Laura Brown Chisolm.

• Author: Moore, Karen Nelson
• Position: Former Case Western Reserve University School of Law professor - Testimonial

Laura Brown Chisolm was a faithful friend and cherished colleague. All of us fortunate to have known her will attest to her stellar qualities in everything she did, personally and professionally. Although taken from us far too soon, Laura's star shines brightly in our hearts and minds and memories.

I remember first meeting Laura when she was a student in my civil procedure class in the fall of her first year of law school. I had just started teaching at Case Western Reserve University School of Law ("CWRU"), and Laura's star intellect became apparent immediately. She inevitably had a deep and thoughtful response to every question; she was unfailingly prepared and always accurate. In other words, she was a new law professor's dream, especially when she volunteered to answer questions no other student would touch and filled those awkward gaps that can plague a new professor. Her comments after class reflected her penetrating insight and also her care for those less fortunate or less equipped to deal with the established legal system. It was a privilege to have her as a student.

Laura's stellar qualities were recognized by all at the law school. She graduated first in her class, with accolades from everyone who had the pleasure of teaching her and learning from her. With her outstanding record, she could have pursued the traditional routes of judicial clerkship and/or major national law firm. Instead, Laura went with her passion, working as a lawyer at the Institute for Child Advocacy here in Cleveland, demonstrating her dedication to the betterment of others, rather than focusing on financial gain or personal prestige.

Three years after graduating, Laura joined the law school's faculty. At the time there was a dubiousness at many law schools about hiring their own graduates for the faculty, but in Laura's case we had no doubt that she was extraordinary. From the beginning, students respected her first-rate mind and her compassionate character. Her classroom was devoted to the joy of learning and the exploration of complicated legal concepts; her classroom humor could be sly, but not at the expense of her students.

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