USC Institute of Armenian Studies Hosts Judges’ Forum

The USC Institute of Armenian Studies and the Armenian Bar Association are hosting an Armenian-American Federal Judges’ Forum on August 13.

The three federal judges of Armenian descent participating in this highly engaging event are the Honorable Dickran Tevrizian, U.S. District Court, Central District of California; Honorable Samuel Der Yeghiayan, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; and Honorable Jacqueline Chooljian, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Central District of California.

Housed in the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, the USC Institute of Armenian Studies serves as a non-partisan center around which the entire Armenian community can rally, regardless of political or religious affiliation.  The Institute is a resource center and repository to help preserve the Armenian heritage in America, while providing a home to approximately 1,000 Armenian-American students who attend USC each year.

Last October, the Institute honored Tevrizian for 32 years of public service. Tevrizian was the first Armenian-American to be appointed to the U.S. federal bench. Tevrizian began his judicial career at age 31, when then-Gov. Ronald Reagan appointed him to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1972, making him the youngest judge ever appointed to the judiciary at that time. Six years later, Gov. Edmund Brown Jr. elevated him to a post on the California State Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles. In 1982, Tevrizian returned to private law practice until 1986, when President Ronald Reagan selected him to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Tevrizian graduated cum laude from USC with a B.S. in finance in 1962, before attending USC Law School. After earning his law degree, he joined and became a partner in the law firm of Kirtland and Packard. Later, he was a partner in the law firm of Mannet, Phelps, Rothenberg and Tunney and Of Counsel to the law firm of Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard.

The forum will take place on Sunday, August 13, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the Embassy Room of Davidson Conference Center at the University of Southern California, corner of Jefferson and Figueroa with a reception to follow.

The unprecedented event will cover questions of law and opportunities in the legal profession; a day in a federal judge’s life; and legal issues facing the Armenian community, such as immigration, organized crime, gangs, social security, retirement, housing, health care, and elder abuse.

This is a rare opportunity for the Armenian-American community to meet these distinguished jurists who occupy leading positions in the judicial profession.

This event is open to the public free of charge. Due to a limited number of seats, please contact the USC Institute of Armenian Studies at 213-821-3943 or Armenian@college.usc.edu; or the Armenian Bar Association at 323-666-6288 or info@ArmenianBar.org to find out if seats are still available.