Serendipity is crucial, University of Utah law school graduates were told Saturday.

Thomas Green, senior vice president of law and administration for Dell Computer Corp. and a U. law graduate, told a story about the three princes of Serendip, who went searching for treasure but instead found happiness along the way.

"Today, frankly, I'm not quite sure what comes next," Green said.

Graduates of the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City listened as Green told them working toward a goal, no matter how worthy, while ignoring everything else could cause them to miss out on life.

"If you do a good job where you are, the next opportunity will naturally open," he said.

One hundred twenty-one juris doctorates and five master's of law recipients represented 36 states, territories and countries.

"We have every confidence that you are prepared to contribute much," said Scott Matheson Jr., dean and professor at the College of Law.

Green reminded graduates not only to stay open to possibilities by continually learning, but also to always reserve time for themselves.

Referring to recent controversies involving Enron, WorldCom and others, he said discussions about ethics have been big news, but ethics are individual.

"The ethics that truly matter are yours, and they can't be found in a code of conduct and they can't be legislated," he said.

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A third-year law student who died unexpectedly in January, David Peter Thomas, was honored with a certificate of academic achievement, given to his wife, parents and sister who attended the ceremony.

"He excelled in law school," Matheson said. "He would have been an excellent lawyer."

The average starting salary for graduating U. law students in 2002 was $57,717, and the average debt of those who leave with debt is $40,000, according to surveys done by the university.


E-mail: shelps@desnews.com

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