Amid the flashes of a prop photo booth, the gleam of $1 billion in collector cars, and the smoke of a liquid nitrogen ice cream station, hundreds of LMU Loyola Law School alumni, faculty, and friends gathered Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Petersen Automotive Museum to honor difference-makers and celebrate the first Alumni Grand Reunion since 2019.
Fritz B. Burns Dean Brietta Clark welcomed the attendees, noting how good it felt to come back together in person after the COVID-19 pandemic. She also touted Loyola Law School’s many achievements in the five years since the last Grand Reunion, including the largest fundraising efforts in the school’s history, the launch of the Hybrid JD Evening program, and the escalating impact of the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic (LSJLC), which has contributed tens of thousands of pro bono hours in helping clients bridge the access-to-justice gap.
The evening included an awards ceremony that honored past presidents of the Alumni Board of Governors, Grand Alumni Society inductees from the Class of 1974, and two Recognition Award winners: Carmen Ramirez and George C. Fatheree III ’07.
Ramirez, former executive director of Advancement, received a posthumous Recognition Award for her 40-plus years of service to the law school. Clark remembered Ramirez as smart, dedicated, and never afraid to speak her mind, but always warm and welcoming to everyone she met.
Ramirez’s daughter Evette Diaz and son Raul Ramirez accepted the award on her behalf. “She would’ve been deeply humbled by this recognition and incredibly proud of the connections she forged at Loyola Law School. During her time at Loyola, she found her true calling,” Diaz said. “She was passionate about connecting with alumni and building relationships that would last a lifetime.”
Fatheree, a member of the LLS Board of Directors and LMU Board of Trustees, is the founder and CEO of Oro Impact, a financial technology company dedicated to closing the wealth gap by revolutionizing access to homeownership. He also secured the return of Bruce’s Beach to the heirs and saved the photography archives of Ebony and Jet magazines from bankruptcy. In his remarks, Fatheree told the story of how, in a remarkable coincidence, his fellow award winner Ramirez was the one who plucked his application to LLS off the waitlist and got him accepted to the evening JD program.
“When I look back on my time at Loyola there are three skills – confidence, the technical skills, and perhaps more than anything this justice-oriented compass – that have made my legal career so enriching and fulfilling,” Fatheree said, urging his fellow alumni to spread the word about LLS’ many achievements so it isn’t a “best-kept secret” anymore.
Following the ceremony, the hundreds of assembled alumni, faculty, and staff mingled, caught up with friends and former law school colleagues, and enjoyed the evening together.
Daniel Forouzan ’11, member of the LLS Alumni Association Board of Governors, said he loved seeing people he went to law school with and hearing about the work they’re doing now, and making new connections with staff, faculty, and fellow alumni.
“There’re so many people to speak with and so much to learn from. I’ve met some people who are my heroes because of the work they’re doing at Loyola,” Farouzan said. “Not only am I happy to be an alumni and member of the Board of Governors, but I’m so appreciative we put this event together.”
Elizabeth White ’81 attended the reunion with her former classmate and close friend Jan Schau ’81. “It’s very good to see the school doing well and still focused on the things that matter,” White said.
Geoff Kehlmann ’14 said the reunion was particularly special because it was his 10-year reunion as a student and his first as a member of the LLS faculty. Kehlmann teaches legal research and writing and is the director of the Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic.
“I loved seeing classmates with whom I still communicate daily, while also reconnecting with those whom I hadn't seen in many years,” Kehlmann said. “Everyone was happy to hear that I'm now teaching at Loyola, which I view as a testament to our cherished institution.”
LLS thanks the sponsors who made Grand Reunion possible:
- JAMS
- Garcia I Marsalli LLP
- LLS Alumni Association Board of Governors
- The Lew Firm
- King & Spalding LLP
- Siddiqui Law, APC
- Signature Resolution
- Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & Powell LLP