Hofstra Law commencement speaker announced

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Bruce Jackson, a Hofstra graduate, who now serves as associate general counsel and managing director of strategic partnerships at Microsoft, will deliver the address at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law commencement ceremony. At the ceremony, Jackson, who earned a bachelor of business administration in Accounting at Hofstra, will also receive an honorary degree.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 20, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Hofstra University’s North Campus.

“We are delighted to have alumnus Bruce Jackson deliver the commencement address to the graduates of the Deane School of Law,” Susan Poser, president of Hofstra University, said in a news release about the commencement address.

“His distinguished career, which includes more than 30 years of assisting public and privately held companies grow their businesses, and his commitment to addressing issues of diversity and inclusion through service are equally impressive,” Poser said in the news release. “I look forward to his address.”

Jackson began his career at Microsoft in 2000, as attorney in the Digital Media Division before moving to senior attorney of the east region in 2005. Beginning in 2010, Jackson served as associate general counsel/business advisor of Microsoft’s U.S. sales organization, a $20 billion business, and the Regulated Industries Group, a $15 billion business. In 2020, he took on his current role of associate general counsel and managing director of strategic partnerships out of the office of the president.

Jackson has worked on initiatives for high-profile clients in the entertainment and technology field – including LL Cool J, Heavy D, Busta Rhymes and Bill Gates. He currently serves on New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ Corporate Counsel Committee and is a member of the advisory boards for the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms and The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx. He has written an autobiography, “Never Far from Home: My Journey From Brooklyn to Hip Hop, Microsoft, and the Law.”

“Bruce Jackson is a great example of the paths one can take as a lawyer,” Julian Ku, interim dean of the Deane School of Law, said in the news release.

“His career in tax, entertainment, and technology, fueled by his business and accounting background, shows a wide breadth of disciplines, and serves as an inspiration to our graduates,” Ku added. “We are honored to have him as our commencement speaker.”

Jackson’s awards and honors include an industry best practice award from the American Bar Association. He is also a founding member of Microsoft’s Diversity Committee and has frequently presented on diversity and inclusion to the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services.

In addition to his BBA from Hofstra, Jackson earned a Juris Doctor and a master of laws (LLM) in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.