Swearing-in Ceremony Transitions Vaughan, Todd, Purcell to Attorneys

A packed courtroom was all smiles Thursday morning, as three law school graduates became licensed attorneys in a swearing-in ceremony conducted by Douglas County Chief Superior Court Judge Robert J. James.

Anna Vaughan, Lara Todd and James Purcell each took their turn coming in front of Judge James for their swearing-in. Accompanied by friends and family, and more looking on from the gallery, the new lawyers lifted their right hand and recited the Oath of Admission before Judge James issued an order allowing them to practice law in Georgia.

All three lawyers passed the Georgia State Bar Examination earlier this year after graduating from their respective law schools. Each newly-admitted attorney also received a Certification of Fitness to Practice Law by the Board to Determine Fitness of Bar Applicants, which is a prerequisite to filing an application to sit for the Bar examination.

While all three gathered in the same courtroom today, each will take a different path for their career. Vaughan, a graduate of John Marshall Law School, is staying in the county to practice law as a prosecutor for the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office. Todd will be going back to her alma mater, Mercer Law School, for an additional year of federal criminal training before seeking a career as a prosecutor. Starting in July, Purcell, a graduate of University of Georgia Law School, will begin his service in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG).