A video showing Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Richard Dinkins swearing in newly-graduated lawyer Juliana Lamar was uploaded to social media and quickly went viral.
In the video, the judge rocks Lamar’s 1-year old son Beckham on his hip as he reads the oath to Lamar. Between the judge’s ceremonial robes and big eyeglasses, the situation makes Dinkins look like a loving granny.
Y'all. Judge Dinkins of the Tennessee Court of Appeals swore in my law school colleague with her baby on his hip, and I've honestly never loved him more. pic.twitter.com/kn0L5DakHO
— Sarah Martin (@sarahfor5) November 9, 2019
Lamar, who just recently graduated from Belmont University College of Law, said it was the judge’s idea to take the baby to the ceremony.
“I am so glad he did because to have my son take part in one of the greatest moments of my life was truly a blessing,” she said, according to The Hill.
Prior to her graduation, Lamar worked at Dinkins’s office as a clerk and she calls the judge a “a guiding light during my legal career,” adding that Dinkins supported her as she coped with studying and taking care of a newborn at the same time.
"The pressure I felt was horrible, and I hope it has led my law school to rethink its policies for future mothers," Lamar said.
