Professor David Cole to Present Commencement Address at Georgetown Law Graduation
May 6, 2026
Georgetown Law's 2024 commencement ceremony (Photo: Elman Studios)
Georgetown Law professor David Cole, the Honorable George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy, will be the featured speaker at the Law Center’s 2026 commencement ceremony on May 17.
Cole is a nationally recognized expert on the First Amendment. In addition to his teaching and scholarship in constitutional law, freedom of speech and constitutional criminal procedure, from 2017 to 2024 he was National Legal Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He has argued eight times before the Supreme Court, most recently in 2024’s National Rifle Association (NRA) v. Vullo, in which he represented the NRA in a case centering on whether guidance issued by a New York State regulator violated the First Amendment.
Prof. David Cole after arguing before the Supreme Court on March 18, 2024
Cole, who holds a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Yale University, has published widely in both law journals and the popular press. He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and is the legal affairs correspondent for The Nation. His scholarship has appeared in numerous journals, including The Yale Law Journal, California Law Review and Stanford Law Review. He is frequently interviewed in the national media.
“In the legal world, few individuals have bridged theory and practice as seamlessly as Professor Cole,” said Interim Dean Joshua C. Teitelbaum. “As a legal scholar, his academic contributions have provided the foundational framework for understanding modern constitutional law. As a public intellectual, he has helped shape national discourse, translating complex legal theories into accessible insights for the broader public. Finally, his tenure as the Legal Director of the ACLU cemented his legacy as a premier practitioner, leading high-stakes litigation that protected fundamental liberties. To excel in any one of these fields is a feat. To have defined all three is a testament to his extraordinary career.”
The Law Center had previously announced that former Northwestern University president Morton Schapiro would be this year’s commencement speaker. Schapiro withdrew from the role on May 6.
Georgetown Law’s commencement ceremony will take place Sunday, May 17 at 3:30 pm on the Healy Lawn at Georgetown University’s Hilltop Campus and will be livestreamed on the university’s commencement website. Visit the Law Center’s 2026 commencement website for more information on all of Georgetown Law’s graduation-related events.