Law School Traditions, Old And New

I think a lot about what the state of Pepperdine Caruso School of Law will be when I hand the keys over to the next dean. I have made a conscious effort to continue and strengthen the many wonderful traditions begun by my predecessors that give life to the founding principles of the school:  excellence, faith, and community. Among the many such traditions:

• Weekly bible studies run by students and hosted at the dean's home
• Monthly faculty meetings opened in prayer
• Monthly interfaith dinners for students hosted by deans and faculty
• Annual trips to Washington, D.C. to swear in alumni admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court
• Annual veterans dinners hosted by the dean
• Annual women's law association teas hosted by the dean
• Annual breakfasts with faculty and 3Ls on the morning before graduation, replete with speeches (more like roasts) by a professor and student elected by the students
• Annual dodgeball tournaments with students, staff, and faculty
• Annual retreats with deans, faculty, and families
• Annual faculty and staff holiday parties
• Annual law school dinners with students, alumni, staff, and faculty

Another long-standing tradition is to invite students who cannot go home for Thanksgiving to join faculty for dinner, as Courtney and I did today:

Over the past thirty months, I have also tried to establish new traditions that I hope will continue after I am gone:

• Inviting all admitted students into our home for dinner in groups of ten or less
• Inviting all 1Ls into our home for dinner in groups of ten or less
• Inviting speakers from varied backgrounds to campus as part of our bi-monthly Dean's Speaker's Series (this fall: Justice Neil Gorsuch and Haben Girma)
• Bestowing Waves of Excellence Awards (trophy, certificate, and reserved front row spot in the parking lot) at monthly faculty and staff meetings (selected by the prior month's winner)
• Holding a Baccalaureate Service the night before graduation for our 3Ls and their friends and families where we give each graduating student a Pepperdine Caruso Law Bible signed by the dean 

On Monday, we instituted what I hope will be an annual tradition by gathering together as a community for lunch to give thanks for all of God's blessings. Pepperdine University Chaplain Sara Barton shared a wonderful Thanksgiving message, augmented by prayers from faculty and students: