Secretary Johnson Delivers 2023 Commencement Speech at Fordham Law

On May 22, litigation partner Jeh Johnson gave the commencement speech at Fordham University School of Law offering seven “legal life lessons” to the 2023 graduates. At the event, Secretary Johnson also received his 13th honorary degree.

“There are smart lawyers and there are great lawyers,” Secretary Johnson said. “A smart lawyer is not necessarily a great lawyer. A smart lawyer can identify all the legal issues embedded in the law school exam. The great lawyer can spot all the issues in the exam, and then go on to sort out which of those issues present risks that are tolerable or intolerable for the client… The great lawyer does not just find problems, she helps the client solve them.”