May 16, 2025 - Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez, the first Latina woman to serve on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, told the University of Houston Law Center’s Class of 2025 to strive for excellence as they embark on their legal careers.
Ramirez was the keynote speaker at the 2025 University Commencement for the Law Center on Saturday, held at the Fertitta Center. The ceremony included 243 J.D. recipients and 49 LL.M. graduates.
“As someone who is now in a place so far beyond what I could imagine or dream of on my first day of law school — or even after more than 20 years as a judge — what I want to say to you on your graduation day is this: Dare to dream what you cannot yet imagine,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez was born and raised in Terry County and is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She was sworn in on Dec. 11, 2023. She previously served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, for more than two decades.
Prior to her judicial service, she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, where she worked in both the criminal and civil divisions, and an associate attorney in the general commercial litigation section of the law firm now known as Troutman Pepper Locke LLP. She received her J.D. from the SMU Dedman School of Law.
“My father came from Mexico to the U.S. to work in the cotton fields of West Texas,” she said. “As a child, my father would say, ‘Estudia, mi'ja.’ Study, daughter, so you won’t have to work in the fields like I do.
“Becoming an attorney, much less a judge, went so far beyond his hope for me of a job with air conditioning that we could not begin to imagine it, much less dream it for me.”
University of Houston Law Center’s Dean Leonard M. Baynes congratulates the UHLC Class of 2025.
5th Circuit Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez, the keynote speaker for the commencement, shared her personal story and urged graduates to dream big.
To help new graduates reach beyond their dreams, Ramirez offered three pieces of advice: identify your passion, plan but remain open, and never give up.
“Ask yourself why you wanted to be a lawyer,” she said. “What was it about the profession that drew you to it? When you thought about becoming a lawyer, what did you see yourself doing? Find that passion and follow it. Once you find your passion, know that it may take different forms. There will be career opportunities along the way that will lead in a direction you did not expect — even for those of you who have your careers planned out. That is exactly what happened to me.”
“Sometimes, in following your passion, you may think you have failed,” Ramirez continued. “But what may initially seem like a failure might actually be an opportunity to follow your passion in a way you have not yet imagined or dreamed. But you’ll never know that if you just give up.”
In his welcoming remarks, Dean Leonard M. Baynes told the graduates that their legal education could take them down many rewarding paths.
“You are now ready to take your place in the legal profession — whether it’s working for a major law firm, starting your own law firm, working for a nonprofit, serving as a district attorney, running for public office, becoming a judge, or embarking on any other law-related career,” Baynes said.
“Your law degree provides you with a wide range of career opportunities. We are proud of you, we enjoyed teaching you, and we look forward to following your successful careers.”
Gregory C. King, a member of the UH System Board of Regents and 1985 alumnus of the Law Center, congratulated the graduates on behalf of the board of regents and emphasized the adaptability of a legal education.
"Your degree is a testament to your ability to face your fears and meet challenges head on and succeed," King said. "With your law degree in hand, your career possibilities are unlimited. Don’t be afraid to set ambitious goals."
Additional messages to the Class of 2025 from J.D. Class Speaker Mona Deo, LL.M. Class Speaker Carlos Garduno Rivera, Law Faculty Speaker Meredith J. Duncan, and Law Alumni Association President Kris Thomas can be accessed on a video wall featured on the Law Center’s website.
