USD Law Alumnus Ronson J. Shamoun '98 (BA), '02 (JD), '03 (LLM) to Receive Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award at Alumni Honors

USD Law Alumnus Ronson J. Shamoun '98 (BA), '02 (JD), '03 (LLM) to Receive Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award at Alumni Honors

Ronson J. Shamoun '98 (BA), '02 (JD), '03 (LLM) to Receive Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award at Alumni Honors

Ronson J. Shamoun

SAN DIEGO (September 28, 2021) – The University of San Diego (USD) will honor Ronson J. Shamoun ’98 (BA), ’02 (JD), ’03 (LLM), with the Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award at Alumni Honors on Friday, October 15, 2021, at the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre.

26th Alumni Honors

Prepare to be amazed for a one-of-a-kind celebration when USD Agents of Change are recognized at the 26th annual Alumni Honors event. This cherished tradition returns with the Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award for Service to the University, the Bishop Charles Francis Buddy Award for Service to Humanitarian Causes, the Pagni Hall of Fame award and a special tribute to Torero Changemakers.

Enjoy a champagne toast in the beautiful Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice’s rotunda to start the celebration. As part of your ticket, honorees and attendees will join the Fabulous Torero Casino Night in the Garden of the Sea to continue the festivities

Cost: $75 per person
Dress Attire:
Cocktail 

                   Click here to Register for Alumni Honors
through the Homecoming/Family Week main registration portal


Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award 

In honor of the Reverend Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill, the university's Mother Rosalie Hill Award is presented annually to a university-wide alumnus/a who personifies the spirit and philosophy of the University of San Diego. The recipient of this award is a volunteer who:

  • Embodies the mission and values of the University of San Diego
  • Exhibits extraordinary service and commitment to the University
  • Supports and is actively engaged with the University and/or the USD Alumni Association
  • Maintains a continuous relationship with the University

Since 1991 - the inaugural year the award was first granted - there has been only one law school recipient, Sister Sally Furay, '72 (JD), adjunct professor of law and School of Law legal clinic supervisor (1973-1993), and vice president and provost of the University of San Diego (1972-1996).

Ronson J. Shamoun

The University of San Diego Alumni Association has selected Shamoun for your outstanding contributions to the university as a whole. Shamoun is generous with his time, talent, and treasure, benefiting students, faculty, and fellow alumni in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, and School of Law.

Shamoun is the founder and CEO of RJS LAW, A Tax Law Firm. Shamoun and his experienced team of attorneys specialize in federal and state taxation matters, with an emphasis in criminal tax defense, tax controversy, and international tax and estate planning. He has extensive experience representing individuals and businesses before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the Employment Development Department (EDD), and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA).

Shamoun has dedicated over twenty years of his life advocating for small and large tax resolution matters. Shamoun’s client-centered approach for legal matters is well-suited for any client, from small mom-and-pop business owners to large international companies with complex tax issues. He has saved his clients hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties and debts and is passionate about providing steadfast quality legal care.

In criminal tax matters, Shamoun has successfully fought for reduced criminal charges against clients accused of tax evasion and has and helped dozens of clients avoid criminal prosecution all together. Shamoun has a sterling reputation with the United States Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office in many of California’s jurisdictions and will tirelessly work with them to ensure each client receives a fair and just result.

Shamoun is an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law and the University of San Diego School of Business, where he teaches a plethora of classes including Tax Practice and Penalties and Federal Tax Procedures and Policies. Shamoun sits on the University of San Diego School of Law Board of Visitors and the University of San Diego School of Business Board of Advisors.

Shamoun is an advocate and ally for education. He is a consistent financial supporter of the University of San Diego and has established annual scholarships at the University San Diego School of Law and the University of San Diego School of Business in his name to encourage student success and growth in our community.

In 2016, Shamoun co-founded the nationally acclaimed University of San Diego School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Controversy Institute. Since then, Shamoun and USD annually bring together the nation’s most renowned tax attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents, and tax preparers to discuss the latest news and practices in tax. The institute has also raised thousands of dollars for student educational scholarships.

Shamoun is the recipient of many honors and awards. In 2017, Shamoun was honored with the University of San Diego School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award, USD Law’s highest honor. This prestigious designation has only been bestowed upon 83 of the university’s most acclaimed graduates since its inception in 1977. Since 2017, Shamoun has been recognized as a San Diego Top Attorney by SD Metro Magazine. In addition, every year since 2016, Shamoun has been ranked as a Top Lawyer by San Diego Magazine. Most recently, he was recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as a 2020 CEO of the Year Winner in the Small Private Company Category.  Also, Shamoun was also recently selected as one of San Diego’s 50 Leaders Making a Difference by the San Diego Business Journal in 2020. Additionally, from 2016-2019 he was named one of the Top 500 Influential Business Leaders by the San Diego Business Journal and a Super Lawyer by his San Diego peers. Since 2013, Shamoun has been recognized by Martindale Hubbell as an AV Preeminent: Highest Excellence in Legal Ability and Ethical Practices. This award recognizes Shamoun by his peers for his high ethical standards and professional excellence.

In addition, Shamoun was named a 2017 Best of the Bar by the San Diego Business Journal. In 2017, Shamoun was recognized for his stellar client reviews and recommendations from other attorneys in the community when he was awarded with the Client’s Choice award in all of his practice areas: tax, business, trusts, and real estate. In 2013, he was named a Top Young Influential and a Top Tax Attorney by the San Diego Daily Transcript, a Top Lawyer by San Diego Magazine, and a Top Lawyer in California by American Lawyer Media.

RJS LAW has also won many awards as a firm. RJS LAW was named as San Diego’s Most Admired Companies from San Diego Metro Magazine in 2014.

RJS LAW was named a finalist in the small business category for the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics, presented by the Better Business Bureau of San Diego, Imperial, and Orange Counties in 2014.   RJS LAW won the honor of being called one of San Diego’s Most Admired Companies from San Diego Metro Magazine in 2014, and as a Family Owned Business Finalist by the San Diego Business Journal during the same year. The firm was also given the title of Business of the Year by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce in 2013.

Previously, Shamoun served as general counsel for a regional supermarket chain with over thirteen locations. He was responsible for overseeing all legal issues for the company and its eight hundred employees.

Shamoun is a frequent legal commentator for many media outlets. He has been featured on Fox 5 News, ABC Channel 10 News, KUSI News, and NBC 7 News, in San Diego for his legal expertise. He also is a legal and tax contributor to the San Diego Union Tribune and the San Diego Business Journal.

Shamoun is a San Diego native and a three-time graduate of the University of San Diego. He received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Accountancy in 1998, his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 2002, and his Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.) in 2003. During his undergraduate education, Shamoun was a founding father of the USD chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.

Outside of his legal practice, Shamoun is an active member and advocate for the local San Diego community. He is the owner of the 2020 winner for the Union Tribune’s San Diego’s Best coffee shop, Café Bella, in Ocean Beach, California. Additionally,  Shamoun, is a real estate and business investor.

About the University of San Diego School of Law

Each year, USD educates approximately 800 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from throughout the United States and around the world. The law school is best known for its offerings in the areas of business and corporate law, constitutional law, intellectual property, international and comparative law, public interest law and taxation.

USD School of Law is one of the 84 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school’s faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks 30th nationally among U.S. law faculties in scholarly impact and 31st nationally in past-year faculty downloads on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN). The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.

Contact:

Law Alumni Relations
lawalum@sandiego.edu
(619) 260-4692