Georgetown University Law Center mourns the loss of Professor Steven Goldberg, who died on Thursday, August 26.
“A beloved teacher and scholar, Steve Goldberg was highly regarded for his work in the areas of law, science, and religion,” said Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor. “He will be deeply missed.”
Goldberg, who joined the Georgetown Law faculty in 1977, served as the James and Catherine Denny Professor of Law.
He was the author of numerous articles and books, including, Bleached Faith: The Tragic Cost When Religion Is Forced into the Public Square (Stanford University Press, 2008); Seduced by Science: How American Religion Has Lost Its Way (NYU Press, 1998); and Culture Clash: Law and Science in America (NYU Press, 1996), winner of the Alpha Sigma Nu Book Award.
At Georgetown, Goldberg taught a wide range of courses and seminars, including law and science, constitutional law, contracts, administrative law, federal courts, and law and religion. He was a recipient of the Frank F. Flegal Award for Outstanding Teaching and served as associate dean for the J.D. program.
Goldberg was a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School. He served as a law clerk to Chief Judge David L. Bazelon on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and to Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Before coming to Georgetown, he was an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he won the Meritorious Service Award.
Goldberg is survived by his wife, Miriam; a son, Joseph; and a daughter, Rebecca.
Please send your fond memories and condolences via e-mail to:
We will post selected e-mails to this website so that all can share in the memory of Professor Goldberg.
I was extremely fortunate to be in Professor Goldberg's constitutional law class during my first semester of law school. Throughout that semester, I was constantly in awe of his teaching style, mastery of the subject matter and genuine dedication and enthusiasm for his profession. From the first class dedicated to Marbury v. Madison and a discussion regarding its significance and implications until the end of the semester, he always demonstrated his particularly strong skill of making the subject matter comprehensible and always interesting for his students. Perhaps most importantly, he always seemed so genuinely happy to be teaching and pleased to be at the Law Center. When I look back upon my law school days, Professor Goldberg always stands out in my mind as a phenomenal teacher. His passing is a terrible loss for Georgetown, and I am truly sorry that the current first-years and all future law students will not get the privilege of having him in class.
Eamonn K. Moran
L '07
I am saddened beyond belief at Steve's death! I just saw Missy and Steve and their daughter and grandkids at the beach a week or so ago, and he was the picture of health and beaming with joy as he so often was when talking of his family. What an enormous loss to the law center and all who knew him, and the students he would have taught. His ebullient manner, endless good cheer, wry humor, and incredible scholarship and teaching, let alone his warm friendship that infused all of us with a feeling of well being, will be missed terribly. I am beside myself with shock and grief. He was a prince of a man.
Professor Paul Rothstein
Georgetown Law
I owe Professor Goldberg two great debts. First, as an incoming first year law student changing careers in mid life, among the fears I daily strove to quell were my fears about surviving Contracts. Of all my classes first semester, this was the one that caused the most trepidation because not only did I feel myself incapable of understanding the material (a feeling often reinforced by the daily reading), my preconceptions of the subject were that it was mind-numbingly dull. Professor Goldberg made me feel at the end of his lectures that not only could I grasp the ideas involved, but that the subject was not as dry as I had suspected.
The other great debt I owe is to his willingness to be a friend. His door was always open to me, and I enjoyed many a great chat with him in his office or over coffee. He had a great appreciation for the theatre and I had just left a 15 year career as an actor. We talked about theatre, acting and about ideas for papers I was interested in writing; I always left our conversations invigorated and optimistic about my chances for accomplishing what I hoped to do -- certainly one of the hallmarks of a great teacher. He was also the professor to hand me my diploma at the end of it all. I will remember his teaching and his friendship with gratitude and appreciation.
Jonathan Uffelman
L '08
Steve loved Bethesda. I think that he tried to persuade every new faculty member to live in Bethesda, and if he could have had his way, he would have had the entire faculty move to Bethesda. My last Bethesda conversation with him occurred when we both discovered Don Pollo, a Latin American chicken rotisserie that had opened on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. "What a great addition to the neighborhood," Steve crowed, notwithstanding the fact that Bethesda already had 400 restaurants.
Today I had lunch at Don Pollo, remembering Steve. He was right, of course, about it's being a wonderful addition. Everyone should have lunch at Don Pollo. You will know why he enjoyed it so much, and he will be there, smiling with you.
