Petition Protests Choice of Mukasey as Speaker at UNC Law Graduation

Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey is one again facing protests over his selection as a commencement speaker at a law school.

The latest flap is taking place at the University of North Carolina’s law school, where the UNC Student Bar Association chose Mukasey as a speaker, the Daily Tar Heel reports. Opponents are circulating a petition criticizing the choice, noting that Mukasey refused to condemn waterboarding in his confirmation hearings, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.

"We believe a commencement speaker should reflect the collective values of the UNC Law community,” the petition reads. “By refusing to condemn waterboarding as torture, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey has demonstrated that he does not represent those values."

Mukasey also faced opposition at Boston College law school. Twenty-two law professors sent the then-attorney general a letter asking him to withdraw as a commencement speaker. He did not oblige.

The president of the UNC Student Bar Association, Matt Modell, told the Daily Tar Heel that politics did not enter into the group’s decision. “We did not know of the Boston College controversy at the time we invited Mr. Mukasey, but he was the nation’s top law enforcement officer, so who would be more relevant to speak at a law school graduation?” Modell said.