Louise A. Halper

HALPER--Louise A., age sixty-three, passed away on Saturday, June 21 at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, NJ. Louise, born August 2, 1944, in Columbia, SC, was the beloved wife of Fred, and the mother of Jacob Halper of New York City and Reuben Halper of San Francisco. Louise was a Professor of Law, and Director of the Frances Lewis Law Center at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. Louise's long career as an activist for social justice began when she was a teenager in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she participated in sit-ins protesting segregation. She continued her activism while pursuing her B.A. at Brandeis University. From there, she went on to earn her M.A. from RutgersNew Brunswick, and in 1973, her J.D. from Rutgers-Newark Law School. What followed was a distinguished 15year career in public interest law, during which she argued in state and federal courts, and in the United States Supreme Court. Louise worked closely with Morton Stavis, a founder of the Center for Constitutional Rights, and as Assistant Attorney General of New York, focused her energies on environmental justice. Following her years of legal practice, and while earning her L.L.M. from New York University, Louise began teaching, a field in which she earned the respect and admiration of colleagues and students alike. She began her teaching career at NYU Law School, moving from there to Washington & Lee University, where she taught property, jurisprudence, critical legal theory, and environmental law. During her 17-year academic career, she published and traveled widely and held many distinguished visiting positions at institutions in the U.S. and worldwide. She was a visiting Professor at Seton Hall University. As a Fulbright Fellow, she taught at Marmara University in Istanbul. Years later, she was a visiting scholar at Koc University, also in Istanbul. She taught at The American University in Cairo, and spent a year as a visiting Professor at Harvard Law School. In 2005, she spent part of her sabbatical in Iran, speaking on law and gender in Islamic societies. As a deeply loved wife, mother, sister, friend and mentor, Louise touched the lives of so many. She was an insightful observer of people who displayed an extraordinary curiosity and interest in the world. Her expansive intellect was matched only by her unbounded consideration and love for her family and friends. They, her colleagues and students, will remember her not just for her considerable academic and professional triumphs, but also for her warmth, kindness, wit, and humor. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 29 (1-5pm) at NYU School Of Law, Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge, 40 Washington Square South, NYC. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Louise's name to the Center for Constitutional Rights (ccrjustice.org) or the Montclair, NJ chapter of the NAACP: P.O. Box 353, Montclair, NJ 07042.