TJSL Alum Robert M. Sagerian '13 is the 2014 TJSL nominee for the Burton Award. The Burton Awards is a non-profit program dedicated to rewarding excellence and encouraging perfection in law. It honors law school students for “clear, concise, and comprehensive” legal scholarship. It also honors articles published by partners and counsel in law firms. This year's 15th Annual Burton Awards will take place on June 9th at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
“It was my pleasure to nominate, on behalf of TJSL, Mr. Sagerian for the prestigious Burton Awards,” said Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Linda M. Keller.
“I’m really at a loss for words,” said Sagerian. “It's truly an honor and incredibly rewarding just to be considered for such a prestigious award. Advocating for those in need is my passion, my calling in the legal profession.”
His law review note “A Penalty Flag for Preemption” (published in Volume 35, Issue 2. 35 T. JEFFERSON L. REV. 229) advocates on behalf of former and current NFL players and calls for the NFL to be held accountable. "Judge Brody's recent denial of the NFLs settlement figure echoes the idea of accountability. As we have seen, the NFL Concussion Litigation has forced changes to how the NFL game is played, trickling all the way down to the Pop Warner ranks,” said Sagerian.
Sagerian has pursued sports and related public issues for some time. His interest developed as he received a scholarship and played football at Arkansas Tech University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Journalism.
Sagerian graduated Magna Cum Laude from TJSL in December and will serve as a Graduate Law Clerk for the San Diego Office of the Public Defender after taking the bar. As a law student, he served as the Captain of the trial team that won the TYLA Regional Competition, received the American Jurisprudence Award in Trial Practice, and was selected to be a Teaching Assistant for the Legal Writing program. He also interned with the San Diego Office of the Public Defender and advocated for clients who suffered catastrophic injuries as a law clerk at Gomez Trial Attorneys.
If chosen for the Burton Awards, Sagerian will join other TJSL winners including: Jennifer Siverts '06 in 2006, Anne Knight '08 in 2008, Skye Resendes '11 in 2010, and Sean E. Smith '11 in 2011.
