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Order of the Coif Welcomes Pepperdine - Listen to the Interview

The executive committee of the Order of the Coif, an honorary scholastic society of law schools, has approved Pepperdine to establish a chapter at the school. The Order of the Coif is conferred upon schools that have demonstrated an environment of outstanding scholarship and academic excellence, and Pepperdine is the first to gain admittance to the society in four years. Listen to an interview with deans Tim Perrin and Rick Cupp.

"It is a high honor for Pepperdine to join the ranks of many of the nation's top law schools with Order of the Coif chapters," noted Andrew K. Benton, president of Pepperdine. "This distinction is a significant accomplishment and one of which we are all very proud."

The stated purpose of the Order of the Coif is to "encourage excellence in legal education by fostering a spirit of careful study, recognizing those who as law students attained a high grade of scholarship, and honoring those who as lawyers, judges, and teachers attained high distinction for their scholarly or professional accomplishments." The constitution of the Order of the Coif provides that students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their class and fulfill other requirements are eligible to become members. At the time a new chapter is formed, it may elect alumni for membership who graduated within the last two years and would have been eligible at the time of graduation.

School of Law dean Ken Starr said of the achievement: "As we celebrate this significant milestone in the life of the law school, I want to express my appreciation for the truly prodigious efforts of our own Rick Cupp, associate dean for research, who provided excellent leadership in the Coif application process." He added, "I also acknowledge, with a deep and abiding sense of gratitude, my predecessors in this office, Deans Ron Phillips, Richard Lynn, and Charles Nelson, whose faithful leadership of the law school established a strong and enduring foundation upon which we build."

Laura Gasaway, secretary-treasurer of the Order of the Coif said, "I wish to extend my congratulations to you [Dean Starr] and your faculty. Granting of the charter is an important event in the history of the school and tangible recognition of its present stature."

For more information on the Order of the Coif, visit the Web site.