"It's important to appreciate the amazing experience you've had here at Loyola," said Hon. Michelle Williams Court '93, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, in her remarks before hundreds of graduates, family, and friends at the Swearing-In Ceremony held last month at LMU Loyola Law School.
A whopping 87% of LLS’ first-time test-takers passed the bar exam – a 7% increase over July 2023. And appreciation was the order of the day among alumni in attendance to take their state and federal attorney oaths.
Attendees expressed their gratitude in a number of ways:
- “It feels like I finally completed the mission,” said Caché Cummings ’24. “It didn’t feel all the way complete after graduation, but I’m here, and the real work starts now.”
- “It’s been a long journey but a very happy one,” said Natalie Honarchian ’24, who thanked the LLS faculty and staff for helping her and her classmates succeed.
- “I feel like it’s the first moment where it’s really dawning on me and hitting me that I’m a new attorney,” said Mir Raza ’24. “Thank you to Loyola. I wouldn’t have been here without the entire community.”
- "It feels really good to be on the other side now," said Megan Petras '24, who is currently working at a civil litigation firm. "I love Loyola. I'll miss it, but it's great to be an alum now."
- “I got so much support from all of the faculty and staff at Loyola,” said Hali Archer ’22. “When I came here, I knew I wanted to work in public interest. But I wasn’t sure how I would do that. Every professor encouraged me to try a different clinic. Someone finally recommended the Children’s Law Center to me, and I haven’t left since. I am so thankful for everyone’s support and encouragement to find the right path in life.”
- “Loyola did a great job in bringing the real world to the classroom,” said Crist Malekyan ’24.
- “I’m so excited to be back at LLS with my clinic: the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic. I can’t wait to come back and volunteer now that I’m an attorney,” said Anais Gomez ’24.
- “I’m super happy to have graduated from Loyola and to have been a part of this great clinic.” said Jacob Moiser ’24. “The Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Clinic was everything to me at this school.”
- “I am a general attorney in the tax team at the IRS Chief Counsel’s Office, and Loyola prepared me because of the amazing tax program we have here and the extensive tax classes I took. It was really perfect,” said Brian Plaut ’24.
Presiding over the oaths were two recently elevated alumnae judges: Hon. Cindy Panúco '03, L.A. Superior Court, administered the state oath; and Williams Court administered the federal oath. Professor and Gerald T. McLaughlin Fellow Justin Levitt served as master of ceremonies.
In her welcome remarks, Fritz B. Burns Dean Brietta Clark encouraged the new attorneys to embrace the lifelong joy of learning – hopefully instilled in them by their LLS professors – as the legal profession is constantly changing and presenting new challenges.
“We’ve seen some dramatic shifts in the technological, social, political, and, of course, legal landscapes over the last several years. And I don’t see this plateauing any time soon,” she said. “Yes, attorneys work hard and deal with stressful situations, but the work is meaningful, intellectually stimulating, and lets us tap into our creativity.”
Clark encouraged the graduates to lead balanced lives even as they work long hours and carry the heavy weight of their responsibility as lawyers.
“In order to be your best for others, you must care for yourself, as well,” she said.