Fate has conspired against time to reunite two prominent men after nearly 70 years. Born within eight months of each other in Iowa, William P. Johnson and Judge Richard Matsch will both attend the University of Colorado School of Law commencement ceremonies, the former as an honoree and the latter as the keynote speaker.
Matsch, who was the first choice of third-year students responsible for selecting a speaker, presided over the Oklahoma City bombing case and has taught law classes at CU-Boulder since serving as a U.S. district judge.
He received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1953 before joining the Army. Matsch resumed his law career in 1955, working as an attorney in Denver. In 1974 President Nixon appointed him as the U. S. District Judge for the District of Colorado. He is described as "brilliant" and has been applauded for his fairness and ability to deliver the right judgment, regardless of public opinion.
The law school honors distinguished members of the legal community with the Honorary Order of the Coif, named after the cap worn by its members. The American Order was created in 1911 to promote scholarship among law students.
This year聮s recipient is William P. Johnson, who received his degree from CU-Boulder in 1958. Johnson holds directorial positions at numerous banks and several multi-billion dollar banking corporations. He has spent eight years on the university聮s Law Alumni Board and served as chairman in 1996.
The May 14th ceremonies will be held in Macky Auditorium at 2 p.m. Approximately 165 students are expected to graduate.
This year US News and World Report ranked the law school's specialty program in environmental law as one of the top seven programs in the country.