USD 67th Conferral of Law Degrees 2024

The

Sixty-Seventh

CONFERRAL OF LAW DEGREES

May 18, 2024

The Sixty-Seventh School of Law Commencement

PROCESSIONAL

MACE BEARER

Herbert I. Lazerow, AB, JD, LLM, DESS, Professor of Law

PROGRAM ANNOUNCER

Gail F. Baker, BS, MS, PhD, Senior Vice President and Provost

COLOR GUARD

NROTC San Diego

NATIONAL ANTHEM

William Taylor Duke, Class of 2024

INVOCATION

Michael Lovette-Colyer, BSBA, MDiv, MBA, PhD, Class of 2013 Vice President of Mission Integration

PRESIDENT’S GREETING

James T. Harris III, BEd, MEd, DEd, President

DEAN’S REMARKS

Robert A. Schapiro, BA, MA, JD, Dean and C. Hugh Friedman Professor of Law

PRESENTATION OF THORSNES PRIZES

Margaret A. Dalton, BA, JD, Class of 1994, Vice Dean and Professor of Law

2023-24 THORSNES PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP

Steven Smith, BA, JD, Warren Distinguished Professor of Law Co-Executive Director, Institute for Law & Philosophy

2023-24 THORSNES PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

Miranda McGowan, BA, JD, Professor of Law

ADDRESS TO GRADUATES

Patricia Guerrero, BA, JD Chief Justice of California

STUDENT ADDRESS

Shiloh J. Wallack, Class of 2024

CONFERRAL OF DEGREES

Dean Robert A. Schapiro

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CANDIDATES

President James T. Harris III

Dean Robert A. Schapiro

WELCOME FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Katherine L. Parker BA, JD, Class of 2002 President, Law Alumni Association

RECESSIONAL

About the University of San Diego School of Law

Each year, USD educates approximately 800 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from throughout the United States and around the world. The law school is best known for its offerings in the areas of business and corporate law, constitutional law, intellectual property, international and comparative law, public interest law, and taxation.

USD School of Law is one of the 87 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school’s faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks 30th nationally among U.S. law faculties in scholarly impact and 28th nationally in past-year faculty downloads on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN). The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.

University of San Diego Mission Statement

We are a contemporary Catholic university, grounded in the liberal arts and anchored along an international border, advancing academic excellence to create a more inclusive, sustainable and hopeful world.

Michael T. Thorsnes Prizes for Outstanding Legal Scholarship and Excellence in Teaching

The Thorsnes Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship is awarded to a faculty member selected by the dean to recognize significant legal research that results in a published book. The Thorsnes Prize for Excellence in Teaching is awarded to a full-time faculty member based on a vote of upper-division students. The prize recognizes a faculty member for extraordinary effectiveness in assisting students, both inside and outside the classroom, with mastering legal subject matter, thinking deeply about legal issues, and significantly improving their analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills. Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Thorsnes created these annual prizes in gratitude for the legal education Mr. Thorsnes received at USD School of Law.

Student Awards

After final grades are published, several students receive distinguished awards for exemplary performance in academic and co-curricular activities:

Judge Gerald Brown Progress Award • For the student with the greatest increase in grade point average — first to third year

Irvin J. Kahn Award • For the outstanding student in real property courses

Virginia C. Nelson Graduation Prize in Advanced Advocacy • For outstanding efforts and distinction of earning the highest grade in Advanced Trial Advocacy

Paul Plevin Quarles Labor and Employment Law Award • Highest GPA in the Labor and Employment Law concentration

Scholarship Award for the Highest Cumulative Grade Point Average, Full-Time Division

Scholarship Award for the Highest Cumulative Grade Point Average, Part-Time Division

Alec L. Cory Pro Bono Award • For the student with the highest total pro bono hours, who promoted pro bono work on campus, and also contributed the most to make the San Diego community a better place through the type of pro bono work they completed per the California definition of pro bono

Michael T. Thorsnes Trial Advocacy Award • For outstanding performance on the National Mock Trial Team

A comprehensive list of graduation honors and awards will be shared in a special publication over the summer.

