Liberty Law graduates sworn in before Supreme Court of Virginia

On Dec. 4, Liberty University School of Law graduates were sworn in before the Supreme Court of Virginia and admitted to practice in the courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Admissions and Orientation Ceremony is sponsored by the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Young Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar.

New attorneys who are qualified to practice in Virginia are invited to participate in the ceremony. As part of the ceremony and special session of the court, newly licensed lawyers are given the opportunity to appear before the Supreme Court of Virginia and to take the oath of office. Although participating in the ceremony is not required to practice law, being sworn in at this ceremony admits them to practice in all courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia instead of seeking admission in each individual court.

This year Liberty Law had one of its largest groups of graduates partake in the ceremony after earning the highest passage rate on the July 2024 Virginia Bar Exam out of all law schools in Virginia, for both first-time Virginia takers and in overall pass rate. Liberty Law graduates were among 345 of Virginia’s newest lawyers at the ceremony.

Liberty Law Interim Dean Tim Todd and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development Rodney Chrisman also attended. As part of the ceremony and as a member of the Virginia State Bar, Todd was invited by Chief Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn to sponsor the motion for the Liberty Law graduates to be admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Virginia and to the courts of the Commonwealth. Todd then read the names of the new Liberty Law lawyers before the court, and each stood when their name was called. Later, the clerk of the court administered the Oath of Fidelity to the Commonwealth and the Oath of Attorney at Law.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin was also present at the ceremony, and he took time to meet and speak with the graduates.

“We are so proud of the new Liberty Law lawyers who were admitted before the Supreme Court of Virginia. It was a privilege to move for their admission and to share this special and momentous day with them and their families,” Todd said. “Being able to mark this special day with Gov. Youngkin in attendance and with him speaking and taking pictures with the new Liberty Law lawyers definitely added to the specialness of the day.”

Prior to the ceremony, Liberty Law held a luncheon in Richmond for the graduates and their families to fellowship and reunite with each other.

Joshua Davis (’24), a clerk for Justice Stephen R. McCullough on the Supreme Court of Virginia, said it was inspiring to take the oath among many new lawyers from across Virginia.

“One important aspect of everyone taking it together is that it’s almost like a recognition that all of us here are committing to the same standard in our practices with all our ranging opinions and points of views,” he said. “We have that same fundamental oath to uphold the laws of the Commonwealth and the Constitution of the United States. It’s a sense of unity and commitment to a shared purpose as we go different ways through our practices.”

Arielle Leake Paisley (’24), an associate attorney at PLDR Law in Lynchburg, Va., said she was honored to stand beside her fellow Liberty Law graduates and recite the oath. It was also a special experience for her because she was sworn in alongside her husband and fellow Liberty Law graduate, Teddy Breece Paisley III (’24).

“When you have gone on this whole three-year journey with all of your classmates, you know them really well. (Being) sworn in as the step of finalizing your ability to practice law was really neat,” she said. “It kind of made it real that we’re actually part of the Virginia State Bar, and how we get to practice and carry forth as Champions for Christ in this new arena that we’ve trained for three years to do.”

Paisley said she was grateful that Todd and Chrisman both attended the ceremony in support of the graduates.

“I’m very glad to be part of the Liberty Law community and to be able to represent Liberty Law,” she said. “I really love how close a lot of the classmates are and how much the faculty cares about us and is involved (in our success).”

For 20 years, Liberty University School of Law has Trained Champions for Christ to enter their careers as practice-ready attorneys and legal professionals. With an innovative Lawyering Skills Program, Liberty Law is modeling for the academic world how to equip students to pursue excellence in their field while maintaining a commitment to biblical values. Liberty Law offers a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) with 12 areas of study; Juris Master (J.M.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs are offered online.