Deanell Reece Tacha (born January 26, 1946) is a retired United States Circuit Judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. She was the Dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law from 2011 to 2016.

Education and career

Born in Goodland, Kansas, Tacha received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1968 and a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from the University of Michigan Law School in 1971. She was a White House Fellow and special assistant to the

Secretary of Labor The United States Secretary of Labor is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and as the head of the United States Department of Labor, controls the department, and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all ot ...

at the United States Department of Labor from 1971 to 1972. She was in private practice in Washington, D.C. and Concordia, Kansas from 1973 to 1974. She then served as Director of the Douglas County

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Clinic in Lawrence, Kansas until 1977. She was also on the faculty of the University of Kansas School of Law from 1974 to 1985.

Federal judicial service

On October 31, 1985, Tacha was nominated by President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

to a new seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit created by 98 Stat. 333. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 16, 1985, and received her commission the same day. She served as Chief Judge of the Circuit from 2001 to 2008, and was succeeded by Judge Robert Harlan Henry. She also served as a member of the United States Sentencing Commission from 1994 to 1998. Tacha took senior status on January 27, 2011. She retired completely on June 1, 2011.

Post judicial service

In 2008, Tacha received the 26th Annual

Edward J. Devitt Edward James Devitt (May 5, 1911 – March 2, 1992) was a United States representative from Minnesota and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Education and career Born in Saint ...

Distinguished Service to Justice Award from the American Judicature Society. On February 10, 2011, Tacha was named Dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law, taking up that post after retiring from the federal bench on June 1, 2011. She retired as Dean of Pepperdine University School of Law on December 31, 2016. She serves as chair of the executive committee of the University of Kansas Endowment.

References

Sources

Deanell Reece Tacha profile
fjc.gov; accessed June 8, 2017. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tacha, Deanell Reece 1946 births Living people Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Kansas lawyers Deans of law schools in the United States Women deans (academic) Members of the United States Sentencing Commission People from Lawrence, Kansas People from Goodland, Kansas United States court of appeals judges appointed by Ronald Reagan 20th-century American judges University of Kansas alumni University of Kansas faculty University of Michigan Law School alumni Lawyers from Washington, D.C. White House Fellows Pepperdine University faculty American academic administrators Women legal scholars 20th-century American women judges

Education and career

Federal judicial service

Post judicial service

See also

References

Sources