University Seal

Every institution of higher learning prides itself on its seal, an emblem incorporating the history and finest traditions of the college. Each device pictured on the seal holds a special meaning.

The seal adopted by the University of San Diego is a combination of the seals of the two founding institutions, the San Diego College for Men and the San Diego College for Women. The three rings represent the Holy Trinity; the dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The lamp of learning is on the right and the laurel of excellence and achievement is on the left. Below it is the stew pot or Spanish olla, the symbol of St. Didacus’ role of feeding the poor and sick in Alcalá. The three nails have been used traditionally by the Franciscans, the original missionaries to San Diego, as the symbol of the Passion of Jesus Christ. The motto, Emitte Spiritum Tuum, which means Send Forth Thy Spirit, was taken from Psalm 104, which reads: “Thou shalt send forth thy spirit and they be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.”

University Mace

Although the ceremonial mace may have been military in origin, in American higher education the mace has long been the symbol of awesome responsibility. A burden of the highest calling, it signifies the protection of truth and the transmission of knowledge to young minds. For that reason, a mace is substantial and pure, therefore typically sterling silver.

In addition to silver, the University of San Diego’s mace is also comprised of a shaft of walnut, a wood common to Spain, the country that inspired the university’s Renaissancestyle architecture.

The University of San Diego’s mace was created in 2003 and unveiled at the November 16 inauguration of former President Mary E. Lyons. The flame, which caps the lantern of truth, is reminiscent of USD’s architectural ornament, the omnipresent finial. The flame is also symbolic of the human mind and its burning quest for knowledge. One side of the mace is inscribed with the university’s monogram, the design of which was adopted in 1972 at the time of the merger of the two colleges. The other side is inscribed with the university’s seal, which in 1997 was designed as the perfect merging of the seals that represented the original institutions, the San Diego College for Men and the San Diego College for Women. Appropriately, the merging of the seals into one exemplifies one of USD’s founding mottos, “That all may be one.” The university’s ceremonial mace, in turn, honors the motto on the seal, “Send Forth Thy Spirit.”

Academic Regalia

The custom of wearing a “cap and gown” originated in the Middle Ages when academic dress was mandated for both students and faculty of European universities. The cap and gown, in addition to indicating scholarly status, also served to keep students and professors warm in unheated buildings of the earliest universities.

Most of the attire you will see today follows the American conventions for academic regalia—conventions that originated at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The bachelor’s gown has long, pointed sleeves; the master’s gown has oblong sleeves open at the wrist; and the doctoral gown has full, bell shaped sleeves with three bars of black velvet. The cap for bachelor’s and master’s degree holders is a “mortarboard,” a stiff, black hat, flat on top. Doctoral degree holders wear a soft velvet “tam.”

Perhaps the most important element of academic regalia is the hood, the length and intricacy of which depend on the academic degree of the wearer. The velvet trim around the hood indicates the academic degree and the satin lining of the hood represents the institution where the degree was earned. University of San Diego School of Law graduates wear hoods lined in Torero Blue and Alcalá White with purple velvet trim indicating the graduate’s law degree.

Many American universities have their own distinctive robe, often multicolored, or have a single color rather than black. Among the faculty and administrators in the procession today, you may see people wearing robes in various colors that indicate their alma mater’s distinctive robe. At this commencement you may also see academic dress that follows other, very different national traditions, because USD’s faculty includes professors who hold advanced degrees from universities in other countries.

Regalia Accessories

A number of other items such as cords, stoles, medals, or medallions representing various academic achievements or other honors may also be worn at the discretion of degree-granting institutions. Honor cords usually consist of twisted cords with tassels on either end. They may be awarded for various academic achievements, to members of honor societies, or for distinguished extracurricular service. With cap, gown and hood, the honor cord complements the regalia of the law school candidate. Unlike hoods, tassels and stoles, custom allows more than one cord to be worn at the same time.

