A Fall Classic Begins: Law Alumni Come Home for a William & Mary Homecoming
If the topiary in photos of Alumni Weekend looks different this year, it’s because spring has turned into fall. And the weekend colors are now orange, red and yellow as William & Mary Law School returns to a more traditional autumn reunion gathering. 
More than 250 members of the 4 and 9 classes—1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019—came back to catch up, meet current students and faculty, and reacquaint themselves with their Law School.
The weekend officially began on Friday, October 18 with a 50th Reunion Celebration that recognized the Class of 1974 during a mid-afternoon toast. Class members received a legal legacy medallion, signifying their profound contribution to the legal community, and cementing their legacy at the Law School.
“Over the past 50 years, our law school has evolved and adapted to meet the changing needs of the legal profession and society,” Dean A. Benjamin Spencer told those in attendance. “But no matter how much we have grown and changed, our commitment to excellence, integrity, and service has remained unwavering. These core values have guided generations of law students and alumni, inspiring them to make a positive difference in their communities and the world.”
As proof of the Law School’s commitment to today’s needs, another event, held in the McGlothlin Courtroom, featured cybersecurity researcher Daniel Shin J.D. ’19 in a discussion about AI and other legal technologies and how they can best be used safely at work. 
Alumni were also invited to a Wolf Library Open House, during which they could explore the new George Wythe Boswell-Caracci Room and the curated exhibit in Special Collections. Digital collections & archives librarian Kathryn Downing ’17 gave a tour of the Wolf Law Library’s new Oral Histories Project and its exhibit, which uses items from the Wolf Law Library Archives to illustrate stories told by significant members of the law school community from throughout its history, including former deans, professors, and pioneering alumni.*
In the evening, the Law School lobby and Penny Commons of the Hixon Center were the settings for the annual Alumni Welcome Reception, which allowed alumni and guests to reminisce and meet with current and emeritus faculty. Alumni also took advantage of events on main campus, including the Homecoming Parade and Sunset Ceremony.
On Saturday morning, William & Mary Law Professor and legal historian Thomas McSweeney ’02 took alumni on a popular walking tour about Law School history from the eighteenth century to today. Beginning at the Law School, the tour made the rounds into parts of Colonial Williamsburg and William & Mary’s historic campus. 
Midmorning, in appreciation for their support and dedication, Reunion Committee and Dean’s Council members were invited to a toast in their honor with Dean A. Benjamin Spencer. Alumni and families then gathered in front of the Law School for the Alumni Weekend Tailgate & Reunion Social to enjoy good food and reconnect with classmates in advance of the Homecoming Football Game. Dean Spencer also delivered a “State of the Law School” talk and took questions from alumni.
Alumni also had the chance to head to Zable Stadium to cheer on as the William & Mary Tribe faced off against Campbell University’s Fighting Camels. The trip across campus was well worth it as the exciting matchup saw William & Mary take the close win, 35-28.
Immediately after the football game, reunion classes joined faculty and staff in the Sadler Center next to Zable Stadium to celebrate reunion milestones together during the Reunion Class Dinner.
Class reunions, of course, mean class philanthropy, and during the weekend, classes celebrated class gifts and multiyear pledges in honor of their milestone reunions, with the Class of 1994 raising the most money at that time. As of the weekend, the classes had raised more than $1.5 million, and the overall giving total will continue to increase until October 31, 2024.
Adding to the festivities was the announcement of the Red-Hot Reveley Award for Outstanding Class Participation. The Class of 1974 took the honors this year. The Class of 1994 was also celebrated for having the largest number of classmates come back for their reunion.
Dean Spencer shared his gratitude for the generosity and hard work of everyone at reunion, and for those who could not attend but who made class gifts to help create a better law school experience.
“Together, we can ensure that William & Mary Law School remains at the forefront of legal education and scholarship, and that our graduates go on to make a positive impact on the world,” Spencer said. “Thank you once again for your generosity and for your commitment to our law school. We are honored to have you as partners in our mission.”
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* The exhibit runs from October 2024 through March 2025 and is open to the public M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm. To access the online Oral histories, please visit https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/oralhistories/