HOW DO SCHOOLS SELECT A COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER?

[Golddollar]

I seem to remember posts here by parties who are or were secondary school administrators, so I thought it might be a good idea to bring this question up on the forum. Please bear with me as there is an underlying story that bears on this question.

I graduated from law school quite a few years ago, but since I never lived very far from the school I have gone back to visit on many occasions in the intervening years. It has been enjoyable to make new friends with students, faculty and staff who weren't at the school during the time I was intending.

Earlier this year when I attended an event at the school I had the chance to have some nice conversations with a few of the students. Even though I'm now old enough to be a granddad to the current students, they genuinely seemed to enjoy that I spent the time with them.

A few days later I got a phone call from a young man who identified himself as a student at the law school. I didn't recognize his name, and when I asked him how he got my phone number, he said that one of the young men I had talked to at the law school, who I had given my card to, referred me to him, so I figured it was on the level.

It turned out that even though my law career started long before this young man was born, he wanted to hear about my practice of law, even though I never made senior partner in a firm or became a high level government official. It sort of became a narrative of how life and my legal career would intertwine as far as my dealings with various people I dealt with over the years. I remember particularly telling him that I was happy about how a number of judgement debtors I interviewed in court regarding their income and assets thanked me for making the process easier for them than what they thought it would be.

The conversation with the young man touched on a number of what I think of as life lessons, and he was very happy that I took the time to talk with him for a significant amount of time. Later, in line with my late father's great saying about the older generation passing its knowledge to the younger generation, I got to thinking, "Why can't I be a commencement speaker, and share my story and advice with a whole group of young people? Sure, I wasn't the senior partner of a major law firm, a high-level government official or a famous trial lawyer, but maybe I could be the type of person to say something worthwhile about lawyering and life."

Of course, I don't have the slightest idea how these things are done. Luckily, the current dean of the law school knows me, so I decided to start writing a letter to her, similar to what I am saying here, directly asking if I could be considered as a commencement speaker in the future. With the breadth of experience on this forum I am hoping that I can learn more about how I can accomplish what I'm trying to do. Thank you in advance.

 

[ExcitableBoy]

Not meaning to be a pessimist, but I'm afraid that 95% of the time, the flat-out truth about these selections would lead us down some ding-producing paths.

It is a sad state of affairs.

 

[Onomea]

...Luckily, the current dean of the law school knows me, so I decided to start writing a letter to her, similar to what I am saying here, directly asking if I could be considered as a commencement speaker in the future. ...

I think you are taking the best possible course. I think the dean would know much better than any of us here.

Good luck!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Golddollar; I don't think you would qualify for a Commencement speaker. You intend to be interesting! The audience wouldn't be bored to tears. And lastly you aren't grinding some political axe!

Most speakers either have no useful information to share, or are withholding it from the very people that need it most! I look back at my wife's graduation from The Ohio State University, Winter Quarter 1978. The totally unrememberable speaker was the President of The American Academy of Science. He could have shared anyone of thousands of interesting stories. But chose to deliver a political driven speech about how terrible The United States is, and what evil people any person is, who doesn't see things his way.

Later classes were addressed by the likes of Ronald Reagan, the sitting President of the United States, or by Bill Cosby, a man that raised 5 kids and came from the Projects and became an extremely successful actor, and had notorious dating practices! (definitely not boring)

Or, one of my friends commencement address speaker was from the same small college and had gone on to rise to the top of his profession, and managed a large national insurance company! He talked about what made people successful, and not number crunching. And about how to read people, not judging them! How to unite for a cause and not divide into sectarian groups!

No, Randy, you would have something useful to say and would be memorable. So forget ever being invited to speak at the graduation of America's next generation!

Ivan

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

If you get picked-a word of advice-keep it to 5 minutes. And clean up your language
My Law School does NOT want me as a commencement speaker-would probably spark a great wailing and second guessing amongst the graduates.
The most useful advice I could give law school graduates is this;
The disciplinary counsel for the bar is not your friend
Your worst enemy can be your client.
Get paid up front or else have a way to collect fees without having to sue the client.
Don't be an alpha hotel except as an absolute last resort. If that happens show no mercy and set an example.
Finally I will tell them that the Law School alumni association WILL track you down and find you.
That will take up your 5 minutes.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I cannot begin to tell you how to be invited to offer the commencement address, but I can tell you it's a true honor.

