2026 Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation

Updated Information for the 2026 Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation

Hello graduates, families, and friends,

As you know, in light of the AFSCME strike and picket lines, the Henderson Center has made the difficult decision to move the location of our Social Justice and Public Interest Graduation.

Instead of the Pauley Ballroom, the event will now take place at the rooftop terrace of the Residence Inn by Marriott Berkeley.

The event will be modified from its original format in order to work in our new venue. Instead of a full ceremony, this will be a reception-style celebration where we will serve food and drinks and provide all graduates with the opportunity to take professional portraits with their friends and family. We will also take a moment at 1 p.m. to name and applaud our award winners, and are working to create a platform where speakers’ remarks can be shared electronically at the event and after.

Additionally, we are working to provide complimentary shuttle service between the law school and the Residence Inn by Marriott on a loop. We hope that this will ease any travel burden posed by the location change. Please stay tuned for updates, which will be posted here and sent to RSVPs by email.

While we are sincerely sorry that we cannot provide the formal stage program we originally planned, we are so excited to celebrate your achievements in this beautiful new space.

Updated Event Details

• Location: Residence Inn by Marriott Berkeley (2121 Center St., Berkeley, CA)
• Event Time: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• What to Expect: Light refreshments, a hosted bar, and professional family portraits

We look forward to celebrating with all of you!

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We are so excited to honor and thank graduating Berkeley Law JD and LLM students who have demonstrated a commitment to public interest, pro bono, and social justice work with our annual Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation! This year’s event will take place at the Residence Inn by Marriott Berkeley from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Feel free to drop in and out as you feel fit. (more details on this below.)

We invite graduating students who have done any one of the following to celebrate with us!

• Completed the Pro Bono Pledge;
• Completed two summers of public interest or public service work;
• Served as a leader for a Student-Initiated Legal Services Project (SLPS) or a Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trip (BLAST);
• or, Met the requirements for the Public Interest and Social Justice Certificate or the Race and Law Certificate.

Please RSVP by May 8th to confirm your attendance.

The following awards will also be announced at the Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation: The Francine M. Diaz Memorial Award, the Pro Bono Champion Award, the Eleanor Swift Award, the Kathi Pugh Award, ​the Brian M. Sax Prize for Excellence in Clinical Advocacy and Sax Prize Honorable Mention​, the CLEA Outstanding Clinical Student Award, and the CLEA Outstanding Externship Student Award.

On Location and Timing:
The celebration will be held from 12pm-3pm, to be held at the Residence Inn by Marriott Berkeley. Because we are celebrating so many incredible graduating students this year, we are moving our event outside of the Law School.

On Guests & Ticketing:

• Reception: No additional guests will be welcomed for the reception. While we do not require RSVPs for the reception, we recommend one or two guests per student.

This event is hosted by the Public Interest Working Group, made up of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, the Career Development Office, the Clinical Program, the East Bay Community Law Center, the Field Placement Program, the Financial Aid Office, and the Pro Bono Program.