Michael Josephson ’64, J.D. ’67

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Michael Josephson is the founder and president of the Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics. He founded the institute after retiring from a successful career that included business, law and education.

Every day, listeners can catch his Gabriel Award-winning, CHARACTER COUNTS! radio commentaries on KNX 1070 in Southern California, as well as on stations across the country and around the world. Its 13-year run is one of the longest editorial features to broadcast regularly in radio history. Check out an archive of transcripts and audio files of these commentaries.

Josephson is one of the most sought-after ethics commentators in the country. From confidential consultations to keynote addresses and workshops, he has assisted more than 100,000 elected officials, editors, jurists, military and police command officers and executives at the nation's largest corporations, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

Through the institute, Josephson founded CHARACTER COUNTS!, the nation's leading character education system. It now reaches 6 million youngsters through the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a widespread partnership of schools and youth-serving organizations. Every third week of October is designated as CHARACTER COUNTS! Week.

The Josephson Institute also launched the Pursuing Victory With Honor sportsmanship campaign, endorsed by virtually all amateur athletic organizations. Josephson was selected to train all U.S. Olympians going to Beijing Games.

Like all institute programs, these projects are nonpartisan and nonsectarian, promoting a common language of core values called the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Josephson's accomplishments have not gone unnoticed by the nation's leading news media, which frequently quote and profile him and feature his articles. He received the America's Award and Integrity Award from former President Ronald Reagan. He also authored the books The Best Is Yet to Come (2002) and You Don't Have to Be Sick to Get Better! (2001).

As a UCLA undergraduate in the 60’s, Josephson was a catalyst for change. He served as chairman of the Student Board of Governors, where he campaigned to make UCLA the first university to provide book discounts to students. At UCLA Law, he served as Chief Justice for the Honors Moot Court Program, where he co-authored the Handbook of Appellate Advocacy, providing substantial revenues for the program for more than a decade. In 1967, he delivered the valedictory address at commencement before the entire student body, and later became the youngest tenured professor of law in the country at age 28.

Josephson serves without salary and donates all revenue from his programs and services to support the nonprofit, nonpartisan Josephson Institute and its mission — to create a world where decisions and behavior are guided by ethics.

Josephson is happily married to Anne and has four daughters and a son.

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Edward A. Dickson Alumnus of the Year 2009