From Law Student to Lawyer

USC Gould's bar passage rate is one of the state's best

-By Gilien Silsby

USC Gould School of Law’s Class of 2014 graduates returned to campus Friday to mark the capstone in their legal journey –passing the bar.

Graduates were sworn in to the state and federal bars

USC Gould graduates posted a bar passage rate of 87 percent – an increase over the previous year and unofficially one of the highest passage rates in California. The increase comes despite a significant average decrease in passage among California exam-takers this year.

“The unofficial results are in, and your class is among the best, in the top three,” Dean Robert K. Rasmussen said to graduates, friends and family gathered in USC’s Town and Gown. “You have much to be proud of.”

The California bar exam is a three-day test that examines analytical rigor, creativity and in many cases, sheer stamina. For more than a decade, USC Gould has been one of the top performers among California law schools. This year, USC Gould enjoyed its biggest gain when compared to the California average, which was 69 percent.

Dean Robert K. Rasmussen with the Hon. Dorothy Nelson ’56 and he Hon. Bobbi Tillman ’77 and SBA President Justin Bubenik.

Mera Baker ’14, who is working as corporate counsel at Patch of Land, a real estate crowd funding company, said USC Gould fosters a strong and supportive community, which made studying for the bar “highly manageable.”

“Everyone got together during the summer and we made lists, shared our outlines and we had amazing study sessions,” Baker said. “It would have been a completely different experience had I done this on my own. USC is an extremely collegial environment that you see as a student as well as a graduate.”

Leslie Wolf ’14 , who starts work at O’Melveny & Myers in San Francisco in January, said USC Gould’s outstanding faculty and classes prepared her for this day.  “I had Professor Bice for torts and I feel like he did a great job not just teaching us substantive law but also thinking like a lawyer and arguing both sides of an issue. I think that was a very important start in changing the way you think.”’

The Hon. Bobbi Tillman ’77

Juan Carlos Olivares ’14, who is working at Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles, agreed, adding: “I had Professor Kleinbard for corporate tax. He spent 30 years working in private practice, which is what I’m doing now, so he helped me understand what the client service profession is all about.”

The graduates were congratulated by family, friends and USC Gould professors and deans at the event that also included a formal swearing in to the state and federal bars by the Hon. Bobbi Tillman ’77 and the Hon. Dorothy Nelson ’56.

Nelson, who was dean of USC Gould from 1967 to 1980, told the newly sworn in attorneys to “be true to yourself and lead a balanced life. Have moral readiness and respect for the law.”