U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who represents Florida while serving on the Senate Commerce, Budget, Finance, Intelligence, and Aging committees, will serve as keynote speaker for Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) College of Law's Seventh Annual Hooding Ceremony on May 14, 2011. The event will take place at 10 a.m. at the Hilton Orlando, 6001 Destination Parkway, near International Drive.The FAMU College of Law’s Hooding Ceremony is a public event; however, seating is limited, and there is a $6 parking fee at the Hilton Orlando.
Nelson will address the spring 2011 candidates, who will have the juris doctor degree conferred in Tallahassee, Fla. at the University's Commencement Exercises on April 30, 2011. The Hooding Ceremony will recognize more than 170 candidates, including the fall 2010, spring 2011, and summer 2011 classes.
“We’re honored to have Senator Nelson address our hooding candidates,” said LeRoy Pernell, dean of the FAMU College of Law. “His varied experiences as a lawyer, lawmaker, astronaut and champion for justice make him an ideal choice to address our graduates, who will leave law school to face great challenges and opportunities.”
Some of the priorities Nelson has championed during his tenure include: preventing oil drilling off Florida’s coast; ensuring veterans and their spouses get the benefits they deserve and have access to quality health care; and fighting for a meaningful Medicare prescription drug benefit for seniors that allows the government to negotiate lower drug prices from pharmaceutical companies.
Nelson was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2000, after serving six years as a member of the Florida Cabinet. His public service career began in 1972, with his election to the Florida Legislature. During his three terms, he helped enact the nation’s first state law to protect consumers from computer fraud and advocated for responsible growth management laws. Nelson was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1978 and served six terms representing Orlando and the Space Coast. In January 1986, he orbited the Earth for six days as a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Nelson is a graduate of Yale University and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia.