12/12/2016

A special swearing-in ceremony for recent graduates who joined the Pennsylvania bar was a uniquely Delaware Law School affair.

The Hon. Charles P. Mirarchi Jr. Pennsylvania Bar Induction Ceremony was held Monday, Nov. 28 at Philadelphia City Hall. Three alumni judges presided over the event with Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper, president judge for the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia.

Graduate Lindsay Bennett said she was honored to be addressed by four prestigious judges, including three who are now fellow alumni.

“I appreciated the words of wisdom each judge had to share,” Bennett said. “In addition, although I had already received my bar ID number, the intimate ceremony where my friends and family could witness me take my oath made everything feel real. It was a fantastic end to a long journey.”

Alumni heard from Judge Paul P. Panepinto ’76, Judge George W. Overton, '86, and Administrative Judge Margaret T. Murphy, '77. All three sit in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Alumnus William P. Fedullo, ’76, past chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, moved for the graduates’ admissions. Law Dean Rodney A. Smolla also spoke.

“You’ll never forget this day,” said Overton, who advised the new lawyers to leave the law better than how they find it, whether they win or lose a case. “Always be respectful of the system,” he said.

Smolla told the attorneys they are the guardians of the rule of law. He urged them to get involved in pro bono activities and bar activities.

“You can be part of the civil structure of our society,” he said. “I wish you the very best and I’m proud of you.”