Professor Philip Schrag
Georgetown Law
Stories of Steve's kindness and wisdom are legion, and many have spoken movingly about occasions on which he offered both. I think that an important foundation of these gifts was a trait of Steve's that is not much honored in the modern world: humility.
Steve was of course self-effacing about himself and his many accomplishments, but I have in mind a deeper humility. Steve was learned in both science and religion, which, he was fond of saying, at bottom seek answers to the same questions. I think his learning and reflection left him with a sense that the most profound mysteries of the world -- and our place in it -- ultimately are beyond our understanding.
Fortunately for us, this didn't lead to despair or nihilism. It led instead to the opposite: an appreciation of our shared fragility and limitations, a sensitivity to the different ways that we all try to cope with the large shadow of the unknown, and a willingness to make a leap of personal commitment in a world without a safety net. Most important, Steve embodied the insight that, while we may never be able to uncover the secrets of the universe, we do have the capacity for moral knowledge: that there is pain, and suffering, and unease in the world, and that there are flesh and blood human beings we meet every day to whom we may be able to provide some comfort.
I find it impossible to imagine how we will go on without Steve, yet I belive that somehow we will. I think that a good way to do so would be to try to emulate how he led his life according to the words of George Eliot in Middlemarch: "What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?"
Professor Mitt Regan
Georgetown Law
An anecdote to add; several years ago Steve and I were having one of our usual sports conversations about the Nats, Wizards, Caps, Redskins. As he always did, Steve asked about my sons, who he knew played high school basketball. I told him that they loved playing, and loved watching, esp the Wizards. Two months later, right before Channukah, two tickets show up in campus mail to a Wizards game over winter break. Courtside seats. Steve's seats. With a lovely note. Happy Channukah to the boys. Hope they enjoy the game. That was Steve. An amazing friend and colleague. To have three souls like Carol, Marty and Steve taken from us in such a short time is cruel and unusual punishment for us, their friends here to mourn their losses. So sorry I cannot be with you all tomorrow to celebrate Steve's amazing life.
Assistant Dean Larry Center
Georgetown Law
As a newcomer to Georgetown I probably knew Steve less well than most members of the Law Center community. But this news has hit me hard. During my semester visiting Steve was among the most welcoming and friendly people I met. He regularly dropped by to chat, dispensing wonderful advice about the Georgetown community, scholarship, restaurants, and so many other things. He was to me very much the face of the law center and someone I was looking forward to having as a colleague. I will miss his wisdom and kindness, and the opportunity to have known him better.
Professor Howard Shelanski
Georgetown Law
Almost seven years ago to the day, I was in my office getting ready to start my first semester of teaching. I was nervous and feeling a bit lost. Steve popped into my office, welcomed me with open arms, and shared some helpful words of wisdom. He also let me know how things would go--he would drop by occasionally, he would share some information with me and, in return, I would share some with him. His visit brought some relief. I had been desperately hoping that the impression of the faculty I developed during the interview process was not based on some carefully crafted contrived image. I had been completely blown away by how such a huge group of diverse people had managed to create such a wonderful working environment. Steve's visit (and all the others that followed) put my fears to rest.
I will miss Steve's frequent visits, the stories about his family, his sage advice and his warm friendship.
I'm feeling especially far away during these hard times. With much love,
Professor Kathy Zeiler
Georgetown Law
I was lucky enough to be in Professor Goldberg's contracts class in
1977--his first year teaching at Georgetown. As a brand new prof with
many students older than he was, he was truly one of the most natural
and gifted teachers I've ever had the pleasure to know. With a
mixture of grace, clarity and humor, he managed to make our year long
introduction to what many would say is the backbone of a legal
education, not only tolerable, but enlightening and even enjoyable.
He was hands down the Section 3 favorite and indeed, so beloved that
we all looked forward to persuading him to attend our 30th reunion in
October. My heart goes out to his family and those colleagues close
to him.
Missy Asbill Attridge
L '80
A week ago this morning I ran into Steve on the Red Line. He was sitting, of course, in a spot that would drop him exactly at the south escalator at Judiciary Square. I was anxious because I had left my daughter in tears at her first day of kindergarden and I was late for a meeting. Steve had had a heart attack only a few days earlier, but was calm, warm and serious. He didn't mention it and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He was going to a job he loved. We had a conversation that was classic Steve-about kids, grandkids, teaching, ideas. It left me happier and feeling clearer about things, as talking to Steve usually did.
