Legal Commentary

Forgive me if this is a topic that has already been discussed at length in the blawgosphere, but I'm interested in what people out there think about your typical law school graduation speaker.  It seems, from my experience, that the typical speaker is a lawyer who has "made it to a prominent position in public life" (though perhaps you cannot tell, I am saying this in a sort of mockingly overly serious and grumpy manner).  Usually these speakers are dull and uninspiring and sometimes have some agenda of their own that they are interested in putting forth instead of really thinking about what the graduating law students would really like to hear or benefit from (I'm thinking here of a prominent judge who a bunch of years ago gave a graduation speech that basically consisted of a somewhat sophisticated lecture about administrative law, followed by a plea for increased judicial salaries).  There are exceptions, of course.  We had David Gergen speak at BU a few years ago, and I thought he was terrific.  He actually seemed to be speaking extemporaneously at some points, and these were the highlights.

A few years ago I had the occasion to come up with a list of possible alternatives to the dominant model of graduation speakers.  I was looking for people who were lawyers, or at least who had studied law, but who had taken alternative career paths that might have made them interesting speakers.  I didn't find all that many.  Paul Simon, the singer, I believe, studied a little law.  (Art Garfunkel didn't, so far as I know, but I would support him for speaker--or Poet Laureate--any day).  Steve Young the football player went to law school.  There are others.  My choice for ideal law school graduation speaker is Peter Garrett, the ex-lead singer of Midnight Oil who is a lawyer (he has an LLB from University of New South Wales), a social and environmental activist, and a government official.  I don't know if any U.S. law school has ever invited him to speak and if one did, whether he would come, but I bet he would be terrific (though perhaps you cannot tell, I am dancing somewhat stiffly and strangely and singing "Beds are Burning" as I say all this).

Anyone out there want to share either horror stories of past graduation speakers or ideas for future ones?  I think it would be particularly interesting to hear from students on this question--who would you like to hear at your graduation?