We Support Hon. Bruce J. Einhorn to Serve as the Next Dean of Pepperdine University School of Law
Dear Hon. Andrew Benton, President of Pepperdine University,
We the undersigned alumni, faculty, students, and supporters of Pepperdine University School of Law (the "Law School") strongly urge you to consider the Honorable Bruce J. Einhorn as our Law School's next Dean.
As evidenced by his illustrious and inspiring biography, Judge Einhorn not only has the skills to effectively lead the Law School, but also the far-reaching experience and values to elevate the Law School's standing among the nation's best.
A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Judge Einhorn received his B.A. in history in 1975, magna cum laude, from Columbia College of Columbia University, and his J.D. in 1978 from New York University School of Law. After law school, he clerked for Judge Julia Cooper Mack of the District of Columbia, United States Court of Appeals. Appointed by President Ford, Judge Cooper Mack was the first woman of color to serve on any United States court of last resort
After clerking, Judge Einhorn joined the Justice Department and was recruited into the Office of Special Investigations ("OSI"). Tasked with tracking down Nazi war criminals hidden among the American populace, Einhorn rose to deputy director and oversaw litigation for dozens of deportation and denaturalization proceedings, including those for the "Butcher of the Balkans," Andrija Artukovic. During his tenure at the Justice Department, Judge Einhorn helped draft the final version of the Refugee Relief Act, which gave noncitizens the right to apply for asylum in the United States.
Appointed by President George H.W. Bush, Judge Einhorn served as a United States immigration judge in Los Angeles from July 29, 1990 through January 31, 2007. In 1991, Judge Einhorn began serving as an Adjunct Professor of International Human Rights Law and War Crimes Studies at Pepperdine School of Law, where he received the 1997 David W. McKibbin Excellence in Teaching Award. "He
has just a stellar reputation as a teacher and as a mentor," said Kenneth
Starr, the Whitewater prosecutor who was an early career colleague of Einhorn's
and later served as the law school's dean. "He has, as befits his
background, a real passion for the subject that he teaches. That passion comes
shining through. And he is frankly a source of great inspiration for our
students and an encouragement for our students to become involved in human
rights issues generally and humanitarian issues specifically."
After retiring from the bench, Judge Einhorn served as the Director of the Asylum and Refugee Law Clinic at the Law School. Judge Einhorn taught substantive and doctrinal courses on asylum and refugee law, immigration law, international human rights law, and the laws of war. Under his supervision, students prepared and presented asylum cases on behalf of the immigrant poor. Einhorn also supervised independent study for law students on the topics of war crimes, immigration, asylum, and/or human rights law.
In addition, since March 2011, Judge Einhorn has served as Visiting Professor of International Law and Policy at the University of Oxford. At Oxford, Einhorn delivers an annual series of lectures to interdisciplinary audiences of students and scholars and authors journal pieces or monographs. He has most recently lectured on the international forced trafficking of women and girls into the sex trade, and strategies to protect them by conferring them with asylum status under U.N. multi-lateral agreements and state statutes such as the U.S. Refugee Act of 1980 which he drafted.
Moreover, Einhorn served as Of Counsel for Wolfsdorf and Associates, an international and immigration law firm in Santa Monica, CA, and NYC. In 2014, Einhorn founded and serves as the CEO of the Coalition for the Advocacy of the Persecuted and Enslaved ("CAPE"), which seeks to provide free legal and therapeutic services to indigent asylum seekers and victims of torture and human trafficking.
Judge Einhorn has also served as Chair of the Pacific Southwest Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League ("ADL"). During Judge Einhorn's tenure as Regional Chair, the organization pressed law enforcement authorities for vigorous application of appropriate hate crimes laws, and helped prevent the spread of hatred and intolerance through the creation of new and ongoing programs designed to fight the defamation of the Jewish people and ensure justice and fair treatment for all. He also served as Chair of the ADL's San Fernando, Conejo and Antelope Valley Boards. He is presently an ADL National Commissioner and is a member of both the League's Executive Committee for the Pacific Southwest Region and its Latino-Jewish Round Table.
Judge Einhorn's commitment to civil rights, justice and tolerance for all people has been repeatedly recognized, including by the United States Congress, the U.S. Attorney General's Special Commendation Award, Israel Bonds Lifetime Professional Achievement Award, ADL's Ginsberg Prize for Leadership in Civil Rights, and as a recipient of the California State Bar's Lifetime Professional Achievement Award. He is a founding member of both the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC and the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. He is also a prolific commentator and author on political and legal topics.
Judge Einhorn's career has embodied a Judeo-Christian life of purpose, service, and leadership that makes him especially suitable to mentor the Law School and serve as its Dean.
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