King Hall Class of 2017 Returns for Swearing In Ceremony

Members of the UC Davis School of Law Class of 2017 returned to King Hall on December 1 to celebrate passing the California Bar Examination and participate in a Swearing In Ceremony marking their acceptance to the state and federal bars. The event included remarks from Dean Kevin R. Johnson, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Le Jacqueline Duong ’94, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California Troy L. Nunley, and King Hall Alumni Board President Kimberly Lucia ’09.

Video of the ceremony has been posted to the King Hall website. Event photos are available from the School of Law’s Flickr page.

“Congratulations to the Class of 2017!” Dean Johnson said in his welcoming remarks. “You arrived three years ago as a diverse and talented group chosen from more than 3,000 applicants. As students, you exemplified the spirit of King Hall, providing more than 35,000 hours of public service. You assisted detained immigrants, defended the rights of prisoners in the Yuba County Jail, traveled to Nashville to spend spring break working with a public service organization there, and so much more.  More than half of the Class of 2017 earned Public Interest or Pro Bono certificates.  Now, after all of your hard work, you’ve passed the bar.”

Prior to administering the state oath, Judge Duong congratulated the Class of 2017 and spoke about her pride in being a King Hall alumna. “I’m grateful for the education I received at King Hall,” she said. “The qualities that make this school special include a supportive environment, the distinguished faculty, our exceptional dean, the accomplished student body, and the outstanding curriculum. All have served to place UC Davis as a top-tier law school.”

Judge Duong talked about the many attributes of a good attorney, and added that great attorneys also have “intrinsic values like compassion, integrity, ethics, and service to others. These are the very qualities that represent King Hall,” she said.

Judge Nunley made brief remarks before administering the federal oath, congratulating the families and friends of the new lawyers in the room for supporting them on their journey through legal education, and calling upon the Class of 2017 to make an impact on society as members of the “most noble profession.”

“Don’t just do something for a salary,” said Judge Nunley. “Do something because you have a passion for it, because you believe in it, and because you want to make a difference.”

Kimberly Lucia encouraged the Class of 2017 to “soak in” the feelings of excitement and enthusiasm that come with being sworn in as attorneys, and to hang onto their idealism and sense of purpose. She emphasized that staying connected to each other and to the School of Law would help them face the challenges ahead.

“I encourage you to give back in any way you can to the community that brought you here today,” said Lucia. “Leverage the privilege you now have as an attorney to help those who will follow in your footsteps, just as others have done for you.”