At today’s ceremony, you will see the white honor cord which represents exemplary pro bono service for students who complete a minimum of 100 hours of pro bono legal service during their law school career, and the blue and white knotted cord which represents exemplary pro bono service with high distinction for students who complete a minimum of 250 hours of pro bono legal service during their law school career.

Students may also be wearing other honor cord colors which represent the following student organizations, advocacy groups, or journals:

Advocates for Children and Education, Magenta

American Constitution Society, Mint Green

Anime and Manga Law Society, Emerald Green

Appellate Moot Court Board, Purple and Silver Intertwined

Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Lilac

Black Law Students Association, Special Gold

Business Law Society, Peach

Christian Legal Society, Red

Client Advocacy Team, Teal and White Intertwined

Criminal Law Society, Hunter Green

Desi Indian Law Student Association, Green and Gold Intertwined

Employment and Labor Law Society, Nile Green

Environmental Law Society, Kelly Green

First Generation Legal Professionals, Rust Guys Overcoming Obstacles of Diversity of USD, Purple and Orange Intertwined

Health Law Society, Purple

Immigration Law Society, Turquoise

Intellectual Property Law Association, Pink International Law Society, Teal

Jewish Law Students Association, Navy Blue

La Raza Law Students Association, Orange Law Students for Cross-Racial Understanding, Wine

Middle Eastern Law Students Association, Silver

Military Bar Association, Royal Blue

Name and Gender Marker Change Clinic, Light Lavender

National Lawyers Guild, Citrus Green

National Trial Team, Red and Black Intertwined

Older Wiser Law Students, Green

Palestinian Alliance of Law Students, Forest Green and White Intertwined

Phi Delta Phi, Red, Blue, and Gold Intertwined

Pride Law, Cyan

Pro Bono Legal Advocates, Gold and White Intertwined

Public Interest Law Foundation, Lavender

Real Estate and Land Use Society, Copper

Saint Thomas More Society, Red

San Diego International Law Journal, Lavender and Maroon Intertwined

San Diego Journal of Climate and Energy Law, Royal Blue and Kelly Green Intertwined

San Diego Law Review, Silver and Navy Blue Intertwined

Sports and Entertainment Law Society, Maroon/Burgundy

Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Drab

Student Bar Association, Royal Blue and White Intertwined

Tax Law Society, Gold

The Federalist Society, Maize/Light Yellow

The Wine Society, Purple and Red Intertwined

Transactional Law Team, Black and Light Blue Intertwined

Trial Attorneys of USD, Olive Green

USD Family Law Society, Brown

USD Law Progressives, Burnt Orange

USD Law Surf and Skate, Teal and Maroon Intertwined

USD Law Running Club, Citrus Green and Blue Intertwined

USD Legal Clinics, Royal Blue and Gold Intertwines

Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, Gold and Dark Green Intertwined

