New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy WG’83 will deliver the commencement speech to the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Class of 2025 on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. The Penn Carey Law Class of 2025 includes approximately 450 graduates, comprising Master in Law, LLM and JD students.
“We are honored to welcome Governor Murphy as our 2025 Commencement Speaker,” said Dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law Sophia Z. Lee. “His varied and impactful career, along with his steadfast dedication to public service, are fitting models for our graduates as they pursue their own impressive and rewarding professional journeys.”
Over the last seven years, Governor Murphy’s administration has helped to establish New Jersey as a hub for innovation and local business development, introducing economic incentives to promote the growth of local businesses and startups. Under Governor Murphy’s leadership, the state introduced its first tax credits for historic preservation and expanded incentives for brownfield reclamation and redevelopment, encouraging the revitalization of communities and creating new economic opportunities. Governor Murphy also has prioritized education by making significant investments in K-12 schools, expanding access to pre-K, and establishing the College Promise program, which offers tuition-free college to tens of thousands of students.
“I am honored to address the Penn Carey Law Class of 2025 as they begin their legal careers,” said Governor Murphy. “As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, I know firsthand the challenges – and rewards – of a Penn education. But most of all my Penn education prepared me to pursue a multi-faceted career – from the private sector to overseas diplomacy to public service as governor – and I hope to inspire this year’s class to embark on their own varied and unconventional professional journeys. I look forward to celebrating their accomplishments as well as their commitment to shaping the world for the better through their talents, dedication, and passion for public service.”
A native of Boston, Governor Murphy earned a BA in economics from Harvard University and an MBA from the Wharton School in 1983. Before entering public service, he worked at Goldman Sachs for over 20 years, leading offices in Frankfurt, Germany, and Hong Kong before ending his time as a member of the firm’s management committee.
After his time at Goldman Sachs, Murphy served as National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2006 to 2009. President Obama later appointed him U.S. Ambassador to Germany, a role he held from 2009 to 2013. He has also chaired both the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association and served on the national board of the NAACP.
“On behalf of the Class of 2025, we are truly excited to have Governor Phil Murphy as our Commencement Speaker,” said Robert Kirschenbaum L’25, president of the Penn Carey Law JD Class of 2025. “Since our first day of law school 1L year, we were all constantly informed about the importance of becoming the next generation of leaders in the legal field. And Governor Murphy embodies the term ‘leader’ in every sense of the word: someone who was a leader in the finance field, a leader in his role as U.S. Ambassador to Germany, and ultimately the leader of a state as Governor of New Jersey. And as a Wharton alumnus himself, it is an honor to welcome him back to Philadelphia to speak to our law school class.”
Original source can be found here.