Pepperdine University School of Law
"One of the best reasons for going to law school may just be going to law school... It can train your mind to perceive not just the black or white of life but the horizon of gray. One becomes skilled in looking beyond the emotionalism that underlies a problem or situation and in analyzing all of its implicatons, including the strengths and weaknesses of the options that might be available in the future as a result of present decisions. That is a signifigant academic experience not readily obtainable elsewhere." -- Nathaniel E. Grozansky, Why Go To Law School?
I have literally borrowed close to 100,000 dollars to go to this school for only three years. I will pay back twice that amount (or more) when you factor in interest. I attended classes where lectures involve professors putting students on the spot to answer difficult questions, instead of just lecturing for hours. My grade determined by how much better I do than my fellow student on a single test issued at the end of the semester. To be a lawyer I must not only finish law school with a C average, I must also take a three day test and pass it, or else the money and years spent are wasted. My job will involve going up against another person to argue on serious matters dealing with the lives and fortunes of people. Lawyers can ruin people, change or save lives, and affect the laws that the entire nation is governed by. The law is an immense responsibility ...
And this is what I do for a living.
Justice, that idealistic notion that many of us in the field instinctively crave, but never agree upon. To me, it still holds true as an ideal. I had originally sought out a job as a Deputy District Attorney. "Justice" was a part of the job description. A higher calling than simply prosecuting people. But the reality of our criminal justice system is that the sheer numbers and massive politics (grant money) obscure individual justice, and District Attorney organizations instead focus on types of crimes to really prosecute, and maybe let other types slide a bit. Others just prosecute to the "fullest extent of the law" despite the fact that most crimes don't warrant such heavy handed treatment.
So I turned out to be a criminal defense attorney. I had always done my best work in high school Mock Trial and Law School Trial Competitions on defense. It shouldn't have been such a surprise to me. And now that I'm in the midst of it, it seems like second nature. I am an advocate of justice, mercy, and innocence. I often fight for the unwanted. I sometimes win on principle alone. Sometimes the guilty go free, sometimes the innocent do not. Prosecutors try to make sure the guilty do not, I try to make sure the innocent do.
Tom's Pre-Legal Experience:
Member of Trial Team, Fall '98.
Volunteer at Pepperdine's Legal Mission, downtown Los Angeles, Fall '98.
English Moot Competition against a visiting team of Barristers in English Law, Fall '98.
Prosecuted People v. Faragher, a DUI case in Malibu Municipal Court, April 1998. Did all pre-trial motions, jury selection, entire trial from opening to closing, and got a guilty conviction as an intern for the Los Angeles DA.
Semi-finalist in ATLA '98 Reginal Tournament.
Los Angeles District Attorney Intern, Malibu Office. Certified Law Student Program. Spring '98.
Member Trial Team, Spring '98.
3rd Place finish in Trial Advocacy Tournament held by Pepperdine Moot Court Board, Fall '97.
Office Aid to William A. Kerr, a Private Attorney in Malibu who specializes in property law. Summer '97 - Fall '98.
Summer Clerk for Los Angeles City Attorney: Criminal Division. Van Nuys Office. Summer '97
Law School Courses completed: All 1st year courses, Constitutional Law (Fed/State and Individual Rights), Evidence, Trial Practice, Trial Preparation and Settlement, Professional Responsibility, Honor's Trial Practice, Negotiation and Settlement, Criminal Practice, Landmark Trials, Advanced Trial Skills, Wills & Trusts, Federal Courts, Corporations, Law of Cyberspace, Sentancing and Corrections, Federal Income Tax, Remedies, Domestic Abuse Law, Mediation, Fiduciary Administration.
Graduated Pepperdine Law School, May 1999.
Passed the California Bar Exam, July 1999.
Tom's Legal Experience:
Deputy Public Defender, Tulare County, June 2000.
9 Jury Trials, 4 Not-Guilty. 5 Court Trials, 3 Not-Guilty. 10 cases dismissed at or on trial. 4/5/01