On Monday, May 18, 2026, New York Law School (NYLS) celebrated its 134th Commencement Exercises at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, honoring the Class of 2026 before an audience of family, friends, and the Law School community.
The ceremony began with a procession of trustees, honorees, deans, and faculty, setting the tone for an afternoon of reflection on the Law School’s 135-year history and celebration of new beginnings. NYLS Dean and President Anthony W. Crowell officially called the ceremony to order before introducing John E. Estes ’95, Chair of the Board of Trustees. Estes greeted the audience, encouraging graduates to “be inspired and inspire others” at a time when the legal field faces extraordinary challenges.
“The legal market today is as dynamic as I have ever seen,” Estes said. “But rest assured–– with the wonderful education you have received here at NYLS, you are well prepared to be adaptable, resilient, and effective. As a NYLS graduate, it is your time to be a leader and to inspire those who will follow you.”
NYLS Dean and President, Anthony W. Crowell
Chair of the Board of Trustees, John E. Estes ’95
Dean Crowell, New York City Council Speaker Hon. Julie Menin, and Board Chair Estes
Estes’s speech was followed by a rendition of the national anthem sung by Phoebe Lopez ’26. Dean Crowell then returned to the podium to formally welcome guests and reflect on the Law School’s longstanding commitment to opportunity and inclusion, noting that the Class of 2026 includes the largest percentage of women graduates of any law school in New York State.
The first student address was delivered by Brittany Blum ’26, Co-Chief Student Ambassador, Student Bar Association President, and recipient of the 135th Anniversary Student Ambassador Award. She recalled words of wisdom from Professor Molly Guptill Manning: “‘The best races are run in splits, where the second half requires you to run harder than the first.’ Law school was our first half,” Blum said. “The training. The preparation. The stretch where we built endurance, resilience, and maybe a slight caffeine dependency. The second half starts today.”
Dean Crowell took a moment to recognize NYLS trustees, alumni celebrating milestone reunions, and the faculty and staff members who supported students throughout their legal education. “You are the heart and soul of this institution,” he said, as graduates and guests rose in applause.
During his address, Dean Crowell highlighted the impact of NYLS graduates throughout the institution’s 135-year history, including the influential work of Bernard Deutsch (Class of 1904) and Stanley Isaacs (Class of 1905), who helped transform New York City government, particularly in the City Council, during the early 20th Century. He connected their enduring legacies of civic leadership to the work of today’s public servants before welcoming honorary degree recipient Hon. Julie Menin, Speaker of the New York City Council, whom he described as “one of our City’s most important and consequential leaders.”
Reflecting on her own professional journey, Speaker Menin recounted the time she had left an in-house counsel position to pursue something entirely new: opening a restaurant. Although she succeeded in building the business, the devastation of the September 11 attacks destroyed her restaurant and many other neighboring Lower Manhattan establishments. In the face of tragedy, Speaker Menin relied on the adaptability and resilience she now encourages graduates to embrace. She used her legal training to represent herself before the New York State Insurance Commission and later founded a nonprofit organization to support affected small businesses. Her story served to encourage graduates to view their legal education as a versatile foundation capable of opening doors across careers and moments of uncertainty.
“A timeless lesson that my personal professional story continues to teach me is how quickly things change without any warning,” Menin said. “But in the wake or even in the midst of those unexpected changes, it’s a reminder how quickly you really can adapt.”
Dean of Faculty William P. LaPiana later presented the Otto L. Walter Distinguished Writing Awards to Professors Penelope Andrews, Britney Wilson, Diane Kiesel, Steven E. Pegalis ’65, Richard Chused, and Ruti G. Teitel, who won for her book, Presidential Visions of Transitional Justice: An American Legacy of Responsibility and Reconciliation. The student winners were Kristen Grennan ’26 and Allen Shumunov ’26.
Dolma Sherpa ’26 then delivered the ceremony’s second student address. In one of the day’s most emotional moments, Sherpa reflected on her journey from Nepal to the United States more than a decade ago and the challenges she overcame along the way, including restarting her undergraduate degree while building a life in a country where she initially had no family or friends. She also shared that her mother never had the opportunity to receive an education, making her law school graduation especially meaningful. Sherpa honored her family and heritage by wearing her mother’s traditional attire on stage and inscribing her name on her graduation sash.
Dean LaPiana then announced the finalists for the Trustees Prize for the Highest Average before Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Matt Gewolb presented several student awards, including the new 135th Anniversary Student Ambassador Awards.
Ashley Oliver ’26 delivered the ceremony’s final student remarks, reflecting on her path to earning a J.D. after working at NYLS for seven years before enrolling in the evening division. Addressing her classmates directly, Oliver urged, “Never be afraid to try the thing you think you want to do. You are neither too old nor too young. Your failures do not define you. And the timing will never be perfect. Listen to the voice that is telling you to try the thing you are afraid of. Because sometimes the path that changes your life is the one you were most afraid to take. If you want to do it, just do it.”
