William & Mary Law School Announces 2026 Commencement Speaker, Gurbir S. Grewal '99

Gurbir S. Grewal ’99 will serve as the commencement speaker for the William & Mary Law School Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony, to be held on Saturday, May 16.

Degrees will be awarded to approximately 180 students in the J.D., LL.M., and M.L.S. programs. The ceremony is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. at Kaplan Arena.

Grewal is an American attorney and former prosecutor who served in a number of public service roles for nearly two decades. Most recently, he served as the Director of the Division of Enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission from July 2021 to October 2024. In January 2025, Grewal joined Milbank LLP’s New York office as a partner counseling clients in regulatory and complex litigation matters.

Prior to his service with the SEC as the Director of Enforcement, Grewal served as the 61st Attorney General of the State of New Jersey from January 2018 to July 2021. He was the first Sikh-American attorney general in United States history. He was the second South Asian to be a state attorney general after California's Kamala Harris in 2011.

Grewal was formerly the Bergen County, County Prosecutor —the chief law enforcement officer for New Jersey’s most populous county, originally appointed in 2016; he was also the first Sikh American to be serve as a county prosecutor in the United States. Prior to his state service, Grewal served as a federal prosecutor for a decade -- first in New York and later in New Jersey, where he held a number of leadership roles.

Grewal received his undergraduate degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service before beginning law school at William & Mary

“As a public servant, valued legal partner, and citizen lawyer, Mr. Grewal embodies the values of excellence, professionalism, and a commitment to justice we strive to instill in our students,” said A. Benjamin Spencer, Dean and Trustee Professor. “It will be an honor to welcome him as an inspiring voice for our graduates beginning their legal careers.”

The commencement ceremony will celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2026, honoring graduates as they transition from legal education to professional practice and public service.

Additional details regarding commencement will be shared on our Commencement web page.