David Ozburn placed his left hand on the same Bible that his father did years ago and raised his right hand. Judge Samuel Ozburn then administered the lawyer's oath and welcomed his son into the legal profession.

Friends and family gathered in the Newton County Judicial Center Wednesday afternoon to watch David be sworn in as a lawyer by his father.

Ozburn passed his bar examination and was recently hired by Martin Snow, a legal firm in Macon.

"A lot of young people his age, is old lawyers don't think they have the same work ethic. But David is not like that. He's a hard workers and is willing to put in the long hours," said Rusty Gunn, the partner who hired David. "His daddy and I were in law school and went to (the University of Georgia) together. I figured at some point I would hire the child of a friend of mine."

David said he was inspired to become a lawyer because he saw how his father was able to help people during his career.

"My dad set a good example and used his education and his profession to help people. I saw that growing up and it gave me something to shoot for," David said.

He thanked Gunn for giving him a job and said he was looking forward to starting on his career.

"I feel like I've been in school most of my life," he said. "This means a lot to my family and wife. It mean I can actually start doing work."

David is expecting another celebration in March, when his wife Ashley will give birth to their first child, a girl, which will also be Judge Ozburn's first grandchild.