Samantha Placeres of Manteca graduated with her Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in a commencement ceremony held on May 16 in Malibu.

While at Pepperdine Law, Placeres was a Lead Articles Editor for the Dispute Resolution Law Journal, an advocate on the Mock Trial Competition Team, and a member of the Criminal Law Society and the Christian Legal Society. In addition, Placeres assisted with the Palmer Center Micro-Enterprise Program, which helps underprivileged members of the Los Angeles Community find gainful employment and launch micro-businesses with the assistance of volunteer law and business students.

In the summer of 2012, Placeres served as a Law Clerk for the High Court of Uganda’s Criminal Division and worked on a pilot program to implement plea bargaining into the Ugandan criminal justice system.  Placeres has also served as a Certified Law Clerk for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

Currently, Placeres is preparing for the July 2014 California Bar Exam and hopes to use her advocacy skills and passion for public service.

A 2007 honors graduate of Sierra High and a 2011 magna cum laude graduate of Pepperdine University’s Seaver College in Malibu, Placeres is the daughter of John Cooper and Lourdes Placeres of Manteca, and Carlos and Kelly Placeres of Tracy.

Placeres will be married this year to Sean Fleming, an officer in the United States Air Force.

Pepperdine Law provides highly qualified students with a superior legal education. The school seeks to prepare students for positions as counselors, advocates, and judges; as business persons; and as researchers, teachers, and philosophers of the law. These ends are furthered by a program of academic excellence combined with practical experience. The school’s Christian emphasis leads to a special concern for imbuing students with the highest principles of professional, ethical, and moral responsibility.