Women’s Law Caucus, Light Blue

2024 Commencement Steering Committee

Roger Pace, PhD, Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, Co-Chair

Coreen Petti, University Events and Partnerships, Co-Chair

Amii Cambaliza, School of Law

Stephanie Castro, University Events and Partnerships

Linda Dews, School of Leadership and Education Sciences

Dana Farhoud, Associated Student Government

Lisa Fernandes, University Advancement

Diana Hannasch-Haag, Professional and Continuing Education

Kacy Hayes, PhD, Knauss School of Business

Sean Horrigan, PhD, University Mobility and Scheduling

Benn Joyce, Professional and Continuing Education

Ron Kaufmann, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences

Emily Nagisa Keehn, JD, School of Law

Jake Kuennen, Athletic Facilities and Operations

Frances Laviscount, Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies

Jennifer Lee, Student Affairs

Johnny Martin, Graduate Student Council

Rachelle Martinez, School of Leadership and Education Sciences

Chief James Miyashiro, Public Safety

Sabrina Nelson, Center for Student Success

Rick Olson, PhD, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering

Stephanie Reighley, University Advancement

Sybilla Robison, One Stop Student Center

Mariann Sanchez, Graduate Student Life

Christian Santa Maria, University Ministry

Kristin Scialabba, PhD, Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost

Elizabeth Silva, Office of the Registrar

Jim Thrailkill, USD Torero Store

Mia Torres, University Events and Partnerships

Amy Wright, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science

Sahmie Wytewa, Center for Inclusion and Diversity

Russell Yost, University Marketing and Communications

Master of Laws

with a Concentration in Environmental and Energy Law

Robert E. Udall*

Master of Laws

with a Concentration in Intellectual Property Law

Devon Mariah Esguerra*

Master of Laws in Comparative Law

Antonia Johanna Albes

Saeed Almazrooei*

Iván Alberto Cobian-Wheeler*

Rebecca Victoria Kuttschreuter

Gabriel Moreno*

Jaime Abraham Munoz Prieto

Yelin Na*

Isabell Peglow

Irán Rebeca Pérez Jáuregui*

Ramon Rodriguez

Joel David Rupp

Shoma Sakaguchi

Mathilda Anna Elisabeth Schmidt*

Yashi Singh*

Yuma Itzel Torres Maldonado

Abdul Mujeeb Zarin

Master of Laws in Taxation

Sarah E. Amouzandeh*

Justin T. Dalton*

Sakheth Dhumuntarao

Gavyn Rhys Doty*

Alexander C. Dungan*

Jared Robert Garfield*

Tara N. Giery

Siena Maria Martinez*

David Martinez-Gonzalez*

Connor Edward McGettigan*

Nicolas Joseph McMurray

Morgan Haley Wahler*

Nicholas A. Zalkow*

Master of Science in Legal Studies

Natalia Adelina Arredondo

Carly Rae Logan*

Jayde Lucinda Winters*

Juris Doctor

Averi J. Aburto

Spencer Adler

Rohit Mahendra Ahuja

Faris M. Alkanaan

Miles Anderson

Alexa V. Arnold

Nicole Selma Askar

Matthew J. Asmar

Kaitlin May Awrey

Allan J. Babiner

Sara Badeanlo

Sara Hicham Badrani

Miranda Jean Batdorf

Kelsey Coleen Beaman

Sydney Elizabeth Becker

Daniel J. Birmingham

Joseph Russell Blair

Carson M. Bock

Liberty Grace Bonanno

Chase Raymond Booth

Sydney Cheng-Mei Bott

Rachel C. Braby

Noah Andrew Brassard

Rex D. Brookhart

Madison L. Butcher

Ricardo Cabrero Jr.

