IRVING, TX (Feb. 10, 2023) — Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement has argued over 100 cases before the Supreme Court, more than any other lawyer since 2000, including pro bono defense of the Little Sisters of the Poor and successful vindication of high school football coach Joseph Kennedy’s right to pray on the field last year.

Now, Clement has been selected to speak at the University’s May 2023 Commencement ceremony.

University of Dallas President Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D., applauded Clement’s commitment to national duty.

“Mr. Clement has served his community, his clients and his country with remarkable integrity. He is a man of deep Catholic faith and exceptional character, and serves as a great exemplar for our students,” Sanford stated. “We are proud to receive him on our Irving campus and grateful to learn from his experience of how a liberal education can aid our country.”

A former clerk under Justice Antonin Scalia, Clement served as U.S. Solicitor General from 2005 to 2008 under President George W. Bush. He has argued 112 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, often involving major issues of religious freedom. Clement’s record of success includes Hobby Lobby v. Burwell, which clarified that the government cannot require closely held religious businesses to facilitate access to contraception.

“I am honored to address the graduates and their families. The University of Dallas is a model of a Catholic university; it provides students with an education that is both distinct and exemplary,” Clement said.

“I look forward to celebrating with the graduates as they take the lessons they have learned here out into the world.”

About the University of Dallas

The University of Dallas is the premier Catholic liberal arts university in the country, nationally known for its undergraduate Core Curriculum. With campuses in Texas and Italy, UD is committed to the pursuit of wisdom, truth and virtue as the proper ends of education. For more information, visit udallas.edu.