Merrick Garland To Deliver Keynote At His Lincolnwood Alma Mater

LINCOLNWOOD, IL — Merrick Garland, the judge nominated to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court by former president Barack Obama, will be the guest of honor later this month at a celebration the 75th anniversary of Lincolnwood School District 74.

Garland, 65, is the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals and a former federal prosecutor. He was born in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood but grew up in Lincolnwood. He graduated from District 74's Lincoln Hall in 1966 and from Niles West High School in 1970.

Garland's keynote address "will reflect on the history of Lincolnwood School District 74, his time in the Lincolnwood schools, and the Lincolnwood community,” school district officials told the Lincolnwood Review.

The Aug. 31 event is free, but all tickets have already been reserved. As of Monday, only spots on the waiting list were available.

Garland delivered the commencement address at the Niles West High School two years ago, Pioneer Press reported. He advised to focus on other people when encountering trying times.

"Instead of taking a selfie, turn the camera around. You know, the way we used to take pictures?" Garland told the class of 2016, according to the Skokie Review. "You will have a much more fulfilling life by turning your focus outward to helping others."

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Watch Merrick Garland's 2016 Niles West High School commencement address: