5/19/2025

Widener University Delaware Law School celebrated the achievements of the 2025 graduates with an inspiring commencement ceremony, featuring speeches that emphasized adaptability, resilience, and the responsibility of legal professionals to shape the future. The ceremony took place for the first time on Memorial Field on the university’s Chester Campus.

Valedictorian Kristin Cunningham delivered a heartfelt address, reflecting on the challenges of law school and the importance of adaptability. Cunningham, recognized for earning the highest grade point average, shared her journey from aspiring prosecutor to corporate law enthusiast. She encouraged graduates to embrace uncertainty and continuously seek growth. Expressing gratitude to mentors, friends, and family, she underscored the resilience and commitment needed in the legal profession.

Vice Dean Alicia Kelly introduced this year’s commencement speaker, the Honorable Tamika Montgomery-Reeves, a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit known for her groundbreaking career and dedication to justice and public service. Montgomery-Reeves, the youngest justice and first Black woman appointed to the Delaware Supreme Court, has championed diversity in the judiciary and served as a mentor to future legal professionals.

In her speech, Montgomery-Reeves, who is also an adjunct professor, shared her "four Cs" for success—connect, challenge, copy, and create—offering graduates a roadmap for their legal careers. She stressed the importance of building lasting relationships, embracing challenges outside their comfort zones, emulating admired professionals, and using their legal expertise to create a better world.

Dean Todd Clark reinforced the graduates’ responsibility to use their legal expertise for the greater good. He acknowledged the global diversity of the class and emphasized the role of social engineers in addressing issues such as inequality, sustainability, and human rights. Clark also urged families and friends to support graduates as they prepare for the bar exam, emphasizing accountability and discipline, and rallying the audience with the mantra

"We will pass the first time.”

As the ceremony concluded, the graduates stepped into the next chapter of their lives with cheers from the crows ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead. Now officially part of Widener’s proud legacy, the graduates departed with a renewed sense of purpose, carrying the wisdom and encouragement of their commencement speakers.

Delaware Law School 2025 Commencement By the Numbers:

• 243 graduates
• Graduates represented 14 states including Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina, and Florida.
• Graduates hailed from three additional countries: France, Italy, and Saudi Arabia