Incoming 2026 Students Begin Brooklyn Law School Journey at Convocation

A total of 441 new students were officially welcomed to Brooklyn Law School during the 125th Convocation ceremony held on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in the U.S. District Courthouse for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY). Students heard from members of the BLS community, took a formal oath of professionalism, and enjoyed a reception where they could begin building the important bonds that will help guide their journey. 

President, Joseph Crea Dean and Professor of Law Dean David D. Meyer addressed the incoming students, a group that includes 384 full-time students, 40 part-time students, eight transfer students, and nine LL.M. students.  

"I congratulate you on the wisdom you've shown in choosing to make your journey at Brooklyn Law School, because you will not make that journey alone, but as part of a vibrant community that is deeply and fully committed to your success," Meyer said.  

The Hon. Claire Kelly '93, a U.S. Court of International Trade judge, a former member of the Law School’s Board of Trustees, and an adjunct professor at the school for 15 years, led students in taking the oath of professionalism.  

"You are now part of something larger than yourself," Kelly said. "You are part of the machinery that makes and supports the rule of law, which is the foundation of this great nation, and that matters." 

Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Eulas Boyd said this is the most competitive class since he joined the school in 2015 with the highest median LSAT score since 2011 and the highest median GPA in recorded law school history. "Brooklyn Law School is 125 years old this year, and we like to say we're equally good preparing students for careers in public service and private sector. And we're really excited about this year," he said. 

'One of the Most Diverse and Exhilarating Places on Earth' 

In opening remarks, Vice Dean Sarah Haan, the Sheridan Albert '48 Professor of Law, welcomed incoming students to the community.  

"Brooklyn is one of the most diverse and exhilarating places on earth, and we have been here and an integral part of this community for 125 years," Haan said. "Long before the hipsters discovered it, we at Brooklyn Law School take seriously our place in the Brooklyn community and our obligation to serve and participate in it." 

The incoming students are a diverse group, ranging in age from 19 to 59 and hailing from 36 U.S. states, Haan noted. They were born across five continents and 22 countries, including China, Greece, Indonesia, Sudan, Turkey, and Zimbabwe. More than a third of incoming students are first-generation Americans with at least one parent born outside the United States. 

Additionally, students have some intriguing backstories, including military service and jobs ranging from nonprofit startup founder to traveling nurse. "One of you has won an Emmy," Haan said. "One of you served on the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. One of you was a competitive sailor on the U.S. national team. One of you has performed at Carnegie Hall. One of you is a jeweler who has made pieces for Beyoncé and Lady Gaga." 

The list went on, and included students whose families have attended Brooklyn Law School for generations. 

'You Belong Here, Resoundingly and Unequivocally' 

Professor Joy Kanwar, a Professor of Legal Writing who previously served as the Arthur Pinto & Stephen Bohlen Associate Dean of Inclusion & Diversity, greeted students on behalf of the faculty, and shared the collective wisdom she had gathered from her colleagues for those beginning their law school journey.  

"The first point is that you belong here. You belong here resoundingly and unequivocally," Kanwar said. "We're all here. We all made it. And I hope that you really feel that way today. This is true if you come from a long line of lawyers, and this is true if you’re going to be the first one in your family. This is true if this is your third career or your very first one. This is true if you speak English as a first language or not. It’s true for everybody here today." 

She advised students to reach out to one person in their lives "who is always in your corner" after the Convocation ceremony to remind them of the idea of belonging because “there's going to be a moment in which you really question yourself." Another piece of advice: Build a team of supportive classmates (many of whom will become lifelong friends) as well as professors, staff, and administrators to rely on when the work becomes challenging.

Additionally, she advised students to remember that in an era of rapidly advancing technology, it is their human qualities that will make them great lawyers. "What doesn’t change is the ability to connect with your clients, to empathize and to be somebody with good judgment and character," Kanwar said.

'That Hustle Is Real' 

The new class was treated to additional inspiration from alumni speaker Nutan Vani Sewdath Dossa '14, who emigrated from Trinidad and grew up in a working-class family in Queens before becoming the first lawyer in her family. A cofounder of The Dossa Foundation, a nonprofit that empowers under-resourced middle school students through mentorship, career exposure, and leadership development, she is also an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law. Her career has spanned corporate law, compliance, and community impact, and she was an Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellow after transferring to Brooklyn Law School as a 2L.  

"When I started law school, I was sure I had bitten off more than I could chew. It took me hours to get through my first legal opinion from start to finish," Sewdath Dossa recalled. "It was filled with legalese, procedural language that was completely foreign to me. Oh, no, I thought. I've planned my life so poorly…. I envied the people around me who came from a long line of lawyers, or had family and friend networks that knew lawyers." 

Despite not having a cheat sheet or a fallback, "those two years here shaped my life, and it shaped my career," she said. Her experiences included internships at the Federal Defenders of New York, handling cases in the Southern District of New York, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the Exoneration Initiative, and Winston & Strawn’s white-collar practice.  

"Everyone around me, everyone in my class was hustling—and that hustle is real," Sewdath Dossa said. "Brooklyn Law gave me my first shot at a professional community with unlimited resources… I had hundreds of coffees with Brooklyn Law alum all throughout the city." 

The willingness of fellow alumni to take her under their wing when she was "a nobody at the time" is a testament to the spirit of community among Brooklyn Law School’s alumni. 

"This is the Brooklyn way," Sewdath Dossa said, pointing to how 90.7 percent of the Class of 2025 had secured full-time positions within 10 months of graduating. "The network is still networking."

View our public flickr album below.