Since 1946,statistik lucah UCLA has paid tribute to its most distinguished luminaries who have lit the way for UCLA’s brightest stars to shine. From larger-than-life legends to community heroes, UCLA Awards are bestowed upon Bruins who have brought great honor to the university and whose contributions impact the world.
The 2022 UCLA Award for Professional Achievement belongs to A. Wallace Tashima ’58, a trailblazing judge with a half-century of public service and leadership. He has been an inspiration to Asian Americans in the legal profession and to all who admire his integrity and dedication to upholding the principles of justice.
Tashima, a Nisei, spent three years of his childhood in the Poston internment camp in Arizona during World War II. After the war, he attended school in Los Angeles and then served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps.
He attended UCLA with support from the G.I. Bill, receiving a bachelor’s degree in political science. He overcame remarkable barriers to attend Harvard Law School, where he was one of only four Asian American students. In Boston, he observed a trial in the U.S. District Court and was inspired to become a federal judge.
Following law school, Tashima served as the deputy attorney general for the State of California, and worked for Amstar Corporation before joining a private law firm. In 1980, he was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to the Central District of California Court. President Bill Clinton elevated him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers the nine western states. Tashima is the third Asian American and first Japanese American to be appointed to a U.S. Court of Appeals.
He assumed senior status in 2004 and continues to hear cases. The experience of being incarcerated solely on the basis of race shaped his understanding of the mission of federal courts — to hold the government to its constitutional obligations.
In 2019, the UCLA School of Law celebrated the trailblazing jurist’s half-century of public service and leadership with a daylong symposium featuring present and former clerks and colleagues discussing his career and influence. He has been a mentor and role model to many, and with his support, former law clerks and colleagues, including many graduates of UCLA School of Law, have gone on to careers as influential lawyers and judges.
Tashima has been awarded Trial Jurist of the Year by the Los Angeles County Bar Association and is a former member of the U.S. Judicial Conference Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure.
The other 2022 awardees are:
Edward A. Dickson Alum of the Year — Sheila Kuehl ’62, Los Angeles County supervisor
Community Service Award — Alberto Retana ’98, president and CEO of Community Coalition in South Los Angeles
Public Service Award — Debra Duardo ’94, M.S.W. ’96, ED.D. ’13, Los Angeles County superintendent of schools
Volunteer of the Year — Monica Ebeltoft ?89, president emeritus of OC Bruins
Network of the Year — The UCLA Alumni Band
Young Alumnus of the Year — Kristen Torres Pawling ’09, M.U.R.P. ’12, Los Angeles County chief sustainability officer
The awards ceremony will be held on May 21. For questions, contact [email protected].