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Skechers Fitness Group Pres. Leonard Armato Gives Law Commencement Address

San Diego (May 13, 2010) — Some 400 new University of San Diego (USD) School of Law graduation candidates will be honored on Saturday, May 15, 2010. A full schedule and ideas for commencement features and interviews follows. Media parking is available in the parking lot next to the Jenny Craig Pavilion where the ceremony will take place.

USD Law Commencement
Saturday, May 15, 2010
9 a.m., Jenny Craig Pavilion, University of San Diego campus of Linda Vista Road
Jurist Doctor (J.D.) Graduates – 325
Masters of Law (LL.M.) Graduates – 70

POSSIBLE GRADUATE CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS

Colin Davis will be serving as a law clerk to District Court Judge Sammartino in the Southern District of California, and then will be joining the international firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in the firm’s Orange County office.

Colin was the lead litigator for USD School of Law’s 2010 Appellate Clinic. He presented a political refugee appeal case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Working with four other students under the supervision of USD Professors Katherine Mangan and Michael Devitt, Colin appealed an immigration court’s denial of their client’s application for protected status as a political refugee. The client applied for refugee status in the United States because she feared for her and her family’s safety in her native Guatemala. The Board of Immigration Appeals judge denied the petition for refugee status on the grounds that the past persecution was not significant enough to allow for asylum.

After hearing the arguments, the presiding 9th Circuit Court judge remarked, "Mr. Davis, it’s hard to believe you’re a law student," and thanked the clinic for taking the case.

Noah Aleshire has been selected as a Presidential Management Fellow for 2010-2011, turning down several offers to work for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Brett Allen has also been selected as a Presidential Management Fellow for 2010-2011. He will be working in Washington, D.C. for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Katherine Jochim has accepted a judicial clerkship with the Honorable David R. Thompson, Senior Circuit Judge, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Southern District of California.

Catherine O'Connor has accepted a judicial clerkship with district court judge in Hawaii.

Chris DiLeo and Nate Luman, both worked full time in the science and technology industry while going to law school, and have accepted positions this fall with top law firm Knobbe Martens.

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Leonard Armato, '78, is chief marketing officer of Skechers and president of the company’s fitness group. Skechers is the second largest footwear company in the United States and the fastest growing footwear company in the world.

Prior to joining Skechers, Armato served as chief executive officer (CEO) of the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour from 2002 until 2009. During this time, Armato established beach volleyball as the first lifestyle sport, providing fans with an overall entertainment experience. Armato has been at the forefront of sports and entertainment marketing for many years. As founder, chairman and CEO of Management Plus Enterprises (MPE), Armato represented sports icons such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Ronnie Lott, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ahmad Rashad, Oscar De La Hoya and, most notably, Shaquille O’Neal. He has negotiated some of the most lucrative contracts in sports history and played a major role resolving the last NBA lockout, which led to the current collective bargaining agreement.

While at MPE, Armato created a formula for transforming his celebrity clients into worldwide brands by utilizing a powerful coalition of international advertisers. Armato has also been called upon to orchestrate the sports and entertainment strategies for companies such as L.A.Gear and Fila.

He earned a J.D. (with honors) from the University of San Diego and was honored in 2007 with USD’s Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award. Armato received a B.A. (with honors) from University of the Pacific, where he received All-PCAA honors as point guard for the school’s basketball team. Armato currently resides in Manhattan Beach, Calif. with his wife, three-time beach volleyball Olympian and bronze medalist, Holly McPeak, and two children.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW

The University of San Diego School of Law is a center of academic excellence focused on preparing its students for legal practice in the new century. One of the most selective law schools in the country, the School of Law’s nationally recognized faculty create a demanding, yet welcoming environment that emphasizes individualized education. USD law school graduates consistently score higher than the state average on the California Bar Exam and go on to practice law throughout the country and abroad, forming an influential network of alumni. The USD School of Law is one of only 81 law schools in the country to have a chapter of the Order of the Coif, the most distinguished rank of American law schools. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, nonprofit, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949. Visit the Web site at www.law.sandiego.edu for more information.