In May, brothers Louis and Dominic Zambelli were accepted as members to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. The moment traces back to 2009 when Louis started his first year at UD and paved the way for Dominic to follow in his footsteps.
“My dad and I drove all the way down [from Rochester, New York] for nearly eight hours to get a tour,” said Louis, who graduated from the University with his bachelor’s in biology in 2013 and his Juris Doctor in 2018. “It ended up being the day after all the students had left for break. I thought, ‘Oh man, I’m not going to be able to get an experience of what it’s like with students on campus,’ but it didn’t even matter because I knew it was home as soon as I stepped on campus.
“I think that night my dad called my mom and was like, ‘Yep, this is where Lou’s probably going to end up going.’ And it was a great four years.”
Dominic played baseball in high school and wanted to see his athletic dreams through, but said he, too, recalls being captivated by the campus when visiting his brother.
“UD was what I envisioned as the college experience,” said Dominic, who graduated with a finance degree in 2016 and his Juris Doctor in 2019. “The atmosphere, campus vibe, green space, friendliness of people and how everyone was super welcoming — it just stole me. So I made the decision to hang the cleats up, go to college at Dayton and follow in my brother’s footsteps.”
Despite being close, the brothers didn’t get to spend much time in school together as they grew up because of their three-year age difference, but law school narrowed the gap. After undergrad, Louis took two years to explore his career opportunities before deciding to attend law school. Dominic, again, saw personal value in his brother’s path and started his journey as a 1L when Louis was a 2L.
New Home
Attending and graduating from UD’s School of Law meant they would be practicing law in Ohio. While New York was the place they grew up, Dayton became the place they settled.
“I had a great seven years at UD, and now Lou and I are both still in Dayton,” Dominic said. “It's become home, it's been great to us over the years.”
Louis works as an assistant prosecutor for Ohio’s Clark County Prosecutor’s Office and Dominic is an associate attorney for Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz. On the way to their current roles, they coincidentally ended up working for the other’s employer — Dominic as an intern with Clark County and Louis as a clerk for the law firm.
Supreme Court Bar
This year, they brought their experience full circle when they joined the University of Dayton’s Alumni Association trip for School of Law alumni to Washington, D.C. Eligible alumni could apply for membership to the U.S. Supreme Court’s bar, which allows them privileges to argue cases and witness oral arguments in reserved seating.
Louis and Dominic each brought one of their parents as their one allotted guest for the swearing in ceremony, ensuring both would be present. Their sister joined them later to enjoy the weekend as a family.
The brothers recalled regularly visiting the nation’s capital as part of their childhood summer trips to Ocean City, Maryland. The brothers said they had not visited recently and made sure to enjoy the trip, going to the city’s many historical sites and museums.
“It was really cool to share that experience, not only of getting sworn into the Supreme Court — that goes without saying — but to do law school together, too,” Louis said. “Anyone who's done it knows how challenging it can be, and to have someone there that — in Dom's case, someone who was a year ahead — helps.
“It's been a really good 10-11 years since starting law school, and here we are today. I wouldn't change it for the world.”