Under normal circumstances, a state Attorney General delivering the commencement address at his alma mater would seem a natural fit, but not so this year at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Marc Dann recently informed the school that he would be withdrawing as this year’s speaker. With graduation on May 18, the law school’s dean made a quick call to Stephen Ellis.
ELLIS: He said that this had occurred, that Marc Dann would not be speaking, and would I consider filling in?
Ellis is a business lawyer in Cleveland and a 1972 graduate of Case Law. He was actually at a wedding in Birmingham when the dean called, and says it was a big surprise.
ELLIS: And I was, to say the least, hugely flattered. And thought about it for a couple of days, and said, how could I not? This is a nice gesture.
Ellis says he plans to talk to the graduates about how to stay happy working in law and not have it take over your life. Marc Dann’s tribulations will not be part of the speech.