From the day I started 12 years ago, Steve oriented me in the way he has oriented many others: teaching me how to share law school information, modeling a love for the job and a respect for the students, telling me how Georgetown became a nationally recognized law school because the Jesuits consciously sought to hire faculty who were different than they were. He and Missy took me and Matt to an Orioles game and even modeled a joyous and enduring marriage. Steve was someone I would go to for advice about all things Georgetown. Last year, he helped guide me during a difficult search for a library director.
Yet for all his wisdom and guidance about the Law Center, what I loved most about Steve was that he approached everyone not as a colleague or a student but as a fellow human being, each of us more fragile than we would ever care to admit. He was the kind of person who recognized our fragility and our strength, and in doing so made us feel stronger. As Julie mentioned, he came to many a birth. He held my son Jake on the first day of his life and told me, prophetically as it turns out, that I had an unusually curious child. Steve thought he'd be a scientist someday, but on that bet it is still too early to know. His information on when kids were being born was impressive, but it wasn't perfect. He arrived at Sibley Hospital while I was still in labor with Lucy and was far too gentlemanly to visit then.
It is very hard to imagine the Law Center without Steve. I will miss him terribly, but I hope his absence will be a constant reminder to us to emulate his care, generosity and kindness.
Professor Naomi Mezey
Georgetown Law
Though I'm on vacation in LA, Steve Goldberg has been on my mind the
past few days. I told myself, just this morning, that when I got home
to DC, I would call him for a lunch date-that it had been too long
since we'd caught up with each other and each other's lives. Then a
few moments ago, my husband brought me the sad, sad news of Steve's
death. I will miss Steve, though we saw each other rarely. I can only
imagine what his loss will mean to the family he adored and to the
Georgetown Law Center community that he loved.
I am proud to say that I was Steve Goldberg's first research assistant
during the summer after his first year as a professor at Georgetown.
Steve didn't choose me because I was his best student. Far from it. In
fact, just yesterday for some reason I felt compelled to tell our
twenty-two year old daughter-again-the story about Steve explaining
the C he'd given me on my Contracts exam. You see, Steve had said, I
wrote so well that it was all too clear just how little I'd understood
about Contracts.
Still, Steve chose me from a large pile of applicants to work with him
that summer. And the fact that he chose me says so much more about him
than about me. Steve always saw the best in everyone. He recognized
potential and believed in people when they didn't believe in
themselves. He was always ready to give a person a chance, and he was
always kind. Steve was full of good humor and a deep knowledge of his
subject matter-two requisites of the best of the best teachers. But
most of all, Steve was filled with of a love of life, so full of life
that it is impossible to think of him as gone.
Helen Kemp Zax
L '80
I was in Professor Goldberg's first Contracts class, as a member of Section 3. Professor Goldberg impressed all of us not just with his scholarship and his wonderfully approachable teaching style, but also with his kind nature and quick wit. In what was otherwise a pressure-filled environment, it was a pleasure to be in his class and, with his help, to master first year contract law. A few years ago, Professor Goldberg came to Baltimore, where I live and practice law, for an alumni reception. I made it a point to arrive at the reception early so that I would be sure to have a chance to speak with him. We spent a delightful half hour, talking about our families, the law and the world in general. I was looking forward to seeing him at my upcoming 30th reunion. His death is a great loss to his family, his friends, and to the Georgetown community as a whole.
Sarah McCafferty
L '80
My friends from GULC know that I often referred to this fine man as "Goldberg-my-hero." They also know that as a former teacher/professor, I didn't bestow such accolades easily.
Professor Goldberg taught my very first class at GULC, and I remember driving home that day absolutely exhilarated, musing that if this was what law school would be, I had certainly made the right decision to pursue this new career. (Not surprisingly, not all met this high standard.) But, as the years passed, I took every course Steve Goldberg taught that I could fit into my schedule - and I was never disappointed. With seriousness, dry wit, and respect for other points of view, Professor Goldberg challenged clever law students to examine some of the most intractable conundrum of life. And all the while, he demonstrated the gentility of a man who cared deeply for every person he encountered.
