Touro Law Center 2011 commencement

Number of master of laws

recipients: 13

Number of juris

doctorate recipients: 24

Keynote speaker: Shira A.

Scheindlin, U.S. district judge for the Southern District of New York, presided over trials for accused mobster John Gotti Jr., among other high-profile cases:

"Thinking like a lawyer also involves having empathy for people different than yourself and taking a principled stance on an issue, even if it's unpopular or counterintuitive."

Student speaker:

Salaam Bhatti, 24, recipient of the Ronni D. Cohen Class Orator award and the Michael Aaron Silver Award for promoting tolerance and harmony, lives in Bay Shore:"Before coming to Touro, I was nervous. I had no idea how a Jewish-affiliated school would respond to me, a Muslim

. . . But a week into Touro and I realized that this was the dumbest thing I've ever thought."

Compiled by Emily Ngo