Paul Casey, Honorary Alumnus, Friend of the Law School, Passes Away

Dean Jennifer Johnson announced the death of long-time friend and benefactor Paul Casey on November 12, 2019. “It is with a very sad heart that I must tell you that our Honorary Alumnus Paul Casey passed away on Sunday at the age of 91. According to his daughter Maureen, Paul died peacefully in his recliner with a glass of wine on the side table. We will miss him dearly.”

Johnson continued, “Paul Casey and his family have long been instrumental in supporting the law school both in terms of scholarships and faculty. In doing so, they set a very high philanthropic bar that provides an extraordinary role model for our entire law school community.”

The law school conferred an Honorary Juris Doctor degree on Paul Casey at the 2019 commencement. This honor was in addition to the Distinguished Honorary Graduate Award he received in 2007.

Through generous scholarships in business law and public interest law established in 2004 in honor of his father, Henry J. Casey, Paul Casey made it possible for dozens of students to realize their dreams of attending law school. Over 60 Casey Scholarships have been awarded to law students to date. Paul Casey permanently endowed the scholarships in 2015 ensuring that his generosity will continue to impact students for generations to come in perpetuity.

Law School Board of Visitor member Jerry Carleton ’07 is one of the recipients of a Casey Scholarship. He recalls the letter notifying him. “I stared at the letter, an actual tangible blessing in my hands. I called my wife to tell her the news and she started crying. I could continue my legal education. I could continue to run our business and apply the education that I was acquiring at night to everyday decisions I was making during the day at the company.” In 2014, paying the gift forward, the Carletons established their own scholarship, awarding the same amount Jerry once received and hiring at least one Lewis & Clark graduate almost every year.

The scholarships reflect Henry J. Casey’s vision of education, which involved not only intellectual enrichment but also attention to integrity and character, as well as a commitment to public service. Scholarship recipients are expected to embody these values and follow Henry Casey’s tradition of citizenship.

In 1985, Paul’s father, Henry J. Casey, and aunt Marguerite gave generously to create an endowed professorship that would honor the memories of their brothers. Professor Lydia Loren currently serves as the Henry J. Casey Professor of Law.

Paul Casey spent his life supporting education, first as a teacher and later as a philanthropist. Casey scholars have pursued remarkable careers in business and civic engagement and the Casey family legacy lives on in the impact of their work.