Continuing with the awards, Kristen Grennan ’26 and Rhiannon Wright ’26 received the Kathleen Grimm Medal for Distinguished Public Service. Grennan then presented Professor Lenni B. Benson, the Distinguished Chair of Immigration and Human Rights Law at NYLS, with the 135th Anniversary Award for Legal Community Impact. Throughout her teaching career, Professor Benson has launched generations of lawyers who believe in access to justice and using the law to make things possible for others.
A similarly heartwarming moment followed when Peter Nemeh ’26, Co-Chief Student Ambassador, presented Professor Howard S. Meyers with the Faculty Impact Award, an honor voted on by students. “What makes Professor Meyers truly stand out is not only the depth of his experience, but the way he brings it into the classroom, pushing students to think like practitioners, to understand how business and finance intersect with legal doctrine, and to approach problems with both rigor and real-world judgment,” Nemeh said. “And beyond the classroom, he is a constant presence at NYLS, approachable, generous with his time, and always willing to offer guidance, perspective, or encouragement when it is needed most.”
It was then time for remarks from Charles J. Maikish ’74, this year’s recipient of the President’s Medal. Reflecting on his decades of public service, he shared how he attended NYLS in the evening while beginning his legal career in the Port Authority’s Law Department in 1974. Sitting beside him in the office was his classmate, Benjamin R. DeCosta ’75, who received the President’s Medal in 2023.
“That is what a law degree, and especially one from this law school, empowers you to do: it gives you skills, options, and opportunities,” Maikish stated. “I encourage you to take chances, venture out to new horizons, and form the building blocks you can use to build a career edifice you will cherish as your legacy.”
After President of the Alumni Association E. Drew Britcher ’84 welcomed the graduates into the NYLS alumni community, Associate Dean and Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Chief Development Officer Jeff Becherer introduced the legacy graduates––including twin brothers Matthew and Peter Nemeh ’26, who shared the special moment of presenting their degrees to one another.
The conferring of degrees continued, each of the graduates beaming as they walked across the stage. One especially memorable moment came when Heather Creamer ’26 crossed the stage with her pug, dressed in its very own cap and gown.
As the presentation of graduates concluded, the room erupted in applause and celebration. For the first time as Board Chair, John Estes officially conferred the degrees and sent the graduates into the next chapter of their lives. The Class of 2026 exited David Geffen Hall singing along to “New York, New York,” carrying forward a 135-year legacy of leadership, advocacy, innovation, and determination.
Celebrate With the Class of 2026
Check out how our graduates celebrated their accomplishments on social with friends, family, and loved ones.
Words of inspiration, gratitude, and encouragement on social from our graduates and their loved ones.
Maxwell Velikodny ’26
Four years ago, I enrolled at New York Law School as an Evening Division student while working full-time in the financial services industry. Since then, my life has been a whirlwind of long days, late nights, and a constant balancing of priorities. Today, I am proud to share that I have officially graduated from law school and earned my Juris Doctor degree!
Over the course of this journey, life continued moving at full speed. While balancing a full-time career and law school, I also earned my MBA, purchased my first home, got engaged, and helped plan my wedding. There were many moments that tested my resilience, discipline, and perseverance, but overcoming those challenges has made this accomplishment even more meaningful and rewarding.
As the first person in my family to earn both a college degree and a legal education, this milestone carries special significance for me. It represents not only a personal accomplishment but also the sacrifices, encouragement, and unwavering support that helped me get here. I want to sincerely thank my family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and classmates for supporting me throughout this long journey. Your guidance, encouragement, and belief in me made all the difference, and I could not have done this without you. I am also especially grateful for the incredible group of classmates I had the privilege of going through this experience with. They were always supportive, collaborative, and genuinely caring people who made even the most difficult moments more manageable. In a program that already demanded so much from all of us, I appreciated that we approached the journey by uplifting one another rather than competing against each other. They made law school truly enjoyable, and I am proud to have shared this experience alongside them.
This achievement is not just a personal victory, but a reflection of the community that stood beside me every step of the way. I’m excited for what lies ahead and look forward to beginning the next chapter of my legal career!
Lauren Lana ’26
Three years later and somehow it still doesn’t feel real. Law school challenged me in every sense of the word, but it also shaped me into someone stronger, sharper, and more confident in who I am. Thank you to my parents, brother, family, friends, professors, and everyone who supported me throughout this chapter — I truly could not have done it without you.
It’s hard to believe this chapter is already over. For now, it’s onto the bar exam… and then whatever comes next. I may not know exactly what the future holds yet, but I know this is only the beginning.
Mary McCafferty O’Connell ’26
Words can’t begin to express what this means to me.
My pivot to law school may have seemed out of left-field at the time, but this group was unwavering in their belief in me. I could not be more grateful for the unconditional love and support from Pat, my family, and the friends gained throughout these last three years.
There is so much to celebrate, and so much meaningful work ahead of us!
Maxine Checchi '17 to her son David Checchi '26
Congratulations to David Checchi on graduating from New York Law School. This is only the beginning, and I could not be more proud of his achievement.
Nine years ago, I graduated from NYLS myself having waited too many years to fulfill this desire. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that less than a decade later, I would stand on the same stage and have the honor of presenting my son with his diploma and now be among the legacy families.
Thank you to New York Law School for this incredible honor and for giving us a memory our family will cherish forever. A truly unforgettable moment.
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