On Friday, something so horrific happened that it is hard to believe: Florida State law professor and brilliant criminal law theorist Dan Markel was murdered. As posts across the Internet make clear, Dan
Lesson #1: Cherish those around you and tell them how you feel about them. Dan was not shy about telling his friends (of whom he had so many it is impossible to count) that he loved them. His friendship was a constant. Whether you last saw him a week or a year or three years earlier, he made you feel like it was yesterday. His hug was like a prayer of thanks. Dan treated his friends like his family. We were his sisters, brothers, and cousins, and he made that lovingly clear.
Lesson #2: Engage with the world of ideas and leave no hard criticism unexpressed. As WaPo's Orin Kerr and my CoOp co-blogger Dave Hoffman captured so well, Dan read everything with a fierce, searching critical eye. Dan read drafts of my articles and gave me his unstinting, sometimes harsh, but always constructive criticism. He wanted ideas to become their very best. He taught me that criticism is a compliment. A harsh critique meant the ideas were worth discussing and developing. And even if the ideas were crazy to him (and many of mine surely were), he generously helped give them their best and most developed light.
Lesson #3: Lift up those around you, especially those who could really use the boost. I met Dan when he came to Maryland law school to give a talk in September 2006. I was in my first year on the tenure track. I had never blogged and had not yet met the folks in my field personally. Dan asked me (and many others) to guest blog. He introduced me to my now closest friends and mentors. He made it his business to trumpet my work and connect me with others. Countless other people have told me the same story about how much they appreciated that in Dan. He put himself out there for junior law professors. And he did it for his students. When one of his students had a note in my field, he asked me to read it and give the student feedback. He would nudge and press and champion his students. Perhaps I knew someone who might be helpful in the work world for one of his RAs or mentees? He wanted to help and reached out to everyone who might lend a hand.
Lesson #4: Building communities is a life's work. Whether it was in the blogosphere, in the criminal law field, or the Jewish community, Dan made it his mission to bring people together. From what so many have said and from what my colleagues David Gray and Amanda Pustilnik have told me, Dan brought together criminal law scholars and made a community out of them. He did the same with the blogosphere. He brought together various legal blogs, including Concurring Opinions where I also write, every year at AALS and other conferences.
Lesson #5: Give faith a shot, and if it is not for you, that is okay too. Dan was devoted to his Jewish faith and synagogue. His enthusiasm for Shabbat was infectious. He always invited you to join in the fun. If it was not your cup of tea, no worries. He respected your life choices and beliefs.
These lessons are worth honoring. They are among Dan Markel's legacy. Dan, you are sorely missed. Baruch dayan emet.
