Clinic Student Attorneys ‘Sworn In’ at Oath Ceremony

The ceremony, presided over by Judge Loren AliKhan, L’06, of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, highlighted the students’ new roles as student lawyers tackling a wide range of legal issues, from policy work and transactional law to civil and criminal litigation, while advocating “competently, zealously and diligently” on behalf of their clients.

“The law school’s motto is that law is but the means, and justice is the end,” said Dean M. Elizabeth Magill in her welcome remarks. “That principle … is going to be at the center of the work that you will be doing in the clinics this year. That work is serving justice in whatever clinic you’re in.”

Associate Dean for Clinics and Experiential Learning Professor Kristin Henning, director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic, offered similar words of encouragement. “You all are in the right place at the right time to meet the needs of the community and of our clients,” she said, noting that clinic students gain hands-on experience in negotiation, legal writing, interviewing and oral advocacy. “I am confident that each and every one of you has everything you need inside of you to rise to the occasion.”

In her address, Judge AliKhan reflected fondly on her own experience as a Georgetown Law clinic student and underscored how working on behalf of real clients provides students with invaluable preparation for their future legal careers.

“For those of you who are still figuring out what type of lawyer you want to be … your clinic will give you a crash course,” she said. “That ability to test out a career path, guided by experienced clinical professors and fellows, provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn who you are as a lawyer and what you want to do with your degree.”

The full text of the student attorney oath is as follows:

As I begin my position as a student attorney in clinic, I do solemnly affirm that I will:

• Uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the laws of the District of Columbia,
• Adhere to the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct and the D.C. Legal Assistance by Law Students rule,
• Competently, zealously, and diligently represent the expressed interests of my clients under my clinic director’s supervision,
• Maintain the highest standards of integrity and honesty,
• Respect the confidentiality of my clients and any sensitive information entrusted to me,
• Treat all individuals with dignity, respect, and empathy,
• Embrace clinical legal education’s principle of self-reflection,
• Avoid conflicts of interest, and
• Use the law to promote justice.

I take this oath freely, understanding that these commitments will guide me during clinic and throughout my legal career.