News Scrapbook 1980-1981

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SAN DIEGO UNION

ETHICS/ INTEGRITY URGED

By ED JAHN Slaff Wr~er, The Son Diego UniOtl

Whit House Counselor Edwin Meese III told the graduating class members of the University of an Diego School of Law yesterday that they must concentrate on ethical re- sponsibility, criminal law practice and legal services to the poor to turn around negative impressions about the profession. "It is a difficult time for the law profession," the former faculty mem- ber and La Mesa lawyer told the class. A recent article m a national news magazine accused lawyers of dishon- esty, incompetence and greed ahd a nationwide poll placed lawyers last in a list of 13 professions people have confidence in, he pointed out. Meese, who was given an honorary doctor of laws degree from USD, said he did not agree with many of those conclusions, since he felt they were based on opinions. The only way to change those opinions, he said, was for new lawyers to maintain a high degree of "professional responsibili· ty, integrity and discipline." Protesters outside Torero Stadium drowned out a small portion of Meese's remarks with chants of "No draft, no war, U.S. out of El Salva- dor" and "U.S. guns kill U.S. nuns." "I hear that I am being accompa- nied by a chorus," Meese observed, and applause from the audience put a stop to most of the chants during his speech. (Continued on B-3, Col. 4)

Protester Leo Bennett, bove, is first e ked to I ave, then. with hrs infant son in his arms, right, is forcibly r moved from scene of USO graduation ceremonies at which Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberg r, below, spoke

Pllotoe by BARBARA MARTI LOI Ani• Tim

USO President Author Hughes, left, and Edwin Meese Ill

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'DIFFICULT TIME' FOR PROFESSION USD Law Graduates Hear Meese Urge Professional Responsibility (Continued from B-1) should work toward making better prisons and jails.

programs, he said. "Welcome to the law. It's a great profession,'' he concluded and was given a standing ovation. There were 283 graduates receiv· ing juris doctor degrees and seven graduates with master of law de- grees. Robert W. Conyers, a retired judge of the Superior Court in San Diego, was given an honorary doctor of law degree. Thomas Craig Mundell, valedicto- rian of the Class of 1981 and a native of Canada, told the class that too often there was a sense of cynicism when one "thinks like a lawyer" in a time when one must "never forget about human solutions."

Several graduates wore white armbands that said "ACLU" to pro- test Meese's contention that the American Civil Liberties Union is part of a "criminals lobby." There were no disruptions from the gradu- ating class, however. Watch out how you practice law and "who you associate with," Meese continued in bis commencement speech. Make your work "an individ- ual statement," he advised. Criminal law is too important to be left entirely to the attorneys spe- cializing in that field, he said. All lawyers should participate in pro- ducing "effective law enforcement for the protection of citizens" and

Lawyers should work toward en- suring access to justice for citizens, he stressed. "Legal services to the poor is one of the most important responsibilities a lawyer has," Meese said. "During the past 15 years, we have been willing to leave this task to legal services groups," be said. "I hope you will be among those pioneers with new solutions." To do this, law school must be not just a place to graduate from, he added. Law school must be a place where graduates return on a much greater scale than today to build on the law center concept and clincal

or Pete Wilson to discuss the controver- ~ial decision to allow the Navy to build its new hospital in Balboa Park. Weinberger acknowledged that deter• mining the location was his responsibili- ty, but said he will consider many fac- tors before resolving the issue. Wein- berger later said his ll>-minute discus- sion with Wilson, held en route to the University of San Diego, was "very helpful." Weinberger's commencement speech, focusing on the nation's mili- tary strategy, was nearly drowned out at times by chants and shouts of stu- dents protesting U.S. aid to El Salvador.

Secretary Weinberger had a tough time "llaking himself heard above the anti-war cries of protesters.

TIMES-ADVOCATE

MAY 2 61981 Weinberger visits S SAN DIEGO - Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, in town yesterday to address graduates of the University of San Diego, also met briefly with May-

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