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New lawyers admitted to bar

USC Gould School of Law • December 6, 2007
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Alumni judges swear grads into state and federal courts

—By Lori Craig

Recent USC Law graduates returned to campus as lawyers for the first time Dec. 3 to be sworn into the state and federal bars.

Recent USC Law graduates are sworn into the federal court
 Recent USC Law graduates are sworn
 into the federal court
In an afternoon ceremony at Town and Gown attended by friends and family, 61 graduates who passed the bar exam this summer raised their right hands before California Superior Court Judge John L. Segal ’87 and United States District Court Judge Alicemarie H. Stotler ’67.

USC Law Dean Robert K. Rasmussen congratulated the new lawyers on completing the final step of a journey begun three years ago.

“You have now successfully sat through an examination of three days that tests not only your knowledge and understanding of the law, but also your self-discipline and motivation in order to become attorneys,” Rasmussen said. “This ceremony commemorates the time and effort that you put in and also commemorates the effort, support and love you’ve received from your family and friends in order to get you to this room today.”

Dean Rasmussen, Judges Stotler and Segal, and Marc Berman
 Dean Rasmussen, Judge Stotler, Judge
 Segal, and Student Bar Assoc. President
 Marc Berman, bailiff for the ceremony
Judge Segal, who admitted the attorneys to the State Bar of California, said that knowing the rules of law, while important, is often only a small part of the practice of law.

“Practicing law, as all of you are about to begin doing, is really about helping people live their lives and achieve their goals,” said Segal, who teaches Remedies at the law school.

“People will turn to you not because you’ve mastered the skill of memorizing the rules and applying them to sometimes artificial fact-patterns, they’ll come to you because they need you," he said. "They need your wisdom, your guidance and your practical advice.”

Lawyers new and old should always remember they serve the Constitution and treat it as their “sponsor,” Judge Stotler said.

“You are now prepared, thanks to your excellent legal education at USC and your bar membership, to take on all challenges and consider all opportunities,” Stotler said. “Public service may call to you in many forms: becoming a member of congress, becoming a state or federal prosecutor or defender – the possibilities are endless. Don’t necessarily turn that invitation away. You may surprise yourself and find that doing something for the Constitution is the most rewarding career.

Attorneys fill out bar admission paperwork

 Attorneys fill out bar admission
 paperwork following the ceremony
“I hope you embark on your professional journey with a sense of pride in your chosen vocation. Resolve to make your mark on our noble profession, and always remember our sponsor.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Stotler accepted a motion by Dean Rasmussen to admit the applicants to the federal courts: the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Following the ceremony, several students said they enjoyed coming back to USC Law, particularly now that law school and the three-day, 18-hour-long bar exam are done.

“You’ve reached the end of where you were trying to go, so it’s nice to come back,” said Jennifer Gurney ’07, who does transactional work with a real estate law firm.

She and Johari Townes ’07 said the skills learned at USC Law, particularly essay writing, got them ready for the rigorous exam.

“All the bar classes I took here definitely came in handy, and just learning to think like a lawyer over the last three years; I felt very well-prepared when I went to study for the bar,” Townes said. Still, “I’m glad I never have to do it again.”

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