Sophie Hess, elected by her peers as the permanent president for the Class of 2025, delivered remarks as the student speaker for this year’s Sunflower Ceremony.
Originally from Lexington, Massachusetts, Hess found community at Texas Law through building relationships, getting involved, and organizing events to bring students together.
Welcomed to the Gregory Gym stage by Dean Bobby Chesney, Hess opened her commencement speech on a warm and playful note by thanking the families, faculty, and staff whose unwavering support made the day possible.
“What a three years that was. I’d like to begin by acknowledging the ordeal you’ve just endured. Congratulations for making it this far in the face of the many challenges presented by a legal education. You’re inspiring. What you’ve just accomplished took grit, determination, and perseverance. You should all be so proud of yourselves,” Hess began.
“I am, of course, speaking to the families of the Texas Law Class of 2025. I can only imagine how annoying we’ve been for the last three years. We’re very sorry. But in our defense, we were negotiating bedtime from the start. You had to know this might be coming.”
Hess earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Haverford College in Pennsylvania and then worked as a case manager for Pabian Law LLC in Massachusetts. At Texas Law, she spent two years as part of the Student Bar Association and in the Society Program, serving as the head Society Coordinator during her 3L year. She was a Public Service Scholar and a Student Advisory Board member for the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law. Additionally, she worked as a student ambassador for the Office of Admissions and spent two semesters with the Disability Rights Clinic. After graduation, Hess will join Texas RioGrande Legal Aid as a G. Rollie White fellow to work on the education team representing students with disabilities.
A full transcript of her remarks can be viewed below the video of her speech.
Thank you, Dean Chesney, and to all who made today possible. What a three years that was. I’d like to begin by acknowledging the ordeal you’ve just endured. Congratulations for making it this far in the face of the many challenges presented by a legal education. You’re inspiring. What you’ve just accomplished took grit, determination, and perseverance. You should all be so proud of yourselves.
I am, of course, speaking to the families of the Texas Law Class of 2025. I can only imagine how annoying we’ve been for the last three years. We’re very sorry. But in our defense, we were negotiating bedtime from the start. You had to know this might be coming.
Next, I’d like to thank the Texas Law faculty. When we met you, we were clueless. Now, we have at least half a clue. We’ll try not to embarrass you too much as we look for the other half.
Thank you as well to the staff of Texas Law. You make the law school run and you always made it fun. Special shoutout to the Docket staff, who kept the coffee flowing. My passing grades from quite literally every class are due to you.
At its core, to be a lawyer is to be an advocate. To meet a client where they are and help address their legal needs. The Class of 2025 has had plenty of practice advocating. We’ve advocated for pretend clients in pretend lawsuits. We’ve represented real clients through the clinical program. We’ve advocated for each other for additional bar prep resources and public interest support. We’ve even advocated for ourselves at the state legislature against laws designed to limit our free speech in the classroom, our access to health care, and the due process rights of our immigrant neighbors. I know we’re ready. Let’s go do this.
The Class of 2025 is wonderfully diverse. We hail from 32 states and nine countries. We are engineers, veterans, musicians, philosophers, and athletes. There are many things we disagree about strongly. For example, at least one of us believes the New England Patriots run from 2001-2019 is the greatest dynasty in the history of sports. Others would obviously—and wrongly might I add—disagree. There will always be things to argue about—fortunately for us, that’s why we’ll always have work.
So, it might seem odd to suggest that conflict is not where the action is in this brief and beautiful life we share. Things of true and lasting value are built when people come together and work for our mutual benefit. Don’t define yourself by what you oppose. It’s a waste of your potential and all that we can build together.
Despite our differences, there is one thing that unites us—we’ve devoted ourselves to the practice of law. We’ve made this commitment because we know that the rule of law matters.
This comes with a responsibility. After today or, let’s be honest, after emerging from our bar prep caves in three short months, we are no longer only students of the rule of law, but stewards of it. And boy, is our timing good. We graduate into a time and world in desperate need of responsible and steadfast legal stewards. Our legal institutions are increasingly under attack—both the universities that educate us and the organizations that hire us. When we were applying to Texas Law and received our first brochure from the Admissions Office, we were greeted with the promise that this was “the best place in the world to be a law student.” Now, as we leave this place, the onus is on us to be the best lawyers the world urgently needs.
Three years ago, Professor Goode gave Section 3 advice that’s been my guiding light through law school. Ahead of our first final ever, we were freaking out. We lacked both perspective and sleep. In our final class of the semester, Professor Goode reminded us of what our final exam would not cover or reflect: it would not be testing the qualities of our character that are critical to leading a good life.
Three years later, I ask us all to remember that our future accomplishments, though well-earned, also won’t define the quality of our character. I’ve lost this perspective before. After receiving the lowest grade of my life in Property during 1L, I cried for a week and thought my life was over. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t. Property professors, cover your ears, but who cares about the rule against perpetuities anyway. The quality of our character, the clients we’ll meet, and the people we’ll serve matter so much more.
To the Class of 2025, this is of course a time to celebrate what we’ve accomplished. But I’d like to add the wrinkle that so much of this is luck. If we consider the 8 billion people with whom we share this planet, the fraction of them who had any hope of finding themselves here with us today, graduating from Texas or any other law school, is infinitesimally small. I say that not to diminish our accomplishment, but to encourage us to feel what I hope we do every day…gratitude.
We are so lucky to be here today. We’ve worked hard. In our careers, we will work harder. Let’s remember that even the opportunity to do so is something we are lucky to have. In the words of three wise philosophers—Paul in Galatians 5:13, Voltaire, and Spiderman’s uncle Ben, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Let’s use our power well.
Doing so doesn’t depend on the career paths we’ve chosen. Stewardship of the legal profession can take many forms. Whether it’s mentoring a young lawyer, taking on an extra pro bono case, ensuring a client has access to the justice system, or advocating within your firm to promote fairness, there is room in all corners of the legal profession to make a difference.
With our Texas Law degrees—and, might I add, as graduates from a T-14 institution—we now hold an awesome power and responsibility. Let’s put our power and privilege to good use and pay it forward.
Congratulations again to the Class of 2025, and hook ’em!!
To learn more about her time at Texas Law and beyond, please see our Student Spotlight series Q&A with Hess.