Story and photo by Maria Iacobo
There are a number of factors that drew Rowley Rice ’16 to attend USC Gould: he wanted a small class size in order to work closely with faculty and avoid an “anonymous” experience in law school; he could pursue an interdisciplinary field of study; and he would make his parents and grandparents proud by becoming a fifth- generation Trojan.
But the 2013 Frank Rothman Scholarship recipient chose USC Gould for its reputation as a collegial environment in which to study law.
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| Rowley Rice '16 |
“When I was interviewing for the scholarship, I asked [faculty and students] what they thought distinguishes USC’s law students when they come out at the other end of the pipeline? What is it that’s unique about USC grads? The answer I got overwhelmingly was ‘collegiality’,” Rice said.
“That is a small word to describe a big thing. What they were saying essentially was that they thought that USC students work better with others than others in the profession.”
And, after his first semester? Rice couldn’t be happier with his choice.
“USC fosters a really collegial environment that promotes students working together that isn’t cutthroat,” Rice said. “And, it offers [an extensive] curriculum that teaches you to deal with a variety of professional disciplines,” Rice said.
Rice is a native Californian, born and raised in San Clemente. He travelled east for his undergraduate studies earning his bachelors in Government and his masters in American Government from Georgetown; he received both degrees in four years, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa . He also spent his junior year at the London School of Economics.
Rice says he thinks the drive and ambition he demonstrated pursuing his degrees at Georgetown are among the characteristics that were exhibited by Frank Rothman ’51 the legal legend for whom the scholarship is named. Rothman was known for his exceptional skills as a negotiator, his unparalleled rapport with judges and his impeccable work ethic. In addition to a full-tuition scholarship, the award includes a placement with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s Los Angeles office during the summer after the 1L year.
Rice says receiving the Rothman has made him feel a part of a special family; the 2012 and 2010 Rothman Scholars have already taken him to dinner and offered advice as he embarks on his legal education.
“Being the Rothman Scholar is a great honor and I feel privileged and humbled to join the community,” Rice said.
Though leaning toward commercial litigation or investment law, Rice is open to exploring his options in entertainment law.
“[USC Gould] has been everything I had hoped law school would be,” Rice said. “It’s a lot of work –which we all expected – but it’s really exciting. I’ve been thinking about law school for almost my entire life and so it’s exhilarating to get to the point where I’m finally here. I’m doing this ‘something’ that I’ve always wanted to do.”
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