Yale Kamisar: Warrior Scholar

My association with Yale Kamisar dates back to the 1950s. At that time I became aware of the interesting publications of a young faculty member at the University of Minnesota. The articles were well done, most of them dealing with the Supreme Court’s notable expansion of constitutional doctrine relating to criminal procedure, then at full tide, a field in which I also was writing. In addition, Yale had published a remarkable article on the subject of euthanasia, impressive for the thoroughness of its research and the clarity and force of its argument. Fortunately, I decided to write to Yale and express my appreciation for the work he was doing. It is possible that I am the author of Yale’s first fan letter. He responded warmly, and there began a conversation that has continued for almost a half-century. The interchange has been one of the profitable and pleasant features of my time in the law schools.