A Message from Dean Matthew Diller
January 9, 2022
Dear Fordham Law Community,
I wanted to note the passing of two greats in the legal academy with deep ties to our Law School—Lani Guinier and Lloyd Weinreb, both of whom held the Bacon-Kilkenny Distinguished Visiting Chair at Fordham and both of whom formed deep friendships on our faculty and were important mentors to many of us.
Professor Guinier held the Bacon-Kilkenny Chair in 2014. She was a ground breaking scholar on many levels. Her work was branded in the mainstream media as extreme in the 1990s, yet today is widely accepted as critical to establishing equality in our society and to the fair operation of our democratic institutions. Tributes to Professor Guinier are all over the mainstream media. Here is a link to The Washington Post‘s obituary.
Professor Weinreb’s career was less in the public spotlight. He was a Bacon-Kilkenny visitor in the 1990s, and returned in subsequent semesters. A leading scholar of intellectual property, jurisprudence and criminal law, he was soft spoken and gentle, yet had a commanding intellect. A lovely tribute from Harvard Law can be found here.
Although both of these extraordinary individuals impacted many people and institutions, I am grateful for their legacy at Fordham Law and that many of us were able to spend time with them and learn from them.
Warmly,
Matthew Diller