Class of 2024 Cum Laude Inductees

Following the certificate ceremony, Head of School Dale Smith introduced this year’s Dianne Lynn Levy Memorial Speaker, Stuart F. Delery. A proud member of the Newman’s Class of 1986, Delery is currently a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and Co-Chair of the Crisis Management Practice Group and Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group. Prior to this role, Delery served as White House Counsel for President Biden from 2022-23, as Deputy Counsel to the President from 2021-22, and as Acting Associate Attorney General of the United States, the third-ranking position at the U.S. Department of Justice.

A fellow Newman Cum Laude Society member, Delery spoke to the importance of active citizenship and asked students to be citizens, not spectators, stressing the importance of determining where to place one’s energy.

"You don’t have to be interested in government or in politics to make a difference. In whatever field interests you, you will see things that are wrong, that need to be improved. All of you are equipped, based on your time here at Newman, to make a difference, large and small,” Delery said.

Delery went on to encourage students not merely spot problems but to figure out the solutions and to see the problems to the end. “If you do these things, leadership opportunities will come your way. My own experience shows that leaders come from all temperaments, all different personalities, and all backgrounds. Any style of leadership can make a lasting impact,” Delery remarked.