Title

Class of 2005 Commencement

Authors

Theodore B. Olson, U.S. Department of Justice

The 2005 UGA School of Law Commencement Speech was delivered by former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson. The speech was aired on C-SPAN and can be viewed on their Web site.

Event Date

5-21-2005

Abstract

Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson’s address instructed graduates how NOT to succeed in their professional careers. He said, “Success has a very short half-life, so if you want to start down the path toward failure, you don’t have to do much except to let up on the accelerator and start to coast. … It is remarkable how thoroughly an organization can succeed if its members cheer on and help one another. It is equally amazing how swiftly an enterprise can be undermined, demoralized and sabotaged by a few acts of selfishness, envy or back-biting.” In conclusion, he said, “The bad news for virtually all of you who wish to fail is that in your case, you will have to work hard to do so. You are talented, hard-working and resourceful or wouldn’t be here today.”

Streaming Media

Repository Citation

Olson, Theodore B., "Class of 2005 Commencement" (2005). Graduation Addresses. 3.
https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/lectures_pre_arch_lectures_grad/3