About 250 graduates gathered at USC Law on June 10 to celebrate Reunion 2006. The day-long festivities included an alumni judges panel, a “Golden Years” luncheon for graduates from the Class of 1951 or earlier, a CLE program and an evening reception with dinner and dancing that was attended by USC Law faculty and current students.
Eleven different classes between 1951 and 2001 were represented at Reunion 2006, which was held for the first time at the law school on the USC University Park Campus.
The day’s events commenced with a panel discussion by six alumni judges: Justice Paul Boland ’66, who moderated the conversation; Arthur L. Alarcon ’51, U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit; Orville A. “Jack” Armstrong ’56, California Court of Appeal; Jacqueline A. Connor ’76, Los Angeles Superior Court; Chris R. Conway ’66, Los Angeles Superior Court; and former USC Law Dean Dorothy W. Nelson ’56, U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit.
“It was a good program: It was very illustrative and compelling,” Associate Dean Matthew Shakespeare said.
Among several topics discussed was a decline in civility among lawyers, a trend panelists and audience members said dates back to the 1970s.
Judges Armstrong and Conway recalled that when they began practicing, professionalism was ingrained in junior partners by a firm’s senior partners.
“It used to be if you had a dispute or a disagreement, you’d get on the phone, maybe go to lunch, to discuss things,” Judge Conway said. “What I see in the courtroom today is not that. Among the younger lawyers, it seems to be a sort of a ‘Gotcha!’ attitude.”
Dean Matthew L. Spitzer said he was part of a “transitional generation” that witnessed a decline in civility, which he attributed in part to an influx of new lawyers, making repeated interactions among attorneys less likely.
Following the panel, “Golden Years” graduates gathered with USC Law faculty and recent graduate Sam Yebri ’06 for a luncheon in the Carolyn C. and Carl M. Franklin Faculty Lounge. Among the pre-1951 graduates were James Bradshaw ’49 with wife Ursula, Eugenia Moore ’36, and Sherman Grancell ’33. Dean Spitzer welcomed the alumni back to the law school and described meeting with graduates as one of the most rewarding and fascinating parts of his job.
At a luncheon for all other Reunion 2006 attendees, Stephen Hollingsworth ’96 and wife Maria Del Mar Hollingsworth entertained their 18-month-old son, Stephen Leonardo.
“This is a homecoming,” Stephen said of attending his first USC Law reunion. “It’s truly a reuniting of family.”
Other events throughout the day included a CLE program, tours of the law school -- including the recently renovated library and remodeled café, a presentation by Associate Dean Chloe Reid on obtaining undergraduate admission to USC, and an evening reception for all classes, with 11 class dinners and a cocktail hour with live jazz music and dancing.
“I think this will serve as a model of how we will try to do reunions in the future,” Dean Shakespeare said.
Paul Levine ’81 commemorated his graduation 25 years ago with former classmates, including Associate Dean Pauline Aranas, who earlier this year recruited him to help organize the reunion events. Although Levine participates in the mentor lunch for first-year students nearly every year, he hadn’t been back to the law school itself since earning his J.D.
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