Thirty-seven Texas A&M University School of Law students received their Juris Doctor degree at the Fall Hooding and Commencement ceremony on Dec. 16, 2016, at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
Prior to commencement, the law school honored the veterans of the graduating class through a special cording ceremony. Each received a distinctive red, white and blue graduation cord, symbolizing the contributions made by the members of our armed services.
Students selected Professor Neal Newman, Professor Lisa Rich, and Professor Joe Spurlock ’60 to perform the hooding ceremony. The Texas A&M Law hoods, in the tradition of academic regalia, are lined with Aggie Maroon and White and are faced with purple to signify the Juris Doctor degree.
The keynote speaker for the fall ceremony was Texas A&M System Regent Charles W. Schwartz. He is a Partner, Houston Office Leader, and Head of Litigation at Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom LLP. 
Kelli Hutka ’97, Director of Campus Programs, inducted the graduates into the Aggie Network of more than 440,000 Texas A&M University former students worldwide on behalf of the Association of Former Students. 
Prior to the hooding ceremony, the following students earned honorable recognitions:

Adam R. Nicholson, May 2016 Aggie Law graduate and recipient of The Texas A&M Bar Exam Achievement Award. Presented by DeShun Harris, Assistant Director of Academic Support, this award recognizes the Aggie Law graduate with the highest score on the July 2016 Texas state bar exam.

Lynne Nash '95, '16, recipient of the Equal Justice Award. Presented by Assistant Dean Rosalind Jeffers, this award recognizes the graduate who has contributed the greatest number of hours of pro bono legal services, exemplifying selfless service. Nash contributed more than 398 hours, and the December graduates contributed a total of 2156.01 hours

Elected student commencement speaker Michael Navarro '16 said every year of law school came with different and bigger expectations to obtain the special “D.”
“When we started here [at Texas A&M Law] ‘D’ was just degree for us,” he said. “Today, it now stands for doctorate.” 
Dean and Anthony G. Buzbee Dean’s Endowed Chair Andrew Morriss concluded the ceremony by reminding the graduates that while receiving this degree is a wonderful thing, they’re not exactly done. He noted that the bar exam is the next challenge and in preparation, the next two months will be filled with yes, more studying. 
 “We’ll see you on Monday,” he said.
After being hooded by student-selected faculty, Aggie Law graduates received their diplomas and were welcomed into the Association of Former Students at the December 2016 Commencement ceremony.

Faculty veterans Prof. H. Dennis Kelly '73 (on left) and Dean Emeritus Frank Elliott and Prof. Joe Spurlock '60 (on right) recognized December 2016 Aggie Law veteran graduates Matthew Masek, Jennifer Carroll, Deanna Franzen, Serena Greene, Timothy Ross and Alford Shaw (not pictured: Hector Leal Brol) at the Military Veteran Cord Ceremony.

More pictures available on our Fall 2016 Commencement Facebook album.

- Article by Jennifer Nassar, Communications Specialist, Texas A&M University School of Law; photos by Doug Thurman, Texas A&M University School of Law