Dickran M. Tevrizian Jr.

The Honorable Dickran M. Tevrizian Jr. was the first Armenian-American to have served as a federal judge when he was appointed to the United States District Court for the Central District of California by President Ronald Reagan in 1985. A position he held until his retirement from the bench in 2007.

Judge Tevrizian has devoted his life’s work to the judicial system. In 1972, at age 31, he was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court—making him one of the youngest judges to ever be appointed to the judiciary. In 1978, Governor Edmund Brown, Jr. elevated Judge Tevrizian to the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles.

Before becoming a Municipal Court judge, Tevrizian was an associate and then a partner at Kirtland & Packard, LLP in Los Angeles, California. From 1982 until his appointment to the United States District Court, Tevrizian practiced law in the Southern California as a partner in the law firm of Manatt Phelps Rothenberg & Tunney and then was Of Counsel to the law firm of Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard.

A California native, Judge Tevrizian grew up in Los Angeles and graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in finance in 1962. He then went on to receive his J.D from the U.S.C. Gould School of Law in 1965. 

Judge Tevrizian’s influence on the law is exemplified by his numerous awards beginning with Trial Judge of the Year by the California Trial Lawyers Association in 1987 and Federal Court Trial Judge of the Year by the Malibu Bar Association in 1998. That same year he was awarded the Peter the Great Gold Medal of Honor from the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences for outstanding contributions to the field of law. From 1994 to 1995, Judge Tevrizian was also named Trial Jurist of the Year by the Los Angeles County Bar Association and in 1999 he was given the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. In 2002, Judge Tevrizian was awarded the Maynard Toll Award from the Los Angeles County Bar Association for his service to the underprivileged. The following year, he was given the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Orange County Federal Bar Association and in 2005 the Justice Armand Arabian Leaders in Public Service Award. In 2005, Judge Tevrizian received the Emil Gumpert Award for his efforts in promoting alternative dispute resolution. In recent years, he has been recognized twice as a Top 50 California Neutral in Daily Journal in 2010 and 2012, and as a Best Lawyer by Best Lawyers in America from 2020-2024.

Beyond his professional accolades, Judge Tevrizian has been a lecturer for numerous Bar Associations, California Continuing Education Programs, and State Bar Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Seminars. He has also served on the Board of Directors for various charitable organizations such as the Armenian General Benevolent Union (A.G.B.U.) and Exceptional Children’s Foundation. Judge Tevrizian also sat on the Advisory Board of LegalZoom and served as a member of the Board of Directors for Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and Tutor Perini Corporation.

Judge Tevrizian currently works as a mediator with JAMS Dispute Resolution Services.