Empire College law grads urged to stand up for others

The modest-sized graduating class at Empire College - 23 master’s and doctoral students poised to become lawyers - left their ceremony Sunday with an overriding message: Stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.

“I want to remind them about character, and about standing up for others,” said Rob Jackson, Santa Rosa’s assistant city attorney, before he delivered Sunday’s commencement address at the Santa Rosa-based private law school.

Dressed in black gowns, with purple tassels bouncing atop their graduation caps, the class paraded across the stage Sunday afternoon at Windsor’s Mary Agatha Furth Center before a jubilant crowd of family and friends.

“I’m so excited to be graduating today,” said Roseanne Ibarra, 32, who works as a field representative for Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. “It took a lot of hard work to get here.”

This year’s class is mostly made up of students who received a master’s degree in legal studies. Many also received doctorate degrees. Nearly 40 percent of the graduating class, with backgrounds in civil engineering, journalism and law enforcement, attended Sonoma State University for their undergraduate studies.

Zack and Ibrahim Agil, brothers who graduated together, both ascended from local colleges - Zack from Sonoma State, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and Ibrahim from Santa Rosa Junior College, where he studied fire science.

The two quipped lightheartedly about their future plans as they prepared to walk across the stage.

“We’ve thought about opening up our own law firm together - and calling it ‘Brothers in Law,’” Zack Agil said, as he laughed and threw his arm his younger brother.

The two are the second pair of siblings to graduate together in the law school’s 42-year history, said Sherie Hurd, a college spokeswoman.

Both are certified law students, which allows them to practice in court under the supervision of an attorney. Zack Agil, 28, a web designer who owns a printing shop in Santa Rosa, also works for Legal Aid of Sonoma County and represents victims of abuse in court.

“I want to help people and use what I’ve learned to make a difference,” he said, adding that he intends to stay in Sonoma County and intends to open his own law firm someday. “I never thought I’d be good at this, but it just shows if I can do it with hard work and determination, anyone can.”

His brother, Ibrahim Agil, 24, said he also wants to help people and is on track to becoming a criminal defense attorney.

“I have a knack for it,” he said, adding that he wants to build on his experience as a hazardous materials specialist. He also works at a Santa Rosa law firm and occasionally appears in court with criminal defendants.

“This is a dream come true for me,” he said. “It still feels unreal - graduating just goes to show what you can achieve when you put your mind to something.”

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ahartreports.