GULC has lost a great professor, and the world has lost a thoughtful, compassionate, respectful, and humble man. I know that his memory lives on in the thousands of law students who were wise enough to recognize a gem when he taught them.
Perceptive former students will remember that he always ended a lecture with a summary of the material covered and a hint about how the next topic meshed with what was just discussed - and concluded, within 30 seconds of the end of the hour, with the words "Thank you." As I used to then, I whisper once again now: "Oh no, thank YOU."
Robert Twele
L '05
Professor Goldberg was one of my favorite professors at Georgetown. Not only was he an excellent teacher and mentor, he was my friend. Law school was a time of significant philosophical and spiritual development for me as I transitioned from studying engineering at a conservative religious university to studying law in a quite different environment. Professor Goldberg was always willing to answer my questions and listen to my thoughts, but the thing that left the most lasting impression was that he asked me genuine questions to understand who I was, what my views were, and where I was coming from. When other professors would have answered a question by outlining their own views, Professor Goldberg taught through his unique and endearing humility. Both in and out of the classroom he treated everyone as if they had something to teach him despite his own brilliance.
One of the most significant lessons Professor Goldberg taught me was about family. Whenever I would talk to him he would tell me how important family is. During my first year of law school Professor Goldberg spoke to a group of students from the various religious student organizations. He illustrated his commitment to family by advising us: "When you are practicing and the client calls with an emergency as you are walking out the door to your child's soccer game, you tell your client he will have to wait and get to the soccer game." About a month before he passed away we went to lunch, and he showed us pictures of his grandchildren and shared stories about his wife, Missy. He took the time to make his way through the crowds of students and families at graduation to meet my parents and tell them how much he enjoyed having me as a student. I will miss Professor Goldberg and feel privileged to have known him. The world needs more men and women like him, and his loss is deeply felt.
Megan Woodhouse
L '10
I do not know what to say.When I was cleaning up my office just a few short weeks ago Steve and I had one of our characteristically rich conversations ranging from Spinoza, law school gossip, international world peace and war, Carol O'Neil and Marty Ginsburg's loss and how the wonderful old Georgetown community would pull through all this and how special a community it was.. He was his usual vibrant self and walked me to his office to look at his pictures of his grandchildren and children. He was so proud of them and of us and I was so comforted by his friendship whenever I was worried about something. The service he did in his careful and kind way for all of us for so many years as a wise counselor and confidante is irreplaceable. My heart goes out to Missy and the family and his grandchildren who will never know him as we did.. Steve, may you rest in peace, we will truly miss you in so many ways.
Professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow
Georgetown Law
It's not every day in a student's education where he has a teacher who is both so expert in his knowledge and so brilliant a communicator that every single day of class is a pleasure and a privilege; Professor Steven Goldberg was exactly that. Although we were for the most part uncertain and frazzled during our first semester of law school, Professor Goldberg was the steady hand keeping us at ease.
There are so many great memories I have from that class: the times when he would regale us with stories from his law school days, the day after the 2008 election where he took a brief moment to put the prior day's events into historical perspective, and of course, the day he finally switched from the blue blazer he wore every day to a tweed jacket signaling the true beginning of the D.C. winter. Like his wardrobe, his passion for teaching and the adoration received from his students were constant.
I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to have taken a class with him before he passed, and I am greatly saddened for the students now and in the future who will not have that same opportunity.
Justin Brandt
L '11
Prof. Goldberg was incredibly humble. He was brilliant, but he came to every session of first-year contracts or constitutional law class engaged in a way that showed us that teaching even such basic stuff was important to him. It made us want to rise to the challenge, in the best of ways: we did our reading and took our notes not because we were scared of his gentle socratic method, but because we wanted to engage in a learning conversation with him.
In conversation, Prof. Goldberg would always turn to family, asking about his students' and beaming about his own. I cannot imagine what a loss his wife and children are feeling right now, and they are in my prayers. It is a testament to what an amazing person Prof. Goldberg was that his absence will be felt so painfully.
