Commencement 2016

President of the ABA challenges USC Gould graduates to improve the public perception of the legal field

Paulette Brown, President of the American Bar Association delivering her commencement speech. Photo By: Mikel Healey

-By Gilien Silsby

Paulette Brown, president of the American Bar Association, challenged USC Gould graduates to improve the public’s perception of the legal system by fighting for diversity and inclusion.

“As our nation becomes increasingly more racially, ethnically, and economically diverse, our profession needs to be able to draw from the widest swaths of the population for new energy; for new lawyers.”

Brown praised USC Gould for being on the cutting edge of leadership and outreach, during her 2016 Gould School of Law Commencement address. She pointed to USC Gould’s First Generation Professionals Program, which Dean Andrew Guzman launched this year to support law students, who are first in their family to attend college.

“This is precisely the kind of innovation that all of our nation’s law schools could emulate,” Brown said. “And it is what our profession desperately needs at this critical moment in our history.”

Dean Andrew Guzman delivering his commencement speech. Photo by: Mikel Healey

Brown addressed the 200 juris doctor recipients, along with 231 international graduate students receiving master of laws degrees or master of comparative law degrees, including 18 graduates who earned LLM degrees in Gould's first online program.

The commencement ceremony, held in USC’s Founders Park, drew nearly 2,000 family and friends.

In his inaugural commencement address, Dean Guzman, urged the graduates to stay humble, and respect people from all backgrounds and work. In short, he advised graduates to be good tippers – literally and figuratively.

“You are all graduates from one of the nation’s elite law schools. This confers on you a social currency that is a great privilege to have,” Guzman said. “…Do not forget that every person you meet has her own story. And every person you meet deserves your respect. The maid cleaning your hotel room while you are on a business trip has her own struggles and challenges … The valet parking your car may be working his second job.

“Never, ever forget that with your success comes a status and a privilege in society, and that this status and privilege does, in fact, make your road a little smoother and a little easier to travel,” Guzman said.

The Gould School of Law Graduating class of 2016. Photo by: Mikel Healey

The commencement ceremony also featured student speakers Alex Brown, 3L class president, and, Maher Hachem’s, an LL.M. graduate from France.

Hachem said his inspiration is his 28-year-old brother, who was recently diagnosed with “a nearly incurable disease.”

“Despite his condition, he keeps going on with his life with strength and dignity,” Hachem said. “Forcing a smile on his face every single day, for his family, for his little brother 6,000 miles away.  He’s what I look up to. He is nothing short of courageous, ambitious, and skillful. He’s the reason why I’m standing here today; convincing me that I should (absolutely) go to USC when I was still hesitating.”