Class of 2010 Honored at Alumni Graduates Dinner

Professor Julie Nice, who joined the USF faculty full-time this year after spending a year at the law school as a visiting professor from University of Denver Sturm College of Law, received the Distinguished Faculty Award. The award was voted on by graduating students and presented by Student Bar Association President Mariam Danielyan.

"The Class of 2010 was the first group of students I taught Constitutional Law to at USF. Because of you I had to move my life from Denver to San Francisco," Nice said. "I told the dean that the student body at USF is second to none. My exchanges with you have been inspiring. I believe in you and I hope that you will dream big. Make your mark. Be bold."

Adjunct Professor Thomas Onda received the Hon. Ira A. Brown Jr. Distinguished Adjunct Professor Award. Onda is the intellectual property counsel at Levi Strauss & Co. and has taught intellectual property courses at USF for 13 years. Onda said he continues to be "impressed by USF students. I learn so much from them." He advised the graduating class to "find that one passion you have in life and go for it. Anything is possible."

The Student Bar Association Award, given to a member of the graduating class who contributes to the character of the law school through service and leadership, was given to Ellie Stone, co-chair of the law school's Public Interest Law Foundation and chair of the Graduation Committee.

Stone presented Dean Jeffrey Brand with a gift from the Class of 2010, a check of nearly $70,000 to endow a student scholarship. "This check is a piece of the entire Class of 2010," she said. "We are happy to give this back to the school that has done so much for us."

The USF School of Law graciously acknowledges event benefactors Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery and Miller, Sabino & Lee, Inc., Legal Placement Services as well as event sponsors Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass LLP; Hanson Bridgett LLP; Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein LLP; Liuzzi, Murphy & Solomon, LLP; Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney, PC; Lindbergh Porter Jr. '81; Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP; and the Law Office of J. Thomas Trombadore '88.