Above the Law: Loyola Law School Being Shady?

Above the Law asks: Are Top Loyola Law Students Getting Poor Services?

Any current Loyola students care to comment?

Wit of Mandamus V

On Friday 20 February 2009, at 7pm in the Student Lounge at Loyola Law School, Law Law Stud returned for the latest installment of a tradition: Wit of Mandamus V. The Stud proudly performed at and reported from past Wits of Mandamus: Wit of Mandamus IV (his last as a student), Wit of Mandamus III (which he also produced) and Wit of Mandamus II (his first, in which was the assistant producer). Now, with the aid of a Canon Elura 85 DV camcorder, as well as a Canon PowerShot SD870IS, the Stud brings you reportage from the leading edge of LLS social life.

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Setting Up

Scott Burstein was sound man for the night:

Catering courtesy of Antreas Hindoyan (center) and Burger Continental in Pasadena, CA:

The stage is prepared ...

... the instruments await ...

... and Amanda begins to let guests in:

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On With the Show!

The show began with "Just Another Day in the Student Lounge", a collaborative act to introduce the talent:

Next up, Prof. Allan Ides ('79), with son Joel Ides, Prof. Dougherty, and the House Band, played a song he wrote for "the beautiful blonde back there" (quipped Prof. Dougherty: "and also to Mrs. Ides!"), "Beautiful Night":

Showing that the students were also no slouch, Scott Burstein (who also came through as the night's sound man), with Desiree Fowler and John Fowler (no relation), performed Eric Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover":

Showing off again the Loyola Law School student body's collaborative spirit, Sri Panchalam and Seth Weiner joined forces to bring us "Yashantin/Unending Love":

Charisse Castroverde, a last-minute sign-on to the show, brought along friend Jason Johnson to accompany her in a performance of Ida Maria's "Stella":

Bringing a taste of classical music to the night was Casey Levental, who performed a piece by Sergei Rachmaninoff:

The first completely non-musical act of the night was John Fowler's "Secret Act: Part II". Since it's secret, the Stud will not show the video.

The next act, Andrew Walsh on the piccolo bass, will also not be shown. Andrew played an original song which he performed as a special treat for the live audience only.

The next performance, by Bill Shafton, has been polished for some time: it is the song with which he proposed to his wife. Get the story and the song in the video of "The Way That I Love You":

The Stud, with the support of the wonderful House Band, performed of Coldplay's "Viva la Vida", unplugged:

Next, for his third and final performance in Wit of Mandamus, Mike Hanna once again roused the crowd with his excellent beatbox, which gets even better toward the end:

Music Director Zack Domb then performed two pieces. First, he played an original composition, "Waiting" (go to 2:15 if you want to skip the lengthy introduction):

The second piece is a reprisal of the first time he performed with Bill Shafton at Wit of Mandamus III, in Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours":

That reprisal led to Seth's own update of his poetry reading:

Returning to a musical milieu, Meryl Chambers performed a spoof on a popular John Mayer song; unfortunately, it may be inappropriate for some audiences, and will not be posted. You had to be there!

Next, Prof. Dougherty renewed his encouragement and support for the Loyola community's artistic endeavors with his original composition, "Pushed Me To It":

The song is available at the MySpace site of Prof. Dougherty's alter ego, JD DeRavin.

The next performance was by Keith Kim, who performed two classical songs, "Nacht und Träume" by Franz Schubert, and "Amor ti Vieta" by Umberto Giordano. The camera had been left unattended while the Stud went on a nature break during the transition between pieces, so while the music had been captured, Keith is nowhere to be found in the frame. Thus, there is no viable video of Keith's performance.

Fortunately, the Stud returned in time to capture the performance of Adrian Rodriguez, who with the House Band brought us Carlos Santana's "El Farol":

Closing out the night, Prof. John Nockleby reminded the audience of the hard-working life of a lawyer in "Professional Responsibility Blues":

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As last year, this was a wonderful Wit of Mandamus, and amazing props go to the producers, Dan Ediger, John Fowler, and Julien Kern, and Music Director Zack Domb for pulling it together. Thanks also to Mike Hanna as Master of Ceremonies; Terry Miller on percussion; and Scott Burstein on sound. The turnout was about 160 people or more, surpassing last year, and raising the most money for the Public Interest Law Foundation of any Wit of Mandamus ever. Thank you so much to the audience for the energy and enthusiasm you brought!

The Stud hopes to continue attending these shows, and invites all readers in the Los Angeles area next year about this time to look into attending!

July 2008 California Bar Exam Results for Loyola Law School

Of the members of the Class of 2008 from Loyola Law School that took the California Bar Exam, 87% (or about 323 students) passed. This represents a 9% increase over July 2007. However, that still puts LLS behind Pepperdine Law School, which had a pass rate of 89%. Passage rates were up statewide, according to the California State Bar.

While LLS has definitely improved its bar passage rate, it still has some work cut out. The Stud hopes the Class of 2009 will keep LLS bar passage numbers strong.

Law Law Stud, Juris Doctor

Sunday 18 May 2008 proved to be a hot day, as Southern California languished beneath a heat wave that toppled temperature records. Set by the ocean, the campus of Loyola Marymount University was caressed by gentle breezes, bringing much relief to the more than 450 men and women receiving degrees from Loyola Law School.

Before the ceremony began, the candidates for JD and LLM degrees gathered to make sure their gowns were donned correctly. Many took the opportunity to take pictures with their friends.

After a class photo session on a football pitch, the candidates lined up and began making their way toward Sunken Garden for the processional.

All along the way, various candidates looked to find their places, some having arrived late. As the heat began bearing down on the candidates, they often watched with envy whenever they saw one of their number walking about in much cooler wear under the purple gowns.

Along the processional, parents and friends began taking pictures with the candidates, excited to be part of this rite of passage.

The candidates remained standing as the large group filled the seats:

Once the candidates and faculty were seated, the commencement began in earnest, and the candidates took the heat with stiff upper lips:

The keynote speaker was LMU Executive Vice President and Provost and former LLS Dean David W. Burcham, who spoke of a syllogism: "First, life is about relationships. Second, the practice of law is about life. Therefore, the practice of law is about relationships."

Finally, the time came to present the candidates. After presentation of all the candidates, the names were called:

After the calling of names, the recessional began, ahead of schedule. Once the recessional ended, it was time for pictures.

Professor Romano mugs for the camera, Internet Age-style:

Law Law Stud is now a Juris Doctor. It has been an exhausting day, and tan lines from the caps and, for some JDs, glasses or shades, are beginning to appear. But no matter. Barring the unexpected, we are finally done with school!

And now, on to bar prep classes, and the bar exam. Congratulations, Class of 2008, and best of luck!

Barristers Ball 2008

The final Barristers Ball of Law Law Stud's student years has come and gone. The Stud went stag again, but joined up with a group. However, he was also a member of the Student Bar Association (SBA), so he did pitch in a little bit of time to help out. This year, the Stud will jump right into the pictures.

The pre-party.

Some members of the SBA board making sure the party went off without a hitch:

Pictures of the party proper.

Thanks to Gracey Facey for helping out with pictures while the Stud was off, apparently dancing or boogeying.