WUCL Graduates Class of 2009
May 18, 2009
On Sunday, May 17, proud parents, family and friends gathered on the Willamette University campus to celebrate the Class of 2009’s graduation. Dean Symeon C. Symeonides warmly welcomed students, faculty and guests to the College of Law’s 123rd commencement and hooding ceremony. President M. Lee Pelton led the conferring of degrees, while Symeonides presented 130 Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees and two Master of Laws degrees to the class.
The graduates were introduced by Professor Paul A. Diller and Professor Jeffrey A. Standen and hooded by Professor Yvonne A. Tamayo and Professor Emeritus Ross R. Runkel, all of whom were selected by the graduates to participate in the ceremony.
The Class of 2009 was led by John C. Davis, who graduated summa cum laude. Julie M. Jarvis, Marcus R. Whitney, David A. Anderson, Angela W. Bennett, Jeffrey C. Rhoades, Dorothy R. Ryan, Sara A. Cassidey and Stephanie E. Carter graduated magna cum laude. Scott W. Bennett, Jon C. Kulas, Brian R. Wilson, Patrick M. Gregg, Andrea J. Breinholt, David L. Anderson, Emily J. Pringle, Tatjana T. Queener, David L. Fox and Christine R. Olson graduated cum laude.
Professor Valerie J. Vollmar JD’75 introduced the commencement speaker, Justice Virginia L. Linder JD’80 of the Oregon Supreme Court. A Colorado native, Linder earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Oregon University before enrolling in Willamette University College of Law. After graduating in 1980, she began her career as assistant attorney general in the Appellate Division of the Oregon Department of Justice. She was named assistant solicitor general of Oregon in 1984. Two years later, she was promoted to solicitor general, the chief appellate lawyer for the state. Linder was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals by Gov. John Kitzhaber in 1997. She made a successful bid for a seat on the Oregon Supreme Court in 2006 and was sworn in as the 99th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court in 2007.