Mindy Kaling cracks jokes at Harvard graduation ceremony

TV funnywoman Mindy Kaling raised laughs among Harvard Law School graduates on Wednesday (28May14) by delivering a joke-packed speech at the college's commencement ceremony.

The Mindy Project creator feigned awkwardness as she opened the talk by assuming she was being given an honorary degree from the prestigious institution before being corrected by a member of staff.

The actress went on to list her own achievements, such as having a burger named after her, offer comedy advice to the aspiring law professionals and poke fun at her own alma mater, Dartmouth College.

She joked, "I know what you're probably thinking. Mindy Kaling, why did they ask her? She's just a pretty Hollywood starlet, what does that quadruple threat know about the law?... I'll have you know, I do know a ton about the law, because I sue everybody."

The Office star later conceded, "To be honest, I don't know much about the law. I graduated from Dartmouth College in 2001, an academic institution located in lawless, rural New Hampshire, where, when you arrive, you are given a flask of moonshine and a box of fireworks and you are told simply to, quote, go to town - except there is no town, there is only a forest and a row of fraternity houses that smell like urine."

Playing up to student stereotypes, Kaling also detailed her search for shortcuts while writing her speech, including asking her father to get her out of it, paying another student to do it and trying to buy a pre-written speech from a website.