouraged graduates to push beyond the ABA’s call for civility and practice kindness. “Each of us can initiate chain reactions of kind, caring, and other-regarding behaviors, leading to a more caring and less divided society.”
“The fact that our future is in your hands fills me with hope,” he concluded.
Francesca Procaccini, Associate Professor of Law, was selected by the graduating classes to deliver the 2026 commencement address. She opened by congratulating students for earning “this once in a lifetime accomplishment” before asking them to consider the meaning behind the tradition of the graduation tassel. Procaccini advanced a theory that the turning of the tassel from right to left symbolizes the transition from the rules-based, well-defined expectations of law school to real-world practice, where “nuance, ambiguity, and uncertainty will be the norm, not the obstacle in the way of a right answer.”
“The problems will be hefty, not hypothetical,” she said. “Whether you’re a barred lawyer or legal expert, in every case and transaction, big and small, civil and criminal—what’s at stake is the profession itself.” As graduates adapt their law school education to the world of law, she urged them to remember “the little known secret of what we’ve been teaching you all along here… that good lawyers are good people, and that good people make great lawyers.”
“Be virtuous. Be good,” Procaccini offered in her closing. “To the class of 2026: I have every confidence and hope you will be.”
Awards and Honors
Twenty-one members of the Class of 2026 received academic honors, journal awards, citizenship and leadership awards, or recognition from the Vanderbilt Bar Association. Read the awards recap to learn more about the winners and the awards.
Ceremony Recording
The full 2026 Law School Commencement is available below or on our YouTube channel. The full gallery of photos from the awards ceremony and commencement is available here.