Dear USC Gould Community,
It is with a very heavy heart that I share this message with all of you. A member of our own Gould family – rising 3L student Cory Montelus – passed away a few days ago, at the age of 25, during a visit to his family in New York.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from City College of New York in 2017, Cory came to the USC Gould School of Law with big plans. In his personal statement, Cory wrote of his desire to contribute to “something bigger than himself” and to bring his perspective to the legal profession. Cory was the son of Haitian immigrants, and he was deeply influenced and inspired by his parents’ experiences, sacrifices and work ethic. He previously worked at a small immigration law firm and then interned at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates in New York.
Cory’s presence will certainly be missed here at Gould, and I am sure his friends and colleagues will remember him fondly always. We understand that such a sudden and unexpected loss can be heartbreaking. We encourage anyone in need of support to contact USC’s Student Counseling and Mental Health Services (213-740-9355, students) or the Center for Work and Family Life (213-821-0800, faculty and staff).
Please do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it. We will keep you posted about forthcoming plans to celebrate Cory’s life. We are working with the university to arrange grief and loss counselors to attend the memorial service here at the law school and meet individually with students who wish to speak with them. I kindly ask that you please join us in extending our condolences and sympathies to Cory’s parents, family and friends during this time, as they mourn the tragic loss of their loved one.
Sincerely,
Andrew T. Guzman
Dean and Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law, and Professor of Law and Political Science
USC Gould School of Law
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