Deborah Rothenberg not only took an oath to faithfully practice the law, she took an oath to carry on a family tradition.
In a ceremony on Friday filled with celebration and purpose, Ms. Rothenberg joined 20 other newly minted law school graduates at the federal and county courthouses in Scranton to take an oath to faithfully practice law in the county and be inducted into the Lackawanna Bar Association.
For the Clarks Summit resident and 2012 Florida Coastal School of Law graduate, Ms. Rothenberg, 25, has quite a tradition to live up to.
She is the fourth generation of her family to practice the craft in the area, dating back to her great-grandfather Henry Nogi.
"I just hope I can live up to that bar that they set.
"I wanted to love something as much as they do," she said after taking the oath at the federal courthouse with her mother, Elizabeth, and father, Howard, both lawyers, standing nearby.
The bar association hosted the ceremonies for the law school grads who arrived at the courthouses fresh from recently putting the arduous state bar exam behind them.
At the federal courthouse, they took the oath before four U.S. district judges - James M. Munley, A. Richard Caputo, Richard P. Conaboy and Robert D. Mariani.
Before taking the oath, Judge Conaboy reminded them that their vocation is to help others, advising them to take pro bono cases for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
"It's a great calling to know that they're people that need you," said Judge Conaboy, whose granddaughter, Suzanne Patricia Conaboy, was also inducted Friday.
Family, friends, and dignitaries packed the courtroom, including U.S. 3rd Circuit Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie. As required to become a member of the bar, Judge Vanaskie sponsored Erika Lyn Wevodau, the daughter of Kevin Wevodau, head of the FBI office in Scranton.
Likewise, at the county courthouse, the inductees took the oath to faithfully practice law in the state system before a row of county judges.
"Now, they can begin practicing," said Lee Ann Munley, bar association executive director. "That's what really made this day special."
Contact the writer: smcconnell@ timesshamrock.com @smcconnellTT on Twitter