Ronald Olson

Olson received his baccalaureate degree from Drake University, before studying law at Linacre College, University of Oxford, and completing a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.

In 1967, Olson worked as a civil rights attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. In 1968, he clerked for the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, David L. Bazelon. Olson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

In 1968, Olson joined the Los Angeles law firm now known as Munger, Tolles & Olson, and has practiced there since then. Olson’s field of specialization is litigation and corporate counseling. He counsels individual executives and boards of directors in a range of matters, including corporate governance.

In 1997, Olson became a director of Berkshire Hathaway.He retired as a director in May 2025 at the same time as the board's longtime chairman, Warren Buffett, announced his intention to retire from the company at the end of the year.