May 27, 2005 – Shirley Luna

Federal judge administers oath to new Nacogdoches attorney

Tracing the steps that Paige Pattillo has traveled on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus requires a return to her childhood. Pattillo started attending SFA’s Early Childhood Lab at the age of four months. A couple of decades later, she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree. On Friday, Pattillo returned to the campus and added to her impressive journey, this time at a swearing-in ceremony where she took an oath to become a lawyer.

Michael Schneider, U.S. Judge for the Eastern District of Texas and also an SFA alum, administered the oath to Pattillo as her parents, Dr. Baker Pattillo, vice president for university affairs, and Dr. Janice Pattillo, professor and chair of elementary education, looked on.

Many lawyers choose to take the oath at a ceremony held in Austin, but Pattillo wanted to hold hers on the campus where she grew up.

“If I traveled to Austin to be sworn in, I would only have a limited number of family and friends able to make the trip,” Pattillo said. “I feel like the faculty and staff at SFA are my family, and I am thrilled that so many of them are in attendance today.”

Pattillo added that she is honored to have Schneider administer the oath.

“This will be a day I never forget,” she said. “I greatly admire and respect Judge Schneider, and it is a privilege to be sworn in by someone who is held in such high regard.”

Speaking to a capacity crowd at the Tracie D. Pearman Alumni Center, Schneider said, “A judge has to do a lot of things, and a lot of those things you don’t wake up in the morning wanting to do. But one thing that is a joy is the opportunity to swear someone into the practice of law."

Pattillo graduated from The University of Texas Law School in May 2004. While at U.T., she was the head law clerk from 2002-2003. She served as reading clerk for the Texas House of Representatives in 2001 and as an intern for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison from 2000-2001.

Her accomplishments include performing as feature twirler for the SFA Lumberjack Marching Band and the University of Texas Longhorn Marching Band during her four years at each institution.

She graduated from Nacogdoches High School and was Miss Nacogdoches in 1999. Pattillo was named Miss SFA in 2000. She served as president of SFA’s Alpha Chi National Honor Society, Political Science Honor Society and History Honor Society.

Pattillo is currently employed as an attorney at law at Fairchild, Price, Thomas & Haley, L.L.P. in Nacogdoches and speaks highly of her colleagues.

“They are a great bunch of guys to work with, and the location of the office could not be better,” she said. “I can get in my car at the end of the day and look across the street and see Vista Drive, the Austin Building and the alumni center, and I know I’m home.”