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Pepperdine Honors Dean Emeritus Ron Phillips

Pepperdine University School of Law celebrated 40 years of Ron Phillips at the 34th Annual Law School Dinner on March 5 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Alumni and friends paid tribute to Phillips throughout the event. 

Phillips, senior vice chancellor and School of Law dean emeritus, is often referred to as the “architect and administrator of the Pepperdine University School of Law.” Phillips served as dean for twenty-seven years before becoming dean emeritus in 1997.

A member of the state bars of California and Texas, the American Bar Association, the American Law Institute, the Los Angeles Bar Association, and the Christian Legal Society, Phillips was a California commissioner of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws from 1988 to 2003.

A Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, he was the chair of the section on the Administration of Law Schools in 1982, was on the Committee on Courts from 1985 to 1987. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Military Appeals. Prior to his deanship at Pepperdine, Phillips had a private law practice and was an adjunct professor at Abilene Christian University, as well as being a corporate staff attorney at McWood Corporation and its successor, the Permian Corporation, also in Abilene, Texas.

"I am deeply blessed," said Phillips. "Few people have been able to spend such a significant portion of their lives in such a rewarding endeavor."

Earlier in the day on March 5, Pepperdine hosted the 37th annual Vincent S. Dalsimer Moot Court Competition. The final round was judged by three judges each of whom will have a Pepperdine law clerk next year. The final round bench included the Honorable Emilio Garza, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; the Honorable Ronald Lew, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Ninth Circuit; and the Honorable Raymond Gruender, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The First Place Team was William Glaser and Brent Kampe, and Second Place Team was Dustin May and David Rowe.

The award for 1L Professor of the Year went to Naomi Goodno and 2L and 3L Professor of the Year went to Barry McDonald.

Learn more about the 34th Annual Law School Dinner.