Dean Tacha is the Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean of the Pepperdine School of Law and professor of law. She was appointed by President Reagan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit where she served as a circuit judge from 1986-2011. She served as Chief Judge from January 2001 through 2007. Dean Tacha earned her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1968 and her juris doctorate from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1971. She was a White House Fellow (1971-1972).
She returned to the University of Kansas where she served as associate professor at its School of Law from 1974-1977 and as professor of law from 1977-1985. She served as associate dean from 1977-1979, as associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs from 1979-1981, and as vice chancellor for Academic Affairs between 1981-1985. In 1992, Dean Tacha received the KU Alumni Association's Fred Ellsworth Medallion for extraordinary service to the university and received its most prestigious award, the Distinguished Service Citation, in 1996. In January of 2010, she was named "Kansan of the Year" by the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas.
Pepperdine School of Law is an Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers Consortium School.