IN MEMORIAM

DENNIS FRANKS (JD 1983), 64, died on Nov. 28. Professor Franks earned his JD from USC Gould and went on to become a respected and accomplished attorney, achieving notable success in the entertainment law field. In fall 2021, he returned to USC Gould to share his knowledge and expertise inside the classroom, teaching Torts to LLM students.

JORGE GONZALEZ (JD 1981)

passed away on March 27 at the age of 66. Gonzalez was a proud Chicano activist who used his legal education to challenge injustice in the legal system. He encouraged Latinos to be vocal about the range of inequities facing their community and was respected by many. Gonzalez is remembered as a loving husband to his wife Maribel, a loving father to his three children Monica, Saul and Tali, and “un gran amigo” by those who had the honor of knowing him.

ROSARIO PERRY (JD 1972)

passed away at the age of 75. After graduating from USC Gould School of Law, Perry became a champion of property owners in Santa Monica, representing property owners for four decades. He was a regular speaker at ACTION Apartment Association meetings and was valued for his legal insights as well as his ability to entertain.

He is remembered by Matthew Millen, a leader of Progressive Landlords of Santa Monica as “a gentleman, an attorney with integrity, and a warrior for rental housing providers.” EDILENO “EDDIE” ROMAN (JD 2006),

40, passed away on Oct. 5. Roman, born in Brazil and raised in New York, earned a BA at University of Pennsylvania before attending law school at USC. His career took him to both New York and Minneapolis, and he made special circles of friends everywhere he went. He is remembered as high energy, with a sparkling outlook on life and a great sense of adventure.

Roman is held closely in the hearts of his friends, his partner Craig Kelly, and his family.

MILTON ZERIN (BS 1949, JD 1951), 96, passed away

on Oct. 7. His wife of more than 75 years, Helen Zerin, passed away four days later. The Zerins moved to Los Angeles in 1946, following his service in the Army Air Corps during WWII.

Zerin was inspired to become a trial attorney by the accomplishments of famed attorney Clarence Darrow. He enjoyed telling young lawyers that his first position as an attorney paid $50 a week, but he got to try cases and that is what he loved. He served as president of the Los Angeles Chapter of Legion Lex, and enjoyed teaching evening classes at UCLA Law School.

He is survived by his two children.

HIRAM WAI KWAN (BS 1949, LLB 1953) passed away

peacefully on Dec. 16, 2021. He was 97. He is survived by his daughter Angelina Kwan.