Tuesday, May 26, 1998
Graduation marks new beginning
LAW SCHOOL: Commencement brings up issues of diversity after
installment of Prop. 209
By Emi Kojima and Marisa Yamane
Daily Bruin Staff
For Emanuel Johnson, graduating from UCLA’s School of Law was
much more than just three grueling years of preparation for the bar
exam.
"Law school goes beyond learning rules and preparing for the
bar. It entails interaction with the professors and students and
the community," Johnson said.
Johnson received his juris doctorate (JD) from the UCLA School
of Law during its 47th annual commencement on Sunday, before a
crowd of nearly 2,000.
"I’ve never attended a graduation with so much fun and
laughter," said guest speaker Constance Rice.
The 269 students who received their JD’s have completed three
years of law school. To become an attorney, they must successfully
pass the bar exam, which will be administered in June.
The 11 who received the master of law degree are international
students who have spent one year studying American law.
Rice, known for her inspirational speeches, was invited by the
students to speak at the commencement. She is currently serving as
the Western Regional Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and
Educational Fund.
"You command the information, have the connections, have access
to power and you wield leverage. Use that power to help those with
the least," Rice advised.
With her African American heritage, Rice noted she faced a lot
of racism while going through college. At Harvard, where she "never
felt blacker in her life," Rice faced ridicule and even assault.
Rice emphasized the importance of diversity, which has recently
been threatened by the elimination of race as an admissions
factor.
The class of 1998 was admitted when race was still considered a
factor in admissions. This year’s graduating class consists of 20
percent minorities – African Americans, American Indians and
Latina/o students.
"One of the reasons I came to UCLA, as opposed to Columbia or
USC law schools, was because I heard about the diversity factor,"
said graduate Darron Flagg.
A former professional opera singer and an African-American,
Flagg was one of the many who made UCLA so diverse.
Approximately 8 percent of the admitted students entering in
fall 1998 will be minorities. The percentage of minority students
at the law school dropped last year under new admission policies
affected by Proposition 209.
Graduate Guillermo Frias feels that the decrease in minority
admits is not a good idea.
"I don’t think society as a whole can benefit from less
inclusion of diverse groups," Frias said.
Recalling how important the minority community was to her
throughout law school, graduate Thabita Philip-Guide also feels
that the drop is a great loss.
"Because we’re such a small community, we made efforts to help
each other out. We realized that there was so few of us and needed
to work together," Philip-Guide said.
Like many others, law school presented financial challenges for
Philip-Guide. She had to take out full loans to fund her law school
education.
Annual tuition for law school students is $10,916 for California
residents, and $19,900 for out-of-state students. The fee is being
raised by 10 percent each year until 2000 to make tuition more
comparable to similar professional school programs.
Despite the drop in racial diversity, the UCLA School of Law has
made great strides in promoting diversity in other ways. Susan
Prager was the first female dean of a law school in the UC system,
and has served the law school for 16 years.
Prager will step down after this year and return to the
faculty.
"She has always been extraordinarily honest and extraordinarily
genuine. She has argued strongly for affirmative action and against
Proposition 209," said Professor of Law Gerald Lopez.
The Class of 1998 honored Prager by donating $500 to the general
scholarship fund in her name.
Professor of the Year Jerry Kang reflected on the Class of 98’s
past and peered into their future using the river of life as a
theme throughout.
"Life is a series of transitions," Kang said.
Overall, students agreed that law school has affected their
lives in a positive way.
"It gave me a sense that I can do anything that I want. It has
given me the opportunity to stop and analyze a problem in a way
that I had never done before," Flagg said.
DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin
UCLA School of Law graduates listen to Martin Goldberg and
Jonathan Read sing a funny law school song to announce Jerry Kang
as professor
of the year.