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In the spring of 1982, Edward Washington II completed his final examination at Washington University of St. Louis School of Law and awaited the formal confirmation of his successful conclusion of legal studies.

Upon receiving that letter in the campus post, he loaded his vehicle and drove north along Interstate 55 to his hometown of Chicago, unsure if he’d ever return to St. Louis again. “At that moment, I was drained and financially strained,” recalls Washington, JD ’82. “I only had enough funds to get home and take the bar exam. I didn’t want to impose on my mother. She was a divorced housewife who was working her way through school while raising four other children in private Catholic education. We simply couldn’t manage returning for Commencement.

“I believed that was the end for me,” he states. “When I departed from St. Louis, I thought WashU would fade from my rearview mirror.”

However, the time spent on the Danforth Campus tends to linger. Over the years, Washington mentions that WashU would weave itself into the “fabric” of his 40-plus-year legal journey in Chicago. His notable career encompassed private practice, advising Fortune 500 companies and prominent national law firms, alongside a 15-year tenure as a circuit court judge in Cook County, overseeing 170 jury trials to conclusion. Washington also contributed to Cook County as the chair of the judicial inquiry board.

“I would collaborate with WashU alumni, represent WashU lawyers, and support federal clerkships and placements for WashU law students,” says Washington, who is semi-retired yet maintains a commercial litigations and mediation practice. He also imparts knowledge in civil, criminal and trial advocacy at Harvard Law School. As the years progressed, he came to lament not attending the ceremony that publicly signified the completion of his legal education. Because his mother had sacrificed so much, he felt a haunting regret that she never witnessed him in his WashU regalia.

Fast forward nearly four decades. His daughter, McKenzie Washington, AB ’24 (biology), was accepted into WashU, studying pre-med and playing four years of varsity volleyball. Graduating in December 2024, she also joined the spring 2025 Commencement ceremony, which became a reason for celebration for the entire family, including her father, Judge Washington, and grandmother, Ava Washington.

The ‘powerful legacy of education’

This wouldn’t be the only festivity. Gina Tramelli in University Advancement learned about Judge Washington’s backstory, and the School of Law took it from there. On Sunday, May 11, Mother’s Day, just an hour after McKenzie Washington received her diploma in the Arts & Sciences ceremony at Francis Olympic Stadium, Judge Washington experienced his much-delayed Commencement ceremony in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom in Anheuser-Busch Hall.

That event occurred in the company of family and friends, including his mother, Ada, who believed she was being treated to a quiet space to relax. She didn’t discover the surprise until her son appeared in WashU’s signature green academic regalia. By the time Michael M. Greenfield, the George Alexander Madill Professor of Contracts & Commercial Law Emeritus at WashU Law and a former professor of Washington’s, was placing the purple hood over his head, there were many tears flowing in the courtroom.

‘My child was about to achieve something that I did not do, could not do, and did not expect to do; that is, to walk across a stage and receive her degree from WashU right at her graduation.’

Judge Edward Washington II

During the event’s introduction, Stefanie Lindquist, the Nickerson Dean and professor of law, remarked: “This celebration is a tribute to their commitment to the powerful legacy of education within the Washington family. Judge Washington’s journey exemplifies a remarkable record of professional achievements and steadfast service.”

That McKenzie, highly sought after in high school for both academics and volleyball, attended WashU would have been sufficient for Washington. “I didn’t impose any legacy pressure on her,” Washington states. “I was simply proud that she accomplished it independently because WashU is not an easy institution to enter.”

In yet another coincidence, Greenfield, Washington’s contracts professor, is an avid supporter of the WashU Bears volleyball team, attending home matches whenever possible. Washington and his wife, Leslie Demourelle, sat near Greenfield and his wife at home games many times and were unaware of his proximity to his former teacher until McKenzie’s career concluded.

Thus, Greenfield providing the ceremonial significance to the family’s occasion proved particularly meaningful. And now, less than four years after leaving his daughter at the Danforth Campus and realizing WashU was more than just a spot in his rearview mirror, Washington could finally rid himself of a lifelong regret.

“It’s peculiar how consequence and coincidence intertwine,” Washington muses. “Who can truly know? My child was about to accomplish something that I did not do, could not do, and did not expect to do; that is, to walk across a stage and receive her degree from WashU right when she graduated.

“McKenzie created the opportunity for us to not only reclaim an honor but to pay homage — on Mother’s Day of all days — not only to my mother but to all mothers who selflessly support their children, irrespective of family structure.”

Ada Washington, a lively 85-year-old, wasn’t scheduled to address the gathering, but she approached the podium after family photos were taken to share a few thoughts of her own. She expressed her excitement upon crossing the Poplar Street Bridge and seeing the Gateway Arch. “But when I spotted the building with the large ‘WashU’ from the highway, my heart began to soar.” (She was referencing the Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building on the Medical Campus, whose electronic “WashU” sign is widely visible.)

“I then realized how close we lived, and yet how far away,” she remarked.

Turning to her son, she said, “Since he was 16 years old, he told me, ‘Mom, I’m going to be a lawyer.’” She then paused. “Congratulations, son. You did it!”

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