A Richness of Life: Tribute to Dean Gabriel M. Wilner

• Publication year: 2011
• Citation: Vol. 39 No. 3

A Richness of Life: Tribute to Dean Gabriel M. Wilner

Terry Smith Labat^*

After I met Professor Wilner during my first year at the University of Georgia School of Law, I never talked to him without learning something new, gaining a fresh insight into something that had seemed ordinary, or just having a laugh. I doubt many others did either. It was his depth and vastness of knowledge, honestly held and expressed views, humor, and generosity toward students and friends that made the richness of his life palpable to us.

Those of us fortunate to serve on the Editorial Boards of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law experienced this more than most. From the Journal's inception in 1971, through the publication of Volume 38 in 2010, Gabriel advised the student staffs. His wise counsel and unwavering support for students, as well as his dedication to international law and legal thought, are major reasons for the continued success of this Journal and the successful careers of numerous law students who learned from their Journal experiences.

Gabriel's guidance not only stimulated many of our creative ideas, but also included Socratic-like conversations to help us ensure that those ideas were relevant and useful to practitioners and scholars alike. He guided and...