Gerald M. Caplan

1938 - 2020

Jerry's courageous, seven-year battle with leukemia came to an end on March 14, 2020. He passed peacefully in the company of his family. He was 82. Jerry was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1938. He received his B.A., M.A., and J.D. degrees from Northwestern University. He studied at Yale University as the recipient of a Falk Fellowship and, later, as a Senior Guggenheim Fellow. Jerry served as the Dean of the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, from 1992-2001. As Dean, he initiated the Governmental Affairs program that enabled more students to successfully launch careers in public policy, and was responsible for establishing an Immigration Law Clinic that assisted immigrants on their path to citizenship. After stepping down as Dean, he served on the faculty until his retirement. When he retired, the Dean Gerald Caplan Endowed Scholarship Fund was created to assist students at McGeorge continue their education. Jerry was much admired by alumni, students and staff alike. Much of Jerry's legal career was in public administration. He began as an Assistant US Attorney for DC and continued with the U.S. Department of Justice as general counsel for the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and general counsel for the D.C. Metropolitan Police. He subsequently served as the director of the National Institute for Justice. Even after entering teaching at George Washington University Law School, Jerry was retained by the Department of Justice to review the use of deadly force by the Los Angeles Police Department, appointed to serve as interim president of the Legal Services Corporation, and chosen to serve as deputy director of the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Protection Bureau. After publishing an important analysis of the Supreme Court's Miranda decision, he drafted model police interrogation guidelines that were adopted by numerous law enforcement agencies across the country. Jerry's happiest moments were spent with his family. He is survived by his wife Deborah and son Graham. He was an avid reader of non-fiction and enjoyed lively discussions on a variety of topics. His sense of humor will be missed. Internment will be private with a public memorial service at a later date. Donations in Jerry's name may be made to the Gerald Caplan Endowed Scholarship Fund or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.