In Memoriam
Professor Linda Lacey (1945-2008)
Professor Linda Lacey joined the TU Law faculty in 1981, and over the next twenty-seven years, she proceeded to touch an entire generation of students, professors, and scholars. Her untimely death Sunday has left the TU College of Law saddened. In the words of Interim Dean Janet Levit, "Professor Lacey's passing is a great loss to our community, and we will all miss her very much."
Professor Lacey earned her Bachelors in English literature from University of Wisconsin. She then earned her law degree from UCLA and graduated magna cum laude in 1978 and spent time working for both a major Washington, D.C. law firm and the Federal Trade Commission before joining the ranks of academia. But it was as a law professor, mentor, and colleague that she truly left her mark. Her strong commitment to gender equality influenced her scholarship, her relationship with her colleagues, and her work with students. In the first two decades of her career, she wrote more than a dozen articles, many of which quickly became foundation works, relied upon and cited by other academics.
Linda Lacey was not just an "ivory tower" academic, however; she put her beliefs into practice throughout her career. Thanks to her tireless efforts, The University of Tulsa College of Law boasts one of the highest percentages of women faculty in the nation. Professor Lacey was a mentor to new faculty, helping them navigate the waters of teaching and writing, both in the law school and across campus. She was active in the Women's Studies Program, and just last year was involved in securing funding for an interdisciplinary effort to establish the Institute of Trauma, Abuse & Neglect Research.
Professor Lacey was also an active mentor to students, to those in her classes and in the extracurricular organizations she supported, most particularly the Women's Law Caucus. She stayed in touch with her students and was in frequent contact with TU alumni across the globe.
In recent years, Professor Lacey focused her efforts on the Comparative and International Law Center, serving as its Executive Director from 2000-2007. As Executive Director, Professor Lacey oversaw the study abroad programs and supervised both the Comparative and International Law Certificate and the LL.M. program in American law for foreign lawyers. She superintended the summer programs in Argentina, Belgium, and Dublin, and was instrumental in creating the Geneva Institute for Indigenous Peoples Law, the week long Introduction to Scottish Law program, and the Fall semester in London.
As Director of the Study Abroad programs, Professor Lacey worked with students from law schools all over the United States, making an indelible impression with her caring mentorship. Many students returned to the programs for a second summer to take advantage of what the programs had to offer, some even finding permanent jobs overseas as a result of their experiences. Professor Lacey firmly believed that exposure to other cultures and other legal systems was a critical aspect to graduating well-rounded law students who are prepared to practice in today's modern, shrinking world.
She will be missed.