It Was 50 Years Ago Today

When I graduated from Georgetown Law, which by happy coincidence has been my employer for the past 23 years. 

I have been watching the livestreams of the section graduation ceremonies and have been struck in particular by the progress in race and gender diversity since my class graduated. We were maybe 10% women and 5% racial minorities in 1974. 

The faculty also reflects diversity that did not exist when I was a Georgetown Law student.

I particularly enjoyed the Section Three graduation speaker, who spoke about how the World War II internment of his Japanese ancesters had inspired him to pursue the law and attend Georgetown.

Thinking today about my classmates, in particular Tim Price and Bill Navolio. They both left us at too young an age. Gratified to have sustained 50 years of friendship with Tom Mahoney, Jim Hibey and Bob Hallock. Grateful to classmate Carol Gelfeld for her counsel and support through my wife’s final illness. Sad to think that my best known first year section mate is Paul Manafort.

My return to Georgetown Law as its first Ethics Counsel in 2001 inspires my gratitude to then Dean Judy Areen, whose vision created the position, and Carol O’Neil, who suggested to Judy that I was the right person for the job. (Mike Frisch)