Class of 2016 Celebrates Commencement

On Friday, July 1, 2016, the STL community celebrated the fifth Commencement Ceremony of Peking University’s School of Transnational Law. The ceremony recognized the excellence of STL’s 93 J.D./J.M. graduates and the first two LL.M. recipients in the history of STL, one from Panama, the other from South Africa. Dean Philip McConnaughay said of the graduates, “All of you are now members of an elite group of lawyers prepared to understand and practice the law of China, the law of the United States, the law of the United Kingdom, the law of the European Union, and whatever rules and practices eventually emerge from the meeting and modification of all of these. You are true transnational lawyers.”

During the commencement ceremony, which was held in the Moot Court at Peking University’s Shenzhen Graduate Campus, the graduates and their families heard from Professor Wu Yundong, Chancellor of the Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School; STL’s Founding Dean and current Executive Vice Chancellor of NYU’s Shanghai campus, Jeffrey Lehman; Professor Mark Feldman; and graduating students Jing Menglong (J.D./J.M.) and Jonathan Goldberg (LL.M.).

Dean Lehman urged the graduating class to use their legal skills as a force for positive change: “Each of us has a responsibility. … We must explain that ideas should be judged on the basis of whether they are true or false, good or evil, and not on the basis of whether the person who first spoke them was Muslim, or American or Chinese. We must speak out against racism and xenophobia. … STL has helped you develop the skills of a transnational lawyer, including the ability to understand a problem from both your perspective and from the perspective of someone who disagrees with you. For a lawyer in an interconnected, interdependent world, this skill is critically important. It is what a lawyer needs in order to help her clients build relationships with people from different cultures, and other countries.”

Chancellor Wu extolled the graduates, as members of the Peking University family, to strive for excellence in everything they do, but also never to forget that honesty, integrity and sincerity are the virtues that will determine how they are regarded by society.

Professor Feldman reminded the graduates that their STL education opens doors of opportunity in the global economy: “We are Peking University’s School of Transnational Law, but an STL education extends far beyond lawyering: we are preparing professionals to thrive in a 21^st century global economy, whether as lawyers or in other capacities. We have reinforced the skills of analytical rigor, creative problem solving, and persuasion. As STL graduates, you now have the opportunity to apply those skills in previously untested settings and in groundbreaking ways. Today, you are law school graduates, but, equally important, you are 21^st century transnational professionals. You are exceptionally well-equipped for success. Congratulations and best wishes as you begin your remarkably varied careers.”

Like the classes before them, the Class of 2016 is pursuing positions in leading multinational and top-tier Chinese law firms (e.g., Fangda, Kirkland & Ellis, Freshfields, DLA Piper), the legal departments of leading multinational and Chinese corporations and financial institutions (e.g., Huawei, Tianxing Capital), government agencies (e.g., Beijing District Court, People’s Procuratorate of Haidian District), SOEs (e.g., National Development Bank, Minsheng Bank) and advanced degrees (e.g., University of Chicago, Peking University). A few graduates have even started their own businesses.

Jing Menglong, who provided the address on behalf of the J.D./J.M. students, spoke of the pride of being a Beida graduate, but also of the responsibility that goes along with it: “As we were told when we came here, ‘Peking University shapes great leaders.’ ‘Greatness,’ as I understand, is not only the expectation placed upon us, but also the principle we should follow. Greatness can be used to describe those among us who devote themselves to make our society better and advance the ideas of our country. It can also be reflected by common people, who set up ones’ goals and temper ones’ virtues in daily lives. Greatness can be seen at critical moments. Greatness can be established on trivial things. Greatness can be heard when we realize social justice. It is also not silent when we care about our own behaviors and care about the people around us. We are so lucky that greatness is what STL and Peking University have taught us before we step into our… journey ahead.”

Jonathan Goldberg, of South Africa, spoke on behalf of STL’s first LL.M class: “Apart from the actual courses, I have met the most amazing people in China, Peking University in particular. My professors were all so friendly and eager to engage. My peers, from all over the world, gave me insight into their home countries and customs. The administrative staff are always so willing to assist. It has really been a great experience. … I have loved my time here at PKU Shenzhen. I look forward to coming back to the campus in the future and seeing how far the campus has come.”

On July 2, 2016 Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School celebrated its campus-wide commencement. Peking University President Lin Jinhua attended the ceremony.

Congratulations to the Class of 2016!