Dean Roger Dennis and celebrated trial lawyer Tom Kline accompanied seven law school alumni for a swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 14.

The alumni were admitted to practice before the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court in a ceremony that included Chief Justice John Roberts and the other eight justices on a day that included oral arguments.  

Kline, for whom the law school is named, made the motion for the alumni to be admitted to practice, allowing them to file motions and argue cases in the nation’s highest court.

The alumni sworn in were:

• Nadia Adawi, ’11, a solo practitioner with a general practice in Philadelphia
• Alison Debes Jerista, ’10, a labor and employment attorney with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.
• William Grigos, ’09, a patent attorney in Washington, D.C.
• Susan Kinniry, ’11, a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor in Philadelphia
• John McGlaughlin, ’11, a Philadelphia attorney who handles criminal law matters
• Taraneh Thompson, ’10, a corporate attorney with State Farm Insurance in Philadelphia
• Gini Varughese, ’09, an attorney with the City of New York Administration for Children’s Services.

Steph Cieslak, ’11, assistant director for alumni relations and annual giving who also accompanied the group, praised ’10 alumni Joe Guerra and Kailee Farrell, for suggesting and helping to organize the trip.