"As lawyers, we have a special responsibility not only to uphold the law, but to improve the quality of justice for all," Dean Donald Tobin told the almost 300 graduates of the Class of 2015 and their families who packed the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall for Maryland Carey Law’s Hooding Ceremony, Thursday, May 14.

This year’s Hooding Ceremony came just days after one of the most turbulent periods in Baltimore’s history in half a century.  

Both Tobin and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake ’95, the keynote speaker, advised the graduates to confront the difficult issues related to race, community, and the administration of justice in their careers.

"… we seek a better world, whether we choose to work with the earthquake victims of Nepal or the displaced families and merchants of West Baltimore," Tobin said.

Mayor Rawlings-Blake, who received a standing ovation from the graduates and Maryland Carey Law faculty, challenged graduates to make positive contributions to their communities.

"I know that Baltimore will not be defined by the riots," Mayor Rawlings-Blake said. "But rather in the way we build and rebuild."

"We are One Baltimore," she added, referring to her recently announced campaign to address city residents’ longstanding concerns. "And, as lawyers, it goes even double for you. You are going to be at the forefront. So I call on each of you, no matter where you plan to call home after today, to make a commitment to help this city move forward, in whatever way you can."

Many graduates and faculty wore "BeMore" buttons during the ceremony as a symbol of Baltimore unity. Proceeds from the student-organized sale of the buttons were donated to the Baltimore Community Foundation’s Fund for Rebuilding Baltimore.

Tobin told the crowd that, "We at the law school recognize that we have an important role to play in making a difference, and we stand ready to help in any way we can."