New Parris Award created to honor memory of 1L Evan Carthen

January 24, 2017 | By Alexa Brown — The Evan T. Carthen Award for Inspirational Leadership has been created to honor the memory of 1L Evan Carthen, who passed away at the beginning of the 2016 academic year. The new award will be given to one student from each 1L section (three awards total) who inspires others by their honorable character, service, unwavering hope and positivity, open heart and mind, and/or motivation of others to be their best. The award will be presented by the Carthen family at the 2017 Parris Awards taking place on April 6th at 12:30pm in the Pepperdine School of Law atrium.

The School of Law's Parris Institute prides itself on investing in first-year law students, with an emphasis on developing who they are as leaders and professionals, as well as how to excel in their career as students. The Parris Awards are an annual spring event that honors those 3Ls who exhibit the highest order of the pillars of professionalism. Faculty, staff, and students nominate candidates for the awards. Nominations occur in February and are submitted in the form of narratives that capture each candidate's attributes. Ultimately, the faculty and administrators vote to determine the recipients. The Parris Awards given to 3Ls include:

• Excellence in Professionalism: 3Ls who have demonstrated exemplary professionalism during their tenure at Pepperdine Law.


• Excellence in Service: 3Ls who have demonstrated exemplary service to a person, family, or community in need during their tenure at Pepperdine Law.


• Excellence in Peacemaking: 3Ls who have demonstrated exemplary peacemaking skills resolving conflicts, fostering reconciliation, or promoting diversity and inclusion during their tenure at Pepperdine Law.


• Excellence in Courage: 3Ls who have demonstrated exemplary courage facing challenges, fighting injustice, or other circumstance during their tenure at Pepperdine Law.


• Excellence in Leadership: 3Ls who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in any area during their time at Pepperdine Law.


• Excellence in Character: 3Ls who have demonstrated exemplary character consistent with the highest ideals of the profession during their tenure at Pepperdine Law.


• The Pepperdine Award: 3Ls who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to Pepperdine's mission of purpose, service, and leadership.