Class Orator Jason Prince of New Jersey speaks to the...

Class Orator Jason Prince of New Jersey speaks to the Touro Law Center 2015 graduating class at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Brookville on Sunday, May 17, 2015. Credit: Steven Sunshine

Touro Law Center

Number of Juris Doctor degrees: 196

Number of Master of Laws degrees: 12

Commencement speaker: Richard Parsons, former chairman of Citigroup and former chief executive of Time Warner and Dime Savings Bank, told graduating students that they should embrace compassion, transparency, justice and kindness to increase the odds of being successful.

"Be the person who everybody else wants to see succeed," said Parsons, a senior adviser for Providence Equity Partners. He received an honorary degree during the ceremony, along with U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford). "If I were to tell you the biggest factor to success, it would be this: Other people, because they want to see you succeed, they help you succeed . . . Nobody gets anything done in this world by himself or herself. We all need to rely on others."

Class speaker: Student Jason Prince, 27, of Tewksbury, New Jersey, who earned a J.D. degree, recalled the days after superstorm Sandy, when the homes of some of his classmates were flooded, causing them to lose their law school materials. Other classmates stepped up and lent their books to those who lost them.

"The class of 2015 came together despite it being the most difficult part of our lives," Prince said. "Law school was a very competitive part of our lives . . . We had to form cliques and study groups to survive."

Alanna McGovern, 24, of Babylon, J.D.

"I want to do civil litigation," McGovern said. "I learned so much about myself in law school. I like being in a courtroom. I found a real passion for being in front of the judge. It is all about style."

Erica Meyer, 24, of Huntington, J.D.

"I am hoping to do criminal prosecution," Meyer said. "I am an advocate for victims of human trafficking. I hope to end up at the United Nations one day. This has been my dream since I was 14 years old. It's nice to accomplish it."

Brian Cox, 24, of Smithtown, J.D.

"I want to work for a public defender on Long Island or New York City," Cox said. "I hope to get a job. That's what I've been working towards for 24 years."

Lilit Manukyan, 37, of Brooklyn, J.D.

"I'm going to try to pass the bar exam and get a job in immigration and family law, litigating divorces and custody issues," said Manukyan, who emigrated from Armenia in 2002. "I was an immigrant when I came here. I got a green card and then my citizenship. Getting a lawyer is very expensive, and I want to help people."

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