Brian Leiter's Law School Reports

In Memoriam: Daniel H. Benson

On December 28, 2011, Professor Dan Benson passed away.  He served on the Texas Tech law faculty from 1973 until 2004, and continued teaching after retirement up until his death.  Benson taught in the area of criminal law.  He was 75.

In Memoriam: Jane Larson (1958-2011)

Alas, another untimely passing to report.  Professor Larson was Voss-Bascom Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, well-known for her work in feminist legal theory across a range of areas.  I will add links to memorial notices as they appear.

UPDATE:  The Wisconsin memorial notice is here.

In Memoriam: Larry Ribstein (1946-2011)

I'm very sorry to report, via Larry Solum, this shocking news.  At the time of his death, he held an endowed Chair at the University of Illinois College of Law, where he had taught since 2002.  He was well-known for his wide-ranging work on issues in corporate law and securities regulation.  I will post links to memorial notices when they appear.

UPDATE:  Professor Ribstein suffered a massive stroke yesterday, and passed away earlier today.

ANOTHER:  Several warm remembrances and tributes here (and scroll down).

AND ANOTHER:  The memorial notice from the University of Illinois College of Law.

In Memoriam: Carol West

Carol West, Professor of Law at Mississippi College School of Law, passed away Monday.  West was an active member of the faculty who taught courses in the areas of family law and women in the law.  She had been on the Mississippi College faculty for 36 years, joining at the time Mississippi College acquired the Jackson School of Law in 1975.  West was a graduate of the W and the University of Mississippi School of Law.  She was 67 years old.

In Memoriam: David Bederman

Professor David Bederman of Emory Law School passed away on Sunday.  He was 50.  Bederman, who received his JD from Virginia and his Ph.D from the University of London, was an international law scholar.  He had been at Emory since 1991.

In Memoriam: Jon Van Dyke

Professor Jon Van Dyke of the University of Hawaii School of Law passed away Tuesday.   He was a Harvard Law grad and clerk to California Chief Justice Roger Traynor, and he joined the faculty at Hawaii in 1976.   He had taught previously at Catholic and Hastings.  Van Dyke was an eclectic scholar and an expert in Native Hawaiian rights.  He was 68. 

Memorial Conference in Honor of David Baldus (Iowa)

Details here.

In Memoriam: Harry Wellington (1926-2011)

He was the former Dean of both Yale Law School and New York Law School.  NY Times obituary here, noting his work in labor law and constitutional law.  (The obituary notes that there is renewed interest in the old Wellington & Winter argument about public labor unions, but neglects to mention that their predictions were falsified [scroll down to the comment by Professor Jacoby]!)

In Memoriam: Eric Stein

The pioneer in what we would now call "law of the European Union," Professor Stein had a really remarkable career.

 

In Memoriam: David Baldus (1935-2011)

A longtime member of the law faculty at the University of Iowa, Professor Baldus did hugely important empirical work on the capital punishment system in the United States.   A memorial notice is here.