Remembering Professor Lasch
End of the Semester Clinic Gathering - Maybe Fall 2014?
The first day of DU Law’s clinic orientation in 2013 was a large gathering of all the clinic students and professors. One by one, each clinic professor rose to sing the praises of their own clinic – what they do, who the professor was, the accomplishments of the prior students. It was all very impressive and made me think for a moment that maybe I should have done the Civil Rights Clinic or the Civil Lit clinic.
The Criminal Defense Clinic (the one I was about to begin) went last, and Professor Christopher Lasch spoke on behalf of the CDC. Professor Lasch rose and began his narrative in the soft and deliberate way he almost always spoke. This professor was not giving details about this clinic, but instead telling the story of a man that was exonerated through the work of criminal defense attorneys. It was a twisting tale and a moving story that we all thought was just a prelude to what the CDC was. However, after the story was told, Professor Lasch sat down. Nothing about the CDC itself. Nothing about him or his own impressive accomplishments. Just that. The good work. It would speak for itself.
That was the first day I knew, without hesitation, that I wanted to be a criminal defense attorney.
Over the next two years I was incredibly lucky to learn from Professor Lasch and Professor Robin Walker Sterling. My first Aurora Municipal trial was supervised by Professor Lasch, and it was also my first NFG. He took us out for beers afterward. The next year, my second Aurora Municipal trial lasted 12 hours (which is long) and we lost. He also took us out for beers. In both cases, I learned and failed and reflected and succeeded in so many ways about how to prepare case, all under his watchful eye. Professor Lasch was a master of strategy and creativity and could constitutionalize almost any issue, but he would NEVER tell you outright how to do it. Instead, with vague questions and a glint in his eye, he would gently lead you to the answer until it popped up, somehow both obvious and exciting.
Tragically, today is Professor Lasch’s memorial, a life cut far too short and so much work left to do. In my last conversation with him, I told him how much I enjoy doing 35(c)s and he lit up as he also enjoyed that work. I wish I had followed up with him and picked his formidable brain – I am sure he had so many interesting and brilliant ways to achieve post-conviction relief.
Professor Lasch leaves behind an army of defenders and people committed to doing the work he bonded all of us to at that orientation. He also leaves behind so many former clients who were better protected and more justly treated because he was in the courtroom with them. That’s it. That’s the work that Professor Lasch taught me to do.