Andover, Massachusetts – The Massachusetts School of Law (MSLAW) has announced that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will give its 2023 commencement address and receive MSLAW’s Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa award for outstanding public service. Graduation ceremonies will take place on Friday, June 2, 2023, at 5:00pm at the Frank S. Vacirca Performing Arts Center in Andover, Massachusetts.

Among his many accomplishments, Attorney General Ellison led the successful prosecution of former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Perry Floyd Jr. on May 25, 2020. He has long been an important voice on criminal justice issues in Minneapolis and became Minnesota’s Attorney General in 2019.

“Attorney General Keith Ellison is the perfect example for our graduates of the positive impact that can be made when combining a law degree with distinguished public service,” says Michael L. Coyne, MSLAW’s President and Dean. “We are truly honored to have him speak to The Class of 2023,” he concluded.

Prior to becoming Attorney General, Ellison served 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, four years in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and 16 years as an attorney specializing in civil-rights and defense law, including five years as executive director of the Legal Rights Center. He was also a noted community activist.

Attorney General Ellison received his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990. He is the first African American and the first Muslim American to be elected to statewide office in Minnesota.

Massachusetts School of Law is located at 500 Federal Street, Andover, MA.