Dickran M. Tevrizian Jr. ’65 will receive Alumni Merit Award
Dickran M. Tevrizian Jr. ’62, JD ’65 made history in 1986, when he became the first Armenian-American federal judge in U.S. history.
On April 25, he will be among seven Trojans honored at the 82nd annual USC Alumni Awards. Tevrizian will receive the Alumni Merit Award, which is “given to individuals whose remarkable accomplishments speak well for the range and quality of a USC education.”
Tevrizian’s distinguished legal career began in 1966, when he joined the law firm of Kirkland and Packard as an
associate, eventually rising to the level of partner. At the age of 31, he became one of the youngest judges ever appointed to the judiciary in 1972, when then governor Ronald Reagan appointed Tevrizian to the Los Angeles Municipal Court. Six years later, then governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Los Angeles Superior Court. After retiring from the bench in 1982, Tevrizian practiced law, as both a partner in the law firm of Manatt Phelps Rothenberg & Tunney and as of counsel to the law firm of Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard, until his appointment to the federal judiciary.
associate, eventually rising to the level of partner. At the age of 31, he became one of the youngest judges ever appointed to the judiciary in 1972, when then governor Ronald Reagan appointed Tevrizian to the Los Angeles Municipal Court. Six years later, then governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Los Angeles Superior Court. After retiring from the bench in 1982, Tevrizian practiced law, as both a partner in the law firm of Manatt Phelps Rothenberg & Tunney and as of counsel to the law firm of Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard, until his appointment to the federal judiciary. In 1986, he was appointed by then president Ronald Reagan to serve the United States District Court for the Central District of California, the native Angeleno presided over a number of high-profile cases, including the infamous Anthony Pellicano wiretapping case, during his 21 years on the federal bench.
Revered for his ability to bring disparate groups together in even the most difficult situations, Tevrizian has received numerous honors over the course of his decades-spanning career, including the California Trial Lawyers Association’s Trial Judge of the Year (1987); the Malibu Bar Association’s Federal Court Trial Judge of the Year (1998); and the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Maynard Toll Award for service to the underprivileged (2002). He currently works as a mediator/arbitrator for Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS), the largest private alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider in the world.
In 2001, Tevrizian helped establish the Dickran Tevrizian Fund at USC Gould School of Law to provide need-based scholarships to disadvantaged students pursuing legal education. Four years later, the USC Institute of Armenian Studies honored him for 32 years of public service and his support of the institute.
Every year since 1932, the USC Alumni Association has paid tribute to distinguished members of the Trojan Family. The annual Alumni Awards gala is sponsored by the USC Alumni Association. For more information, please visit http://alumni.usc.edu/awards/.
This article courtesy of the USC Alumni Association.
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