The Honorable James D. Peterson will deliver a video-recorded keynote address for the University of Wisconsin Law School’s Class of 2020 virtual commencement ceremony.

UW Law School joined UW-Madison in moving its traditional ceremony online, as part of statewide efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The ceremony will be available to graduates, their families and friends at 3 p.m. (CDT) on May 15, 2020.

The Class of 2020 selected Peterson, who also presented the keynote at the class’s fall orientation in 2017. Peterson currently serves as chief judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. He received his judicial commission in 2014, after President Barack Obama nominated him to the federal bench.

Prior to his appointment, Peterson served as a shareholder at Godfrey & Kahn, where he was a member of the litigation and intellectual property practice groups and where he led the firm's intellectual property litigation working group. Additionally, he taught copyright law at the Law School.

Peterson is a “quadruple Badger.” Besides earning his J.D. from UW Law in 1998, he received a bachelor’s degree in 1979, a master’s degree in 1984 and a doctoral degree in 1986, all from UW-Madison.

Joining Peterson for the online ceremony is Professor Howard Erlanger, who was selected as faculty representative by the graduating class. Taijae Evans and Nancy Cruz will speak on behalf of the J.D. graduates, and Daniela Fachiano Nakano will speak for the graduate law students.

Details for accessing the online ceremony are forthcoming.

Submitted by Law School News on May 11, 2020

This article appears in the categories: Alumni, Features