Rita Geier Urges Law Graduates to Prioritize Service
Rita Sanders Geier, a longtime justice advocate and former lawyer and professor, encouraged recent law graduates to put their knowledge and skills to use for others in her remarks at the College of Law commencement ceremony. Geier was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws, recognizing her lifetime of public service.
“I stand as a representative of all those who have shared the work that I’ve done, who have shared the work that your faculty has done and is doing, and who are sharing now the work that you will do as you honor the education that you received here through service,” Geier said. “I appreciate this honor very greatly from the university and the spirit that it represents, one of continued pursuit of excellence and service—the two go together.”
Geier is best known for her role in a landmark court case that challenged the dual system of higher education in the state when she was a young professor at Tennessee State University. Her courage to challenge the status quo and demand better opportunities for all Tennesseans exemplifies the Volunteer spirit.
After graduating from Vanderbilt Law School, she went on to serve as an attorney for the US Department of Justice, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Social Security Administration, spending her entire career working to make our state and our country a better place.
Following retirement, she returned to Tennessee and joined UT, where she served as associate to the chancellor and senior fellow in the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy (now the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs). In 2021, the UT Board of Trustees approved the naming of two residence halls on the Knoxville campus after Geier and fellow civil rights trailblazer Theotis Robinson.
I am grateful to Ms. Geier for her unwavering dedication to empowering the next generation of leaders. Whether our graduates choose careers in public service or make an impact in other ways, I hope they carry forward her message and understand the responsibility we all share to be informed and active citizens in our communities.