In Memoriam: Ralph Brill

We have received the sad news that Ralph Brill has passed away.  Ralph had been a member of the Chicago-Kent faculty since 1961.  For 14 years, he was director of the Chicago-Kent's unique three-year legal research and writing program, for which he is widely known. He is past chair of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning and Research, and a former director of the Legal Writing Institute and of the Association of Legal Writing Directors.  He is co-author (with S. Brody, C. Kunz, R. Newmann and M. Walter) of the American Bar Association publication, A Sourcebook on Legal Writing Programs.

Ralph was greatly loved in the legal writing community.  Numerous tributes to Ralph have appeared on the legal writing listserve over the last 24 hours.  I met him many times at conferences, and he was always a friendly face and a joy to talk with.  He was a mentor to many of the younger professors in legal writing.

From Chicago-Kent Dean Harold J. Krent:

“Ralph Brill has left an indelible mark on all of the students, faculty and alumni who have been part of the Chicago-Kent community for the past 58 years,” said Dean Harold J. Krent. “He leaves behind an enduring legacy of excellence in teaching and innovation in establishing a top flight legal writing program that has been emulated far and wide.”

Ralph will be missed, and he will be remembered for his many contributions to his law school, the legal writing profession, and his students.

Please feel free to leave comments below.

(Scott Fruehwald)