Former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal will deliver the University of Georgia School of Law's Commencement address May 18 in Stegeman Coliseum. Just over 200 students will participate in the ceremony, including 185 Juris Doctor (J.D.), 14 Master of Laws (LL.M.) and three Master in the Study of Law (M.S.L) candidates. The event will start at 10 a.m., and the university's Clear Bag Policy will be enforced. The ceremony will be livestreamed at /graduation19 . #UGALaw19.

The University of Georgia has become a national leader in the use of free online textbooks, and a new grant program funded by the Provost's Office will help save students even more money while improving the quality of their learning experience. This semester, 14 faculty members in 10 academic units - including the School of Law's Amy Taylor, clinical services and research librarian and Stephen Wolfson, research and copyright services librarian - received funding through the Affordable Course Materials Grant program to transition from costly textbooks to open educational resources. The $50,000 that was distributed through the program is expected to save 7,400 students a total of $770,000 in textbook costs each year.

Congratulations to first-year student Lisa C. Garcia for receiving a Georgia Latino Law Foundation Fellowship. This program partners Latino law students with summer internship opportunities to gain substantive legal experience under the supervision and mentorship of legal professionals. The Georgia Latino Law Foundation selects fellows who have "demonstrated personal and academic excellence, as well as a true heart for leadership through service."

The OUTLaw/Stonewall Law Student Association's "Out: An Oral History of UGA Law's Queer Faculty and Staff" was selected as the "Outstanding Cross-Cultural Program" during the 18th Annual H. Gordon and Francis S. Davis Student Organization Achievement and Recognition Awards, given out April 16 at the Tate Student Center. The SOAR Awards celebrate the accomplishments of student organizations at the University of Georgia.

Congratulations to second-year student Robert E. "Bob" Schaaf for being recognized as a distinguished law student at the 45th Annual Seminar on Bankruptcy Law and Rules. This national seminar is presented by the Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute and brings together over 500 bankruptcy attorneys and professionals each year.