Summary: St. John’s School of Law in Queens, New York will be having Preet Bharara speak at their commencement ceremony.
St. John’s School of Law announced that former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara will be their commencement speaker. The law school will welcome him on June 3 at Carnesecca Arena and honor him with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, according to The Torch.
Law School Dean Michael Simons stated that Bharara “brings a unique perspective” with his experience as a federal prosecutor and as dedicated public servant and prosecutor. Simons said, “Born in India to a Sikh father and a Hindu mother and raised in New Jersey, he is also an inspiration to the immigrant community, as well as an outspoken advocate for a compassionate approach to issues that impact it.”
He added, “In all these respects, Preet is an outstanding professional who exemplifies values central to our Vincentian mission, and is most deserving of an honorary degree from St. John’s.”
Bharara started his legal career as a litigator. He then moved on to serve as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. He has since served on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. He was sworn in as U.S. Attorney in 2009 until 2017.
Some of his notable convictions include those of terrorists like the Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad and London imam Abu Hamza, who was known to preach Islamic fundamentalism. Bharara also convicted Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law Sulamain Abu Ghayth.
Bharara has also prosecuted roughly 100 Wall Street executives on a range of crimes like insider trading. He was the force behind the indictment of public officials including former New York State Senate Leader Dean Skelos and former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
When Bharara’s role as U.S. Attorney ended in 2017, he did not slow down. He has established, with New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, the National Task Force on Rule of Law and Democracy. The task force is a nonpartisan initiative that “intends to issue a bipartisan reform agenda to relieve the pressures currently threatening our democratic institutions” according to their official website.
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To learn more about other notable figures who have given commencement speeches, read these articles:
- Rod Rosenstein to Give Commencement Address at Campbell Law
- Souter to Speak at Harvard Commencement
- Lifelong Navy Veteran Gives Incredible Commencement Speech
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