California Western School of Law Celebrates 2025 Commencement
SAN DIEGO (May 12, 2025) – On Friday, May 9, 2025, California Western School of Law (CWSL) celebrated the 193 graduates of the class of 2025 at its annual commencement ceremony, set against the iconic backdrop of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park.
CWSL President and Dean Sean M. Scott opened the ceremony by welcoming the graduates, their loved ones, and members of the broader CWSL community. “To the graduating class of 2025, we are honored to celebrate this milestone with you—the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, with, I hope, some laughter and camaraderie mixed in as well,” said Dean Scott. She also acknowledged the friends and family who supported students along the way: “This day is yours as well.”
Dean Scott announced the winners of the school’s annual teaching and service awards, as voted on by the student body:
• Professor of the Year: Shawn Fields
• Outstanding Lecturer Award: Jessica Fink
• First-Year Professor of the Year (Tie): Emily Behzadi Cárdenas, Brenda Simon, and Shawn Fields
• Adjunct Professor of the Year (Tie): Iris Fugate and Mark Conover
• Staff Member of the Year: Jeff Chinn, Associate Director of Student Affairs
The student commencement speaker, Luke Turner, was selected by his peers to speak on behalf of the Class of 2025. His speech reflected on the personal and collective journey of his classmates and invited graduates to carry forward the connections they built and the values they sharpened.
Dean Scott then welcomed the day’s keynote speaker, the Honorable Danna W. Nicholas ’00, San Diego County Superior Court Judge and proud CWSL alumna. Judge Nicholas brought humor, wisdom, and a deep sense of purpose to her address. She reminded the Class of 2025 of the odds they had already overcome. She noted that out of 8.2 billion people, “less than .001% of the world’s population has earned a law degree. From 8.2 billion to 193 you should be very proud of yourselves. You have already beat the odds. And I have no doubt you will continue to do so.”
Throughout her remarks, Judge Nicholas returned to the metaphor of the tree—urging graduates to be rooted in the rule of law, to grow slowly but steadily, and to nourish others through service. “Let your practice of law be the fruit that sustains others.” she said. “I implore you to use your practice, document by document, phone call by phone call, argument by zealous argument to do good and improve the world and by doing so, nourish and sustain others.”
She urged graduates to speak with care and courage, reminding them that “words are the most magical of human creations,” capable of building or destroying. Throughout her speech, Judge Nicholas encouraged students to honor the family and friends who had supported them throughout their law school journey and to continue to work to make them proud: “You are the fruit of someone else’s apple tree—and I know that you have the tools and the ability to have long and fulfilling legal careers.”
After Judge Nicholas’s speech, Vice Dean Liam Vavasour and Associate Deans Erin Sheley and Amy Day introduced each graduate by name as they proudly walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. Dean Scott then conferred their Juris Doctor degrees. The audience cheered boisterously as graduates turned their tassels to mark their official transition from students to alumni.
Dean Scott closed the ceremony with a parting wish: “I hope that when you are in practice, you will soften the hard edges of the law with compassion… remain civil in the face of incivility, and principled in the face of expediency. At the end of the day, I wish for you all a life of purpose, which includes, but is not limited to, the practice of law.”
It was clear throughout the ceremony how deeply the graduates had been supported—and how much community they had built together. It was evident that their time at California Western School of Law had been shaped by shared growth, resilience, and indelible bonds that will serve them throughout long, successful careers.