Brooklyn Law School’s 2024 Convocation welcomed more than 400 new students with a ceremony at the U.S. District Courthouse for the Eastern District of New York on Aug. 19. The incoming class includes 391 J.D. students, eight transfer students and 10 LL.M. students, representing diverse backgrounds from 23 countries across five continents.

The event featured speeches from faculty and alumni, with Professor Yuvraj Joshi encouraging students to embrace the supportive community, President and Dean David Meyer discussing the school’s legacy and faculty excellence, and Vice Dean Miriam Baer highlighting the diversity and accomplishments of the incoming class. Judge Ramon Reyes Jr. ’92 administered the oath of professionalism, while alumna Erica Carter ’15 shared personal advice on navigating law school and building lasting connections.

Joshi, one of the first to address the students, shared his experience as a queer immigrant of color and reassured students about their place at Brooklyn Law School.

“The most important thing to remember is this: You belong here,” Joshi said. “Each of you has earned your place in this class … you absolutely belong here.”

Judge Reyes Jr. reflected on how Brooklyn Law played a transformative role in his career, particularly through his clerkship with Hon. David Trager, a former dean of the school.

“My clerkship with Judge Trager literally changed the path of my professional career,” Judge Reyes said. “I had interviewed my third year at Brooklyn Law School with 15 federal judges and did not get a clerkship. And I was a pretty decent student at Brooklyn Law School, and I was devastated.”

He reminded the incoming students of the strong legacy they are becoming part of. “You are preceded by a host of dedicated and notable alumni, faculty, and administrators who care deeply about the success of Brooklyn Law School and its students,” Judge Reyes continued.

Alumna Erica Carter ’15, now senior counsel at Epic Games, had similar sentiments and encouraged the students to build lasting relationships with their peers.

“Everyone sitting next to you feels like a stranger, feels like a peer, but they’re going to be the people who show up for you in the good and bad moments now and in the future,” Carter said. “You’re going to wind up being colleagues, friends, coworkers.”

Carter also urged students to embrace the challenges ahead without putting too much pressure on themselves to be at the top of the class.

“Yes, you should study and try to make good grades. But the reality is, we’re not all going to be at the top of our class. I wasn’t,” she said, highlighting that success in law can be found through various career paths, whether in Big Law, public service or in-house roles like her own.

The convocation ended on an optimistic note, with faculty, alumni, and school leaders offering their support as the new students began their journey at Brooklyn Law School.