L '09
The Greeks with their musings on fate and the Old Testament prophets before them arguing about Jehovah's unscrutable decrees at time seem like their own caricatures in freshman courses on the humanities (the best courses many college students ever take, to be sure.) Then something happens and makes one think: the old guard was right, after all., The Washington Post, usually an infallible guide to what is not significant, has been reporting on air control problems in our skies. I was recalling having been on a British Airways flight from London to Dulles in 1985, finding the trip reassuringly dull-and then reading the day after that the plane had narrowly escaped a collision with a light plane. That would have put me in the grave at age 59, and here I am at 84. It all seemed remote-until I had the terrible news of Steve's death. Why should this generous and talented younger friend have to leave us, when he still had so much to give us---and to enjoy, himself? I cannot answer, but will try a few words about Steve.
I came to our Law Center in 1979, aged 53, as a visitor ---and not entirely unknown. I hoped to be asked to remain (Marx's famous words about the "idiocy of rural life" were all too reminiscent of my response, no doubt unjust, to Amherst at the time), did not know whether that would happen. The phrase about the "mysterious science of the law" certainly described the extreme limits of my knowledge of the law at the time. More precisely, I had none-and the somewhat less mysterious workings of the culture of law schools were entirely new to me.
Steve, from the first days of my stay at the Law Center until our last conversation (alas) a few months ago, was devotedly pedagogic. He could not have cared less about the prizes of status, influence, maneuvering. What interested him was the human situation itself, as it unfolded in all its obdurate complexity. He had a great eye for the paradoxical, the pretentious, the absurd, in our lives-and selves. He made it clear that he did not exempt himself, and that put his friends at their ease. Whatever he might say, one was sure to come away from talking with Steve with a sense that one's better self (despite all one's good reasons to doubt its strength and at times its existence) had somehow been identified and engaged. He was a fierce antagonist of human smallness, but dispensed with it by being so large himself. Perhaps that is another way of saying that he was one of nature's noblemen.
Of course, we had common interests-in the relationships of the institutions of learning to society, in religion, in the fate of the university to which had each belonged, Harvard.
Here, I thought, was a person of such honesty and intelligence that very little, if at all, escaped him. I was right about that. More importantly, perhaps, was his unique union of head and heart. I will miss him, sorely.
Professor Emeritus Norman Birnbaum
Georgetown Law
I was extremely fortunate to learn from Steve as a student and a scholar. When I started my JD, while also starting my teaching career in the Government Department, I mentioned to Viet Dinh that my academic work focused on political theory, law, and religion. He said to go straight away to Steve Goldberg and get to know him. This counts among the absolute best advice I've ever received. I took a few seminars from Steve over the course of my studies, which were fascinating explorations of the intersections of the law with science and religion. But it was the long conversations, mostly when I was done with the degree, that I'll remember most fondly. Steve very quickly took an interest in encouraging my work and prodded me to consider branching out from the humanities into legal academia. While completing my first big article for a law review setting, Steve was more than a strong interlocutor in refining the argument (something for which I'm very grateful!). He also helped me strategize how to place it and encouraged me to aim for the highest journals. He coached me on the inside politics and how to manage the game. And through it all he kept encouraging me to not limit my expectations. Regretfully, we were discussing some projects on which we might collaborate when his time here was cut short. I will push on with these in his honor and memory and always owe him a significant debt of gratitude for his mentorship and encouragement. My sympathies to his wife and children. He was deeply respected by so many of his students and by members of the academy. Georgetown will never be the same for me.
Visiting Professor Michael Kessler
Georgetown University
I came to know Steve Goldberg when he served as Associate Dean for Bob Pitofsky. I was Asst. Registrar. At that time the Registrar's Office did everything from Professional Responsibility violations to Student Accounts to Special Arrangements for students with needs. It was a little overwhelming. Steve was a thoughtful and supportive manager coaching me through what I needed to know and do. He patiently shared the details of law studies in general and this law school in particular. The basis of those years allowed me the opportunity to develop a friendship that always included good humor, talk of his family, and sometimes about law center matters. I will miss him greatly. This community was blessed to have him here for so many years. May he rest in peace.
Assistant Dean Therese Lee Stratton
Georgetown Law
Professor Goldberg was an unequaled instructor who taught us not only the subject matter, but also how to craft and present arguments as advocates. Years ago, when I wrestled with my professional options, I received advice from many people. No one gave me as helpful, direct, and brutally honest suggestions as Professor Goldberg. Throughout my career, I could always count on his wise counsel. Just a few weeks ago, I received an unsolicited email from him congratulating me about a promotion. Sixteen years after my graduation from the Law Center, Professor Goldberg continued to show he cared.