Lauren Elizabeth Cahill

Alyssa R. Campbell

Tuulia Isabella Candido

Anna Muyuela Capati

Kylie C. Cappellano

Macey Leanne Carper

Samantha Frances Casey

*Requirements completed December 31, 2023

Malea Carmen Casillas

Kelsey R. Castanho

Gianna Christine Ceccarelli

Kenzie Sicily Chrudimsky

John Cifelli

David Paul Collins III

Carter J. Cordura

Kathryn Bosman Cote

Dorothy Altea Couchman

Mary E. Cronkleton

Brooke Nicole Currier

Alyssa Rae Daskas

Darbi Ann Davidson

Zachary Joseph Defazio Farrell

Margaret R. DeHart**

Isabel Caroline DeNardi

William Ryan Dischmann

Andrew Brian Dizon

William D. Doodokyan

Alec Z. Drachenberg

Avery Ann Drury

Brigitte Ann Duggan

William Taylor Duke

Michelle Irine Uma Dutta*

Emma Louise Dyre

Claudine Samir Elremawy

Banna Esaias

John W. Evans

Joel Harris Feldman

Alexandra Grayce Fetter

Connor John Fidone

Arabelle Lucero Franco

Genesis Astrid Franco Caicedo

Augusto Donahue Gabriel

Ethan Galaif

Nicole Marie Gaston

Lucius Martin Giannini

Jasreen Kaur Gill

Perla Gonzalez

Kristen Diana Goodhart

Matthew Scott Gordon

Erin Haley Graham

Yichao Gu

Charles William Gurtler III

Beatriz Elena Guzman

Lauren E. Hacker

Erica L. Halaszynski

Nicole Wood Hardesty

Taylor Ariya Hart

Allison Elizabeth Harvey

Garik Adam Lee Hauer

Jacqueline Ariel Hauser

Amanda Renee Hawkins

Maura Fang Hui Healy

Joseph Aloysius Heisley II

Kasey Marie Helms

Rachel Marie Hernandez

Jamie Herrick

Remy Leila Hogan

Christina Hoong

Remy L. Hord

Travis William Hunt

Kelsey Sinclair Hutchinson

Julia Ann Hwang

Eurie S. Hwang*

Nawar F. Jabbo

Riley Erin Jacobs

Grady Guziak Jensen

Sophia Jimenez

Kyle James Johnson

Summer Zahra Jubran

Alaina C. Kahre

Zakery Andrew Kakos

Chelsea Kanzler

Sarvenaz Karbasi

Katia H. Kehyeyan

Jake Bradley Keller

Karli Marie Kendall

Jessie M. Keppler

Saachi Keswani

Erol I. Kilic

Anabel Christine King

Zachary Kobayashi

Miranda Alejandra Kuehn

Jacob James Landrum

Ashley Brooke Lara

Katelyn Zhivana Larkin

Nathan Minh-Thien Le

Matthew Paul Villado Lefevre

Eden N. Levinson

Tristan D. Lewis

Chun Shi Lin

Macaire S. Lisicki

Helen Ruby Curry Lister

Hector M. Lozada Jr.

