Obituaries

Founder of Troutman Sanders, a former governor, dies at 89

The founder of the law firm now known as Troutman Sanders has died at the age of 89. Carl Sanders had an impressive record of achievement before he founded the law firm, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Associated Press and a press release. According to the Journal-Constitution, Sanders “gave…

Nov 18, 2014 9:40 AM CST

DOJ lawyer who escorted James Meredith to segregated campus dies at 92

Former Justice Department lawyer John Doar, a leader in the battle against segregation, has died at the age of 92. Doar, who led the Justice Department’s civil rights division in the 1960s, accompanied black student James Meredith onto the segregated University of Mississippi campus in 1962, the New York Times…

Nov 12, 2014 8:17 AM CST

Terminally ill Brittany Maynard ends her life; her act may influence right-to-die debate

The death of Brittany Maynard, the terminally ill woman who died Saturday at her Oregon home after taking a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed by her physician, may forever change the right-the-die debate in this country. In the weeks leading up to her death, the 29-year-old Maynard, who was diagnosed…

Nov 3, 2014 5:36 PM CST

Influential lawyer lobbyist Thomas Hale Boggs dies at 73

A Washington, D.C., lawyer and lobbyist who helped shape Patton Boggs into a powerhouse lobbying firm died on Sunday at the age of 73. Thomas Hale Boggs Jr. died from an apparent heart attack, according to Boggs’ sister, journalist Cokie Roberts. The New York Times, the Washington Post and the…

Sep 16, 2014 8:48 AM CDT

Perkins Coie lawyer who fought ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ dies in bike accident

A Perkins Coie associate who helped challenge the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy has died in a bicycle accident. Sher Kung, 31, died Friday morning when a truck making a left turn struck her as she was riding her bike to work in downtown Seattle, report the Seattle Times,…

Sep 2, 2014 10:55 AM CDT

New wanted poster offers $10K reward for man charged with murder of Boston Scientific chief counsel

More than a week after a chief counsel for Boston Scientific was shot to death at a gas station outside Minneapolis, authorities are stepping up efforts to find the missing suspect charged with murder in the case. Commercial developer Lyle “Ty” Hoffman, 44, is identified as a former boyfriend and…

Aug 21, 2014 5:40 PM CDT

Top lawyer for tech company is slain; ex-roommate who lost eviction case is sought as suspect

A Minnesota lawyer who served as chief counsel for Boston Scientific worldwide businesses and was known as a caring, involved member of his community was shot and run over at a gas station outside Minneapolis on Monday. A suspect being sought in connection with the slaying of Kelly L. Phillips,…

Aug 12, 2014 8:30 PM CDT

James Brady, gun-control advocate wounded in ‘81 attack on President Reagan, dies at 73

James Brady, a former White House press secretary who became a prominent advocate for gun control after he was severely wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, died Monday following what his family described as a series of health issues. He was 73 years old. The attack…

Aug 4, 2014 8:25 PM CDT

Revered former ‘Judge Biff,’ known for his fairness and sense of humor, is dead at 77

Vincent A. Bifferato Sr., a legendary former Delaware superior court judge known for his fairness, his courtroom presence, his courtesy and his sense of humor during more than 30 years on the bench, has died of esophageal cancer. He was 77 years old. Remembered for his “unerring sense of right…

Jul 29, 2014 6:45 PM CDT

Former judge identified as slain man found at Texas law firm

A man found dead by police inside a Lubbock, Texas, law firm early Wednesday has been identified as attorney and former judge Steven “Steve” Wallace, 61. Authorities said the lawyer was pronounced dead at the scene after police responded at 2:26 a.m. to a phone call from a man who…

Jul 24, 2014 3:38 PM CDT

Law prof’s shooting wasn’t a burglary gone bad; he was ‘intended victim,’ police say

Police in Tallahassee, Florida, are countering speculation that the shooting death of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel was attributable to a burglary or robbery. Police have refused to say how many times Markel was shot on Friday, whether a weapon was found at the home, or whether he…

Jul 22, 2014 12:13 PM CDT

Shooting death of law prof who founded PrawfsBlawg is investigated as homicide

Florida State University law professor Dan Markel died early Saturday after being shot at his home on Friday. Police in Tallahassee, Florida, are investigating the death as a homicide, their usual practice in deaths without witnesses, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. A criminal law professor, Markel founded PrawfsBlawg and opposed the…

Jul 21, 2014 12:04 PM CDT

Real estate attorney’s handwritten will gives $800K to humane society for cat care

A California real estate lawyer who called himself “Cat Daddy” has left this world a far better place as far as local felines are concerned. Officials at the Marin Humane Society were overjoyed to learn that Brian Russell Kirchoff had given the group’s cat-care fund nearly $800,000 in a handwritten…

Jul 14, 2014 3:15 PM CDT

Was law prof’s ‘frenzied output’ worth it? His widow says work devotion came at a price

When American University law professor Andrew Taslitz died in February, his admirers praised his productivity, scholarship and devotion to work. But his widow, Patty Sun, says his accomplishments came at a price. She wrote on his Facebook page about the impact of his “frenzied output” on their relationship and her…

Jul 9, 2014 1:35 PM CDT

Howard Baker, former US senator, White House chief of staff and practicing lawyer, is dead at 88

Howard Baker Jr., a longtime Republican leader in the U.S. Senate who also took the helm at the White House and steered President Ronald Reagan into calmer waters as chief of staff for a 17-month period during the late 1980s, has died. He was 88 years old. Perhaps best-known for…

Jun 26, 2014 7:05 PM CDT