David L. Faigman
Volume 77, Special Issue, 17-21
In every respect, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Law and Horace O. Coil Chair in Litigation, Richard Marcus—“Rick” to everyone who knows him—is the quintessential academic. Indeed, if one were writing a movie that required a law professor archetype, they could do no better than to have Rick as their leading man. He is a commanding presence in the classroom, a highly accomplished scholar, and deeply respected by his colleagues. He is also endearingly quirky, as a professor ought to be. His fashion aesthetic might be called couture du Goodwill. He often strolls the halls of the school barefoot, having left his Birkenstocks behind in his office. In those hallways, he is quick to engage in substantive conversation, but has little patience—indeed, outright disdain—for small talk or gossip.