Judge Couldn’t Resist Hugging the Attorney in This Case

It was a family affair in Municipal Judge Michael E. Knight’s courtroom Friday afternoon as he administered an oath making his daughter the second attorney in the family.

With her mother, Barbara Knight--a Van Nuys Superior Court reporter--standing at her side, Laura T. Knight fought back tears of happiness as she swore to uphold the Constitution.

Laura Knight, 27, learned Thanksgiving week that she had passed the bar exam on her first attempt.

That was welcome news. She left the Whittier College Law School only one semester before receiving her degree. She studied for another three semesters at the University of West Los Angeles, but did not graduate, before the California State Bar certified her to take the bar exam administered in July.

“It was very exciting,” Judge Knight said after the ceremony in the courtroom where he generally presides over misdemeanor criminal trials. The judge said it gave him great satisfaction to see his daughter “fight the good fight to make it through law school.”

Addressing about 30 family members and friends who showed up, Judge Knight said 1993 was a good year for his daughter, who also became engaged during the year.

Laura Knight said she hopes to work for the district attorney’s office, where she was a clerk for two summers and served a one-year internship. Judge Knight was a deputy district attorney for nearly 20 years before he was appointed to the bench in 1990.