The Hon. Sarah S. Vance, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, will serve as the keynote speaker for the Tulane Law School’s 2025 commencement ceremony, law Dean Marcilynn Burke announced.
Burke, in her message to the law school community, called Vance “a pillar of the legal community” whose career has been notable for her “integrity, fairness, and service.”
“Judge Vance brings a powerful voice and deep experience to this year’s celebration,” Burke noted. “We’re honored to have her join us as we recognize the incredible achievements of the Class of 2025.”
Vance (L’78) has served on the federal bench since her appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1994. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has earned national recognition for her judicial leadership and service. From 2008 to 2011, she served as a member of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, and in 2011, she was named Chair of the panel—the first woman ever to hold that position. And in 2022, Vance received the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award, the nation’s highest recognition for a sitting federal judge.
A native of Donaldsonville, La., Vance earned her B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1971 and her J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 1978, where she was a member of the Tulane Law Review.
In addition to being a celebrated member of the judiciary, Vance is a dedicated supporter of Tulane Law. She is a longtime member of the Law School Dean’s Advisory Board and was a member of the Tulane Law Review’s Board of Advisory Editors. She also has served as an adjunct professor, sat as a judge for moot court competitions, and hired several of the school’s graduates as law clerks. In 2017, she was inducted into the Tulane Law School Hall of Fame.
Prior to joining the bench, Vance was a partner at the New Orleans law firm Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann, where she practiced complex commercial litigation. In addition to her work on the federal bench, Vance has been a leader in improving judicial administration and access to justice. She served as Chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Federal Rules of Evidence and was a member of the U.S. Judicial Conference Executive Committee. She is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and has received multiple awards for her contributions to the legal profession.
Tulane Law School’s commencement will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Devlin Fieldhouse on the university’s uptown campus.
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