US Supreme Court Swearing-in Ceremony
at the
US Supreme Court, Washington, DC
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Hosted by the UMass Law Alumni Association
Applications are now being accepted through Friday, January 26, 2018.
Up to six (6) UMass Law Alumni will be sworn in to the US Supreme Court Bar. Spots will be assigned on a first-come, first served basis and applicants must submit completed and signed packets to confirm your place in this ceremony.
In order to be eligible, each participant must:
- Complete the Participation Form (attached as MS Word) and submit to the Alumni Relations Office on or before January 26, 2018. Each Applicant is allowed ONLY (1) one guest for the breakfast and for the actual ceremony.
- Submit a check in the amount of $200.00 made payable to The US Supreme Court and pre-date it for March 20, 2018 and submit to the Alumni Relations Office on or before January 26, 2018.
- Obtain a certificate from the clerk, presiding judge, or other duly authorized official of the highest court of the state evidencing the fact that he/she has been a member of the bar of such court for at least three years and is in good standing. This process could from 3-5 days to a couple of weeks, so plan ahead of time. Submit to the Alumni Relations Office on or before January 26, 2018.
- Complete the form entitled Application for Admission to Practice (PDF attached). Read the application instructions carefully for a successful process. Each applicant is responsible for submitting ALL required documents on or before the deadline or you will not be eligible to participate. This form must be signed by two members of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar who know the applicant personally.
Click this link, Instructions for Admission to the Bar (PDF attached), for further information. All completed documents must be submitted to the Alumni Relations Office; do not return this form to the Clerk, Supreme Court of the United States, as indicated on the form.
If you know any of these sponsors personally and want them to sign your application, please contact them directly:
- Felix S. Betro, Esq. ’02, Law Offices of Felix S. Betro, fbetro@betrolaw.com
- Ralph Clifford, Law School/Faculty, rclifford@umassd.edu
- Kimberly A. Hogan, Esq. ’98, Haddleton & Associates, kimberlyhogan@comcast.net
- Tisha Giles-Radek, Esq. ’99, legalmind99L@aol.com
- John P. Masella, Esq. '06, jpmasella@gmail.com
- Leigh Mills, Esq. '96, leighmillsesq@gmail.com
- Amy Valente, '95, JD '98, amymarievalente@yahoo.com
If you do not know the above alumni, faculty or staff members to sponsor you, then you need to secure sponsorship endorsement from two attorneys in your area who are currently members of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.
Travel & Lodging:
Each participant will be responsible for coordinating his or her own travel and lodging arrangements. It is advised that all participants arrive the night before the ceremony on March 19th. March is an extremely busy time of year in Washington, DC, so it is strongly encouraged to book your travel arrangements as soon as possible.
The past two years, our group had a room block at the Washington Court Hotel. A very limited number of rooms is available at a discounted rate for March 19 of $339/night plus applicable taxes. Email Mr. Kevin Knott, Business Transient Sales Manager at kknott@wchdc.com and mention the special rate(s). Inform him when you plan to arrive for the UMass Law Swearing-in Ceremony at the US Supreme Court Bar on March 20. Include the number of guests in your room and the number of nights you will be staying. He will follow up with an email to guarantee your reservation. Any questions, please contact Mr. Knott directly at 202.879.7984. There is a 24-hour cancellation policy for this discounted rate; otherwise, guest will be charged for full room and tax.
Professional Photographer:
A professional photographer will be available after the swearing-in ceremony to take a group photo of all UMass Law alumni SCOTUS attorneys.