Framed by Pepperdine’s “For Greater Purpose” theme, the Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law hosted its annual law dinner, one of its most prestigious convenings. On September 26, 2026, Caruso law faculty, administrators, alumni, students, and distinguished guests came together to celebrate the school’s 57th year and historic achievements over the past year. The evening featured remarks from Paul Caron, Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean and Professor of Law, and welcomed United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., for a discussion on a wide range of topics. …
In his remarks, Caron celebrated the law school’s 57 years of excellence and attainment of several historic achievements. These included Caruso Law students’ all-time highs in median LSAT score, median undergraduate GPA, California bar passage rate, and 100 percent full-credit job placement rate. In addition, Caron noted that the faculty’s national academic reputation, professional reputation, and scholarly metrics also are all at all-time highs.
These student and faculty achievements have cemented Pepperdine Caruso Law’s ranking as a Top 50 U.S. News law school since 2020, with a current annual ranking of #46.
“For the past 57 years, our students have been at the heart of everything we do,” Caron said. “As important as all of our all-timehighs are, they are not the North Star that guides our staff and faculty. Our North Star shapes the culture and community that makes our law school truly unique among the nation’s 199 law schools.” Caron credited the law school community’s commitment “to love God and to love each other” for the exceptional triumphs of the past year. …
[T]he dinner’s featured guest, Justice Alito, discussed, his approach to constitutional interpretation, the role of faith and civic virtue in the law, and the experiences and mentors that have shaped his career. With Caron as moderator, Justice Alito addressed these topics with Brittney Lane Kubisch (JD ’12), Associate Professor of Law; Barry McDonald, Professor of Law; and Andrew Oldham, Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Asked how the American constitutional experience can inform our understanding of the conditions necessary for the republic to flourish, particularly in light of the nation’s 250th anniversary, Justice Alito responded that civic virtue, prized by the founders, is necessary for a nation’s success.
“[The founders] understood that the constitutional system that they took pains to create could not function properly unless the peopleof the country, the citizens of the country, were practicing virtue in that they did not think only about furthering their own interests and satisfying their own desires and needs, but were dedicated to broader the theme of tonight’s dinner serving the community—For Greater Purpose,” Justice Alito said.
Discussing his role on the Supreme Court, Justice Alito described originalism as an effort to remain faithful to the Constitution’s original meaning while accounting for precedent. He cautioned against overemphasizing the pursuit and application of idealistic principles, which he described as “Icarian originalism,” and “archaeological originalism,” which places excessive emphasis on thequest for obscure historical details.
Justice Alito also spoke about his Catholic faith and the importance of his constitutional oath. “I take the oath of office that I tookwhen I was sworn in to the Supreme Court very seriously,” Justice Alito said, describing it as a promise to faithfully discharge the duties of his office. Seeking and defining truth requires great courage and integrity, he said, encouraging the law students in attendance to remain steadfast in those virtues.
Oldham, a former law clerk to Justice Alito, likewise discussed the greater purpose and driving forces behind his career, including his deep faith, love for family, and desire to be a “strong, fearless, and principled federal judge.” With regard to Justice Alito’s mentorship, Oldham said, “One of the greatest things about working with Justice Alito is you see a man as the same under pressure as he is in private. He illustrates that courage, principle, integrity; they’re not just for these cases. As C.S. Lewis very famously wrote, courage ‘is the form of every virtue at its testing point.’”
It has been an honor to host six Supreme Court Justice at Pepperdine Caruso Law during my time as dean:
- Justice Alito (Sept. 2026)
- Justice Jackson (Jan. 2026)
- Justice Kagan (Sept. 2025)
- Justice Barrett (Sept. 2024)
- Justice Gorsuch (Sept. 2019)
- Justice Thomas (Apr. 2019)
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