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17DeanellReeceTachawasrecentlyappointedDeanofPepperdineUniversitysSchoolofLawfollowingadistinguishedcareerasaJudgesittingontheTenthCircuitCourtofAppeals.GoodmorningDeanTa-chathankyousomuchfortakingthetimeoutofyourbusyscheduletospeakwithme.YouhadaveryuniquepathtobecomingDeanofPepperdineUniversitysSchoolofLawfromyourseatasChiefJudgeoftheUnitedStatesCourtofAppealsfortheTenthCircuit.HowdidyoudecidetoleaveyourpositionasChiefJudgeoftheTenthCircuitfortheacademyWellitwasareallydifficultdecisionbecauseIlovedtheCourt.Ilovedmycolleagues.Ilovedthework.Iwasinlegaleducationandinhigheredu-cationpriortomyappointmenttothebench.Ihadbeenthevice-ChancellorforacademicaffairsandonthelawschoolfacultyatKansas.AndIhadcompletedaverylongtenureonthe10thCircuitandIsawthemanychangesandchallengesthatwereconfrontinglegaleducationandIthoughtthatbothmyexperienceandmyinterestsmightprovidemeaperspectivetoperhapsbeusefulbackinlegaleducation.AndsowhenIbecameeligibleforseniorstatusactuallyanumberofin-quiriescametomeaboutmyinterestincomingbacktolegaleducation.AndIinitiallysaidOhno.ButwhenPepperdinebegantocallandtalktomeIdecidedIdexplore.Andtherestishisto-ry.Idecidedtodoit.Ithinkitisinterestingtobeinlegaleducationrightnow.Iabsolutelyloveworkingwiththestudentsandwithourfaculty.IhavebeenveryverygratifiedbytheresponseoftheSouthernCalifornialegalcommunitytosomeoftheissuesinlegaleducationandhaveenjoyedworkingwiththeOrangeCountyBartheLosAn-gelesBartheBeverlyHillsBarthevariousbarassociationsaroundbecauseIthinkitissoim-portantfortheprofessionandlegaleducationtojointogethertoaddresssomeoftheissuesthataresocriticaltothefutureofbothlegaleducationandoftheprofession.Foundedin1969PepperdineSchoolofLawhasbeenoneofthebiggestsuccessstoriesamongCalifornialawschoolsintermsofrank-ingsbarpassageratesandjobplacement.WhatdoyouattributethatsuccesstoWellIthinkitisseveralthings.Ithinkthattheleadershipatthislawschoolinthelastdecadehashadavisionofenhancingexcellenceandmakingrealcommitmentstothelawschool.AndIcantakenocreditforthat.ButDeanStarrdidamag-nificentjob.TheuniversityadministrationPresi-dentBentonandtheprovosthavemadebigcom-mitmentstothelawschoolintimeswhenalotofhighereducationwasntdoingthat.Wevealsobeenabletohiresometrulyworld-classfacultymembershere.Andweverecruitedsomereallyoutstandingstudents.Sothosearethecompo-nents.Wehaveofcoursethenumberonedis-puteresolutionprograminthecountryfornineyearsrunningandalternativedisputeresolutionarbitrationnegotiationmediationareallsuchimportantpartsofthelegalprofession.Soweareabletodrawastudentbodybasedonthatstrengthaswell.AndthenourmissionBecauseweareaChristianlawschoolwehavethenewbarinstituteonlawreligionandethicswherealotofourstu-dentscometousbecausewedoalotofworkinglobaljustice.Wedoalotofworkinethics.Wetrytobringtoallofourprogrammingasenseofthelawasaprofessionalcallingandonethatre-quiresthehighestethicalandservicestandards.Inwhatwaysdoyoufeelyourjudicialback-groundwillhelpyouasDeanofPepperdineLawLetmestartwiththetransferrableskills.Beingajudgeisinsomewaysalife-longlearningprocessbecauseeverycaseyoupickuprequiresyoutolearnagreatdealaboutsomethingyoumayormaynothaveknownabout.Soyourlegaleduca-tionisthebackdroptocontinuedlife-longlearn-ing.AndthethingthatIthinkismosttransferra-bleformeistohaveseenthatoverthe25yearsthatIwasajudge.Iwascontinuallylearning.SoitisnotasmuchaboutthesubjectmatterasitisContinuedonPage18