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Holder grew up in Queens, attended Stuyvesant High School and Columbia College, graduated from Columbia Law in 1976 and is now the first African-American to hold the position of attorney general.

In his speech, Holder told the graduates that young attorneys were behind many key changes to the Constitution, like ending slavery and granting women voting rights. He asked that they continue the tradition of modernizing the country's laws to reflect the need for justice.

"You left this campus in an unprecedented time of challenge - an era of threats and a time of war. But you must resist the temptation to feel as though you have been dealt a bad hand," said Holder. "You have not been dealt a bad hand. You have been given a rare opportunity."

The law school's dean noted that then-Attorney General Edward Levy attended Holder's law school graduation, and hoped a future attorney general is among today's graduates.

Two of the graduates are going on to work at Holder's office.

"His words do mean a lot of us. Law students go on to do so many different things and he was speaking to everyone, 'Go follow your dream, anything can happen," said one graduate.

"His ascent to the nation's highest office of law enforcement and legal application is truly an inspiration," said another.

Holder did not address the Times Square bombing attempt, which is under investigation by the Justice Department.