As the class of 2024 prepares to turn in their tassels in May, they will be sent off by three commencement speakers: Plaintiff Attorney Josh Koskoff, Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd and Robert Wolf, the chairman and CEO of UBS and former presidential adviser..
“Each in their own fields, our three honorary degree candidates have demonstrated bold, principled leadership, as well as the kind of deep civic engagement that Suffolk seeks to instill in its graduates,” said Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly.
In November 2022, Wolf was appointed by President Joe Biden to the Pentagon’s Defense Business Board. He previously held three presidential appointments under President Barack Obama. He is also the founder of 32 Advisors and former CEO of the Global Financial Services firm.
When he was put in contact with Kelly and offered to do the commencement speech for the Sawyer Business School, he said he felt exceptionally honored and excited to deliver one of the year’s addresses.
Wolf’s brother and sister graduated from colleges in Boston, so coming back to the city to do a commencement speech was a natural fit.
Wolf said giving this speech is important as it’s an opportunity to share his knowledge and experience with the graduating class.
“If I can get some experiences to stick with you, then it was a success,” said Wolf.
Experience and learning are important to Wolf, and he is excited for this exchange of experiences to be a two-way street between himself and Suffolk’s newest graduates.
“You get a free education from people everyday,” said Wolf.
Budd, the College of Arts and Sciences speaker, is the 38th Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. She is the first African-American woman to hold this position and the youngest chief justice in Massachusetts in 150 years.
Budd also teaches at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and Bar Association programs and at New England Law and taught trial advocacy at Harvard Law School. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Georgetown University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Koskoff is a member of the Suffolk Law Dean’s Cabinet and will deliver the commencement address to this year’s Law School graduates. He specializes in medical malpractice, wrongful death and other complex personal injury and public interest cases in Connecticut.
In 2014, Koskoff filed a case against gun manufacturer Remington, the company that made and marketed the AR-15 weapon used in the shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012.
This was a landmark case, as firearm companies normally receive immunity in situations like this. However, Koskoff was able to win $73 million in a settlement for the families.
Koskoff also won another victory for the victims of Sandy Hook. In a case that was national news, Koskof, along with two partners at his firm, sued Alex Jones in a defamation case. Jones, the host of InfoWars, claimed the shooting was faked. Koskoff and his team won $1 billion in a settlement for the families affected by Jones.
Many of this year’s graduates are looking forward to hearing the insights of their ceremony’s speaker, and are grateful for the comfort in seeing themselves in these highly successful individuals.
“I think Judd and Koskoff were good choices, and I’m happy there is a woman speaking,” said soon-to-be graduate Sydney Fogg, who majored in sociology.
“We are honored they will be part of our Commencement ceremonies and are excited to hear what they have to share,” Kelly said.