In advance I took the opportunity to visit with some of the folks who would graduate that day, and I asked them what they wanted in a commencement address. Here's what I heard:

- do be brief

- do tell us your experiences

- don't be monotone

- do be humorous

- we don't care about your personal pet peeve

From reading your academic and work experiences I would add one tidbit:

- don't tell them what you didn't do (i.e., "... I never made senior partner in a firm or became a high level government official.") Focus on the positive.

 

[Absalom]

…
Of course, I don't have the slightest idea how these things are done. Luckily, the current dean of the law school knows me, so I decided to start writing a letter to her, similar to what I am saying here, directly asking if I could be considered as a commencement speaker in the future. With the breadth of experience on this forum I am hoping that I can learn more about how I can accomplish what I'm trying to do. Thank you in advance.

I know nothing specifically about law schools. But at the educational institutions I have been involved with, commencement speaker selection and recruitment was usually the function of a commencement committee made up of upper-level administrators and other long-term staff members.

Unfortunately, the quality of actual advice to be expected in the commencement speech does not seem to be a major determinant. More important is that either you are sufficiently famous (no matter for what) to lend prestige to the event, or the institution expects to benefit from inviting you and giving you the exposure, for example by making influential donors and alumni happy.

Trying to sell yourself as a commencement speaker just because you think you have valuable insights to share may not be the most productive approach, unless you‘re endowing a new library or residence hall. It would be MUCH better if you could engineer to be suggested by people who are listened to, starting maybe even with student leadership.

 

[Chuck24]

In the early 60s, at the beginning of the Mercury program, many of the first astronauts trained at NASA Langley. Pretty much any school function, we got an astronaut. By the time I graduated in 72, we moved up to Werner Von Braun. Pretty much no one could understand him or what he was talking about, but still kinda neat.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Donate $100,000 to the school scholarship fund or new furniture for the boardroom.

 

[GaryS]

I would just quote Rodney Dangerfield in "Back to School."

"Always look out for Number 1, but be sure not to step in Number 2."

If you get picked-a word of advice-keep it to 5 minutes. And clean up your language
My Law School does NOT want me as a commencement speaker-would probably spark a great wailing and second guessing amongst the graduates.
The most useful advice I could give law school graduates is this;
The disciplinary counsel for the bar is not your friend
Your worst enemy can be your client.
Get paid up front or else have a way to collect fees without having to sue the client.
Don't be an alpha hotel except as an absolute last resort. If that happens show no mercy and set an example.
Finally I will tell them that the Law School alumni association WILL track you down and find you.
That will take up your 5 minutes.

 

[Claymore33]

My experience over the last decade is that people picked to be College commencement speakers are famous , liberal and have a political cause to grind.

 

[Eric300]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GQK-8d7iPI[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLxtqMwRtDQ[/ame]

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

A lot of times it's a Big Name, with no connection to the school. Here in NJ Rutgers celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2016, they got Obama to speak. A friend who attended said when he got up to speak a lot of people got up and left. Rutgers was held up to ridicule a few years ago when they offered more money to a "star" of the "Jersey Shore" TV program than to a well known author.

 

[Rustyt1953]

My observations as an attendee of several commencement exercises.

The most memorable speakers were brief, charismatic, witty, well known and focused on the graduates not themselves.

 

[Golddollar]

My experience over the last decade is that people picked to be College commencement speakers are famous , liberal and have a political cause to grind.

That would leave me out.

 

[Golddollar]

Donate $100,000 to the school scholarship fund or new furniture for the boardroom.

Don't I wish!

 

[quikdraw67]

I think my speech would be something like this :

As a legendary Dean once said :

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life".

I hope you all take that to heart.

I hope that the degrees that you have earned will garner enough income to pay off your staggering student loans.

If not, I hope that you find well paying part time jobs.

And may the Force be with you, always.

Nanu Nanu.

 

[Muss Muggins]

All I will say is that it's pretty hard to get a gig that's generally considered an honor by applying for it . . .

 

[Golddollar]

All I will say is that it's pretty hard to get a gig that's generally considered an honor by applying for it . . .

You're probably right, but since I'm not rich, famous or a big donor it's the only chance I got.

 

[Eric300]

I think my speech would be something like this :

As a legendary Dean once said :

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life"