Deborah Rhode Memorial
Managing Sudden Death, Grief, and Loss in Close Community
Not Your Usual Law Review Essay
by Swethaa S. Ballakrishnen
Deborah Rhode’s intellectual largesse has been central to chronicles of her legacy for good reason. For the innumerable who have encountered her illustrious writing and expansive career, her passing has meant the loss of a visionary thinker and leader: the end of an era, the loss of a giant who, across fields, did not shy from hard questions or difficult analysis when considering ethical ends and law’s true purpose. To junior colleagues, mentees, and students over decades and sites, it has meant the loss of a true champion and path-maker, someone whose favorite use of her letterhead was in service of others. To her collaborators, it has meant the loss of a generous colleague, someone who did not take shortcuts and whose commitments to causes bigger than her were always evident as a reflective and inspiring example.