Meiling Lu

Hannah Isabel Lutz

Matteo Philip Macaluso

Barbara A. Machado

Allison Nicole Maggart

Kishen Manoj Majithia

Brianna Marderos

Elizabeth Ann Marshall

Cole Martinez

Mona Layla Masha

Remy J. Mathews

Augusta Leslee McCain

Oliver Casey McClymonds

Matthew T. McDonnell

Brandee McGee

Camryn Lauren Melanson

Kristine Anne Melin

Jacob A. Mendes

William James Meron

Gabrielle Baya Meyer

Jeffrey Matthew Mihalik

Riley Jordan Minkoff

Maria E. Miramontes

Carlos Edgardo Mojica

Madison Delaney Montague

Jake O. Moreno

Joshua Leonard Morrison

Caleb R. Moser

Michael George Muna

Bernard Charles Nellari

Callie Ka Wai Ng

Patrick Ngo-Long Nguyen

Grace Anne Nielsen

Samuel Paul Noble

Tess Raine O’Hanrahan

Harley Marie Obsitnik

Carlisle Victoria Olsen

Nicolas Ounjian

Vinnie Patel

August Victoria Pearson

Eitan Matti Peled

Omar Ernesto Peña

Serena Alexis Pendleton

Jessica Lynn Penner

Lucy Jane Peritz

Elizabeth Harvey Peterson

Taleah Jewel Phillips

Emily N.M. Powers

Dina Samer Qubain

Raynier Dylan Ramos

John Philip Riley

Brooklyn N. Robertson

Mekyla Kay Robinson

Grace Elizabeth Rodden

Christopher Rodriguez

Sarina Simone Rogers

Robert Tompkins Roselle III

Michael Rothberg

Bailey E. Sack

Arif M. Salam

Roda Aram Ibrahem Saoor

Joshua Timothy Joseph Saunders

Katelyn Nicole Sauve

Haley Lynn Savage

Nathan Edwin Sawkins

Ferdinando Scappaticci

Amanda Kate Schiffman

Ashley Adele Sears

Anne Elizabeth Seeley

Ghazal Seyyedi

Said Abdullahi Shaba

Emily M. Shingle

Mahmoud Nadim Shukry

Erin Janine Singer

Alexa Koo-aiai Smith

Asia Nicole Smith

Jackson Smithers

Brittany Alexandra Smolarski

Jasir Ahmed Soomro

Elena M. Spaccarelli

Summer Aliya Steinhebel

Patrick Charles Sterba

Cody Austin Stevens

Derek Sturhann

Abby Sullivan

Ningxi Sun

Baylee Ela Swidler

Alexander Lawrence Tang

Peter William Tarantino

Edward P. Tarolli

Malia Margaret Taylor

Lucas Risko Tekin

Jordan E. Thomas

Lindsay Sophia Thompson

Kelsey Ann Tidgewell

Gianna Tirrell

Novak Topalović

Olivia Joy Totten

Alec T. Towse

Dana Tsuri-Etzioni

Zoe J. Valentin

Kristen Elizabeth VandeVoort

John Michael Vierra

Ana Fernanda Vildosola

Chris Villegas-Voreck

Anthony Thurgood Walker

Shiloh Judah Wallack

Matthew David Walters

Bailey Megan Webster

Emily Katherine Weddell

John J. Wells

Joseph Wilhardt

Edward B. Williams

Ellen R. Williams

Geoffrey Thompson Willis

Bianca Monique Wilson

Delaney Reese Wolkov

Kina Jing-Yee Wong

NikkiRae Noelle Yamane

Hanbiao Yang

Ryan Ylitalo

Jia Zhong

Raneen M. Zubeideh*

The above list constitutes all students who have declared the corresponding graduation date and requested that their names and degrees appear in the commencement program. It is not a certified list of degree recipients.

*Requirements completed December 31, 2023

Welcome to the Alumni Association!

Today, you join more than 17,000 law alumni and 86,000 university-wide alumni as a member of both the Law Alumni Association and USD Alumni Association.

Alumni Association benefits include:

• Invitations to regional alumni events and programs

• Lifetime access to #HireUSDLaw and the Office of Career and Professional Development for job postings, resume services, Westlaw a nd Lexis career libraries, and career resources/guides

• Use of the Pardee Legal Research Center, including access to reference assistance, circulation privileges, and select databases from the LRC a nd Copley Library

• Free facility pass to the Sports Center and Mission Fitness Center for one year after graduation and lifelong access at a discounted rate

• Discounts for USD athletics, Torero Store, Outdoor Adventures, Bartell Hotels, Professional and Continuing Education, movie theaters, southern California attractions and more

• The Advocate – the annual law school alumni magazine, The Docket –the law school’s monthly alumni e-newsletter, and the USD Magazine

Next steps:

• Update your contact information law.sandiego.edu/alumni-update

• Connect with alumni by region law.sandiego.edu/alumni-chapters

• Participate in alumni events and programs law.sandiego.edu/alumni-events

• Stay up-to-date on alumni news law.sandiego.edu/alumni-news

• Support scholarships, fellowships, clinics, centers and institutes law.sandiego.edu/gift

• Request your official USD Alumni Association membership card law.sandiego.edu/alumni-membership-card

Alumni snapshot:

• USD law alumni live in 60 countries, all 50 states and the District of Columbia

• The top five international countries for USD law alumni are Germany, S witzerland, France, Canada and Mexico

• Top states for USD law alumni are California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Virginia, and Texas

• More than 11,000 USD law alumni reside in California

• The top five California counties for USD law alumni are San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside/Bernardino and San Francisco

• You are now part of a global USD alumni network

Congratulations, Class of 2024!