It will come as no surprise to my readers that my daughter Elizabeth graduated from Seton Hall University Law School last Friday. I am so proud of her, and I know it shows. AND, I make no excuses for that.
Graduation Day is a time of joy for all moms and dads, and you just have to let us revel in it. You are a part of us, and we burst with far more pride for you than we do even for ourselves. My husband and I both graduated from law school so many years ago, but it was not the same. This one was better.
First of all, as a woman lawyer, I have had to make certain sacrifices in my personal life for my professional life over time, and I was not always sure that my daughter approved of those choices. Her decision to follow me into the legal profession makes me believe that she understood more than I knew. Many children reject the professional and career callings of their parents, and I am happy to say that it was the not the case with Elizabeth and me. However, I know that she will not follow my same career plan and that she will chart her own course. That is exactly what I want for her. Hopefully, she reads my books and blogs and knows how to do that!
Beyond that, the graduation was especially unique. The keynote speaker, the current US Ambassador to Afghanistan gave a fitting address about “going to the guns”, which I took to mean find your calling and engage. It was a good message and very well-delivered and received. However, it was not the speech or the emotion or the pomp and circumstance that made this particular graduation special. It was the venue on that particular day.
The Seton Hall University Law School graduation was held in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey at 10 AM on the morning of the same day that the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers would face off to determine which team would advance to the Stanley Cup finals. Although the Dean of the Law School announced that the graduation was the most important event in the stadium that day, the crowd was not buying it! After all, this is hockey, and it is a huge regional rivalry. The importance of the second event of the day—the Big Game—became apparent in short time. After all, the graduation had been scheduled for months, and the Big Game is a case of chance. There is no way of predicting that game in advance, but the show must go on!
As the final processional of new graduates exited the stadium, the Zamboni guys were lining up machines and equipment to transform a fitting graduation venue into a hockey stadium. That’s when something happened that totally made my daughter’s graduation the indelible event it always will be.
You see, Elizabeth is a law clerk for the New Jersey Devils organization, and her office is in the Prudential Center. She has clerked there for the General Counsel for the last few years, and she is going to continue to work for The Devils next year until her federal court clerkship begins. As a result, she KNOWS the Zamboni guys. AND, they know her—just not as a law student and new graduate. So, when Elizabeth exited in the procession, the Zamboni guys took notice—as only Zamboni guys can. They were her cheering section, and she loved it. A chorus of “Liz, Liz, Liz” by the Zamboni guys was heard far and wide. It is one thing to have the academics heralding your accomplishments, but THE ZAMBONI GUYS! Now, that is really special.
It was a fitting end to four years of hard work and sacrifice. Elizabeth graduated with a concentration in Intellectual Property and a specialty in Sports and Entertainment Law, all the time working in the day and going to school at night. She managed to keep a balance in her life that continued to include family and friends, and she kept the complaining down to a bare minimum. For that we are grateful and proud.
Good luck to Elizabeth and to all of you recent graduates. Even without the Zamboni guys, I hope your graduations were completely memorable.
AND, last but not least, you may have heard that the New Jersey Devils prevailed in the Big Game—-in overtime and against the odds. They are Stanley Cup bound! (I hope my daughter gets tickets and that she remembers how grateful she is to me for all of my love and support during law school!!!!!!!!!!! I’m sure that she will………….)
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