KB Home CEO Bruce Karatz to speak at USC Law Commencement ceremony

LOS ANGELES (May 13, 2004) - Bruce Karatz, chairman and CEO of KB Home and a 1970 USC Law School graduate, will deliver the keynote address at USC Law's commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 16.

218 students will receive juris doctorate degrees during commencement proceedings this year, which will be held at 3 p.m. in USC's Alumni Memorial Park. Additionally, 28 foreign graduate students will receive master of laws degrees.

As chairman and CEO of KB Home, Karatz leads one of the largest homebuilding companies in the United States and France. Under his leadership, KB Home has focused on developing highly personalized homes to meet the diverse needs of homebuyers. The company has recognized dramatic growth during Karatz's two decades at the helm, and in 2003 KB Home revenues exceeded $5.8 billion. Karatz has been described as the "best merchandiser and marketer of homes in the nation." In his commencement speech, titled "Don't Get Too Comfortable," Karatz plans to encourage students to leave their comfort zones and take risks that may lead to extraordinary results.

"It means a great deal to me to participate in the same commencement ceremony that I attended as a graduating student 34 years ago," said Karatz. "It is truly a privilege to address these accomplished students at such an exciting and pivotal point in their lives."

Karatz also is active in civic and community affairs. He is former chairman of the California Business Roundtable and the former chairman of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. He is a member of the Los Angeles County Music Center board of governors and a director of Avery Dennison, Edison International, Honeywell International Inc., and KCET. He is a trustee of RAND Corp. Karatz also is a member of the board of councilors at USC Law and recently chaired a fund-raising campaign that raised $74.5 million for USC Law.

Among the many outstanding graduates in the Class of 2004:

• Matthew Strugar, a native of Richmond, Va., received one of two Sydney M. and Audrey Irmas Fellowships awarded by USC. The fellowship will pay Strugar a year's salary while he works at the nonprofit Center for Constitutional Rights in New York City, where he will work with the city's Arab and South Asian communities on issues related to racial profiling and civil rights violations post-September 11. One of the cases he'll focus on is Turkman v. Ashcroft, involving the alleged imprisonment and harsh treatment of non-citizens in the aftermath of September 11.
• Alexandra Webber, a Glendale, Calif., native, recently received a Fulbright grant to spend a year in Mexico researching efforts to combat human trafficking for labor or sexual exploitation . She also will examine efforts to foster bilateral collaboration along the U.S.-Mexican border and the legal mechanisms available to prosecutors and law enforcement to protect human rights.

USC Law is one of the most prominent legal academies in the country, nationally recognized for its rigorous academic tradition, stellar faculty and diverse and accomplished student body. With a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary study, USC Law offers a wide range of courses and research opportunities that enable students and faculty to pursue specialized interests, including law and economics, communications and technology, health and ethics, and law, history and culture. Additionally, its clinical education programs give students real-world experience as they assist immigrants, low-income families, domestic violence victims and others seeking legal aid. For more information on USC Law, see weblaw.usc.edu/news .

Building homes for nearly half a century, KB Home is one of America's premier homebuilders with domestic operating divisions in some of the fastest-growing areas of the country including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Kaufman & Broad S.A., the company's majority-owned subsidiary, is one of the largest homebuilders in France. In fiscal 2003, the company delivered homes to 27,331 families in the United States and France. It also operates a full-service mortgage company for the convenience of its buyers. Founded in 1957, KB Home is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "KBH." For more information about any of KB Home's new home communities, call 888-KB-HOMES or visit kbhome.com.

Reporters are invited to attend USC Law's commencement ceremony. Reservations are required. Please contact Melinda Vaughn at (213) 740-9415 or mvaughn@law.usc.edu for reservations and parking information. More information is available at http://lawweb.usc.edu/commencement .