Remembering Burke Marshall.

• Author: Clinton, Hillary Rodham
• Position: Yale Law School professor - Testimonial

I am deeply honored and delighted to have been asked to be part of this remembrance and celebration of an extraordinary American, a great lawyer, a caring and thoughtful professor, and a friend over so many years. To Violet, Josie, Catie, Jane, and other members of the Marshall family, you know the depth of the personal loss that this represents to you. To many of us, it was also personal, and it was in the very best sense of the word political and public as well.

I was fortunate enough to be a student at the Law School when Burke Marshall came back to teach in 1970. He came with his reputation and legendary commitment to civil rights surrounding him. I didn't know what Burke Marshall looked like. I had read about this giant among men who stood down the worst of the segregationists, who was always there willing to shepherd civil rights demonstrators through crowds of angry and swearing people. So I was looking way up toward the ceiling, expecting this giant among men to stride down the hallway, when someone sort of poked me and said, "There, that's Burke Marshall." Bespectacled, stooped, deferential. I immediately was even more drawn to him because of the contrast with all the stories that I and so many law students and people who cared deeply about the civil rights revolution transforming our country had heard. It was even more amazing to envision him doing all of these wondrous, courageous feats.

In 1973, my husband and I were in charge of the Barristers' Union trial for that year, and the guest judge was someone whom Burke invited--John Doar. John, Burke, Bill, and I had a wonderful conversation about our postgraduation plans. I, of course, had very little idea of what I was going to do. Bill intended to go back to Arkansas to pursue a yet-undefined political and public life, but needed a job. In the course of the conversation, Burke asked Bill if he'd ever thought about teaching and Bill said, "Well, no, I hadn't. Do you think that would be a good decision?" Burke said, "Sure. I'll even write a letter of recommendation." So he wrote a letter, which to my memory went something like, "Dear Dean of the Arkansas Law School, I recommend this young man who is quite intelligent and could be a good law professor, but will probably not stay long. However, if I were you, I'd still give him a job." I had my own conversation with Burke because I was trying to decide whether to go to Arkansas, a place I had never lived and knew no one but Bill, or...