Commencement Address: Stephen V. D'Amore, JD | DePaul University's Law Commencement | May 18, 2024

Wow, thank you, Dean Rosado, for that incredibly generous introduction. It is an honor and a privilege to address your graduation class. Let me begin by offering my heartfelt congratulations to the DePaul College of Law class of 2024. Congratulations also to the friends, family, parents, and so many others who have helped and supported you on the way. I have to say I remember sitting right where you are many years ago with my own parents, with my fiancée who was my classmate, and with her parents, experiencing the joy of this day, the same feelings that you have today. You are an amazing, talented, diverse, and passionate group. The legal community you will enter, the community in which we will work together, will be enriched by you. I cannot wait for you to arrive. Congratulations. Let me also take a moment to extend a special recognition to Dean Rosado—Dean Jen, as many of us know her. I told the dean that she broke my heart when I learned that she was taking on a new role outside of DePaul. The DePaul Law community has been lucky to be part of your journey. I know I speak for everyone here and many others in wishing you great fortune in your next role. Dean Jen, you have inspired so many. Your dedication and leadership have moved this law school and inspired me. Thank you. Okay, now graduates, it is your time. Your achievement today is a testament to your hard work, your perseverance, and your unwavering commitment. Today is a day to celebrate, and today also marks the beginning of a new journey, one that will present countless opportunities to demonstrate your excellence. So as you start on this path, I want to encourage you to remember what makes you special as a DePaul law graduate: your grit, your dedication to service and mentorship, and an abiding sense of hopefulness which is the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. Let me start with a story. About 30 years ago, I started at Winston & Strawn, a law firm that was approaching its 150th anniversary at the time. I'm going to confess something: I was scared. I was really scared, maybe scared out of my mind. I was scared in part because when I looked around, I was the only one from DePaul, and honestly I was worried about whether I could do the job. I shared an office with an incredibly smart student—he's now a judge—and I was surrounded by people who had spent their entire lives around lawyers and law firms, and that was really miles away from my own personal experience and background. So I was scared. But then I just got started. Bit by bit, day by day, year by year, I just did that one thing that we all learned to do here at DePaul. What I learned from this law school and from the great faculty and people who came before me is that excellence comes from persistence, it comes from determination, not just from innate wisdom. Excellence comes from staring at hard problems critically over and over again until you get to the answer. There's a great movie, it's called The Martian. Have you seen it? Matt Damon plays an astronaut stranded alone on Mars. Spoiler alert: at the end, he describes what he did to get home from Mars, and this is what he said: 'You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem and you solve the next one, and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home.' That's the kind of excellence I learned from DePaul, and that you did too, and that is what lives inside each of you as DePaul graduates: a quality of excellence that comes from persistence, from grit. So today, some 30 years later, I find myself in the position as incoming chairman of Winston, responsible for shaping the next generation of our law firm's long history. And instead of seeing myself as the only DePaul graduate, I ask: where are more people from DePaul? And whether they come from DePaul or frankly from Mars, it doesn't matter. I say, show me the people who have the DePaul ethos, that grit and persistence that makes you special. Remember, graduates, that grit is your special power as DePaul graduates. I think it's fair to say that you are the Martians of the law world. Okay, grit and persistence—that's what worked for me. It's the advice I give to you, it's the advice I give to my colleagues, it's the advice I gave to my own son who graduated from college just last week. There's more: I have a secret to share with you. You can't do this alone. Throughout my own experience, I have been helped and advantaged by many mentors and sponsors, people who've played a big role in my law life. They've come from many different parts of life: family, teachers, college colleagues, judges—all different. But what made them great mentors was their willingness to create a bridge, to accept me where I stood and give me a bridge to where I could go. Not to solve problems for me—it's always been my job and it will be your job to do the math—but I have been blessed and advantaged by mentors who have given advice, opened doors, and created opportunities for me to act within. So graduates, look for your mentors. Don't be shy. Don't try to do this alone. And that means that you have to be good mentees. Listen, be open to receiving advice—sometimes critical advice—accept help, and then when opportunities are presented to you, seize them and act on your own. Dean Rosado and her team created the First Generation in Law Scholars Program, and my wife Kim and I are privileged to support the program. I mention it now because it exemplifies the commitment this law community has to mentorship and service. That program is a bridge into the law world for high school students who are the first in their families to pursue a career in law, like many of you. It's a good program, but honestly it's just one example. It's one of many ways that exist in our profession to be a mentor, to be a mentor in ways that are meaningful to you, to build a bridge into the law world for others to walk across. So when you're done being a great mentee, be a great mentor. Find what works for you. Don't walk alone. Now I want to share a personal note of hope. Spanish was my first language. In Spanish, there is an expression: 'Ále.' People must know what that means, right? 'Alegre' means happy. 'Sé ále' means be always happy, right? No, not in this context. It does not mean 'be always happy'—and I guarantee that in your law careers, you will not always be happy. In this context, it means to be always hopeful, to be constantly ready to be hopeful. Along with joy, there will be challenges in your law careers—there's no doubt about it. You will meet obstacles, there will be difficult situations and challenging people in courtrooms, in government, across the deal table. And in those situations, I urge you to be ever hopeful. Okay, so you're thinking: how do I do that? Well, as it turns out, the namesake of this school has an answer. In the words of St. Vincent de Paul: 'Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favorable light at all times and under all circumstances.' That's what he said, although probably in French, not in Spanish. And as St. Vincent put it, 'make it a practice.' A practice is something you cause yourself to do. It's not a reaction. Practice also means you may not always get it right. Keep trying. As you proceed in your law life, practice judging the people and the things that you encounter in the most favorable light, at all times and in all circumstances. Be ever hopeful. Okay, I'm coming now to those special words that everyone listens for in graduation speeches: the words 'in closing.' So in closing, I congratulate you again on your remarkable achievement. As you embark on this journey, remember: the path ahead is long, it will give you many challenges and opportunities. Seize the opportunities to use your special DePaul grit. Be Martians. Be mentored and create bridges for others. And above all else, ále—be ever hopeful—because it is through that mindset that you will shape a better law world for yourself and for all of us who will be lucky to share it with you. Congratulations, graduates. May your journey be filled with excellence, mentorship, and unwavering hope for this great profession.