Pablo Zylberglait
L '94
On the first day of Constitutional Law with Professor Goldberg at the beginning of our 1L year, I was the first student to be called on. I was petrified, but Professor Goldberg calmly walked me through Marbury v. Madison, asking questions and explaining the case with his remarkable clarity. He quickly became one of my favorite professors and the favorite of our section as well. As others have noted, Professor Goldberg had the ability to make even the murkiest material clear, and even fascinating. I will always look back on the classes I took with him with very fond memories. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the GULC community.
Sarah Goldstein
L '06
When I was finishing law school and considering legal academia as a career path, nobody was more encouraging than Prof. Goldberg. Our conversations revealed both his willingness as a mentor and the amount he loved his work at Georgetown. The latter, of course, was also clear from his teaching: on the one hand, his teaching style demonstrated his years of experience, as he expertly directed seminar discussions into frequent "a-ha!" moments for students. On the other hand, it did not seem that the years of teaching had dulled his enthusiasm-I've never known a teacher who showed more interest in students. Although his passing is an enormous loss, his wonderful teaching, along with his personal warmth and insight, will continue to inspire his former students for many years.
Jonathan Jay
L '09
My favorite memories of Georgetown Law are of Professor Goldberg. Oddly enough, in one of my very first law school classes, I was frightened and intimated by his seemingly-stern nature. It wasn't long before I knew that he was a law school legend. I was fortunate enough to have him twice--once for Constitutional Law and again for a Science and Law seminar. I am so saddened by his loss. His door was always open, his smile was always warm, and his mind was always giving to his students. His memory will never leave me.
Shahed Fakhari
L '07
The Class of '80 was Professor Goldberg's first class at Georgetown Law and Section 3 was his first Contracts class. We all loved him and after three years of law school most if not all of us would say he was our favorite teacher by far. We were all hoping we could convince him to come to our reunion in October.
I am so sorry for future students at GULC who will not be able to learn from and enjoy Professor Goldberg and I am sorry for his family, fellow faculty, friends and students who will miss him and his fine work.
I wrote to a number of classmates from the Class of 80 to tell them the tragic news of Professor Goldberg's untimely death, and I thought I would share some of the comments I received in response.
He was one of my favorite professors at the law school. He started the
same year we started! He will be missed. - Rich
He was my favorite professor by far. - Bob
My favorite as well. For our 25th Reunion,I sat in on one of his classes. The students had changed, I had changed, but Steve was as enthusiastic and engaged as ever. He will be missed. - John
.that is terrible news!! For those not in section 3, he was such a nice person and genuinely enthusiastic about teaching us. He is one of the professors I remember most and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to pay tribute to him in the upcoming alumni magazine. - Marcia
I agree. My son who is a 2L was supposed to have him this year for Federal Courts. I'm so disappointed he won't have that chance. - Lynn
Janet St. Amand
L '80
This is just rotten news. I can't try to spin it in a positive light because, as much as Prof. Goldberg has given all of us over the years - brilliant pedagogy but, more importantly, real human recognition - his work was not done. Quite simply, Georgetown Law has been dealt a crushing blow by his loss.
Emerson Floyd
L '12
Professor Steven Goldberg was one of those professors that everyone gets one of and then spends the rest of their lives telling everyone about. The day before I started at Georgetown, my friend Michelle, who had been here in 2001, told me about Steven Goldberg and said "Maia, just know that at 9am tomorrow morning, no matter where I am, I will be wishing I could be in your place, in Professor Goldberg's Constitutional Law class." I thought she was losing her mind but as soon as he started speaking, I knew she was right. I don't know that I have ever seen, or ever will see again, a person who lectured with such clarity, precision and excitement. What made it more amazing is that he had been giving the same lecture for over 30 years and somehow he made it sound like he was doing it for the first time. He so clearly loved teaching and seemed to love his students dearly. I had hoped to take every one of his classes during my time at Georgetown and it breaks my heart that I will not have the opportunity to learn more from him. It was an honor to have been in his last Constitutional Law class. I consider myself blessed.
Maia Falconi-Sachs
L '12
Who could ever forget his zany classroom antics that always helped us learn? Back in 1982, I will never forget him stepping out from behind the podium to reveal that, with tie and sports coat, he was also wearing the high-top tennis shoes at issue in one of our Contract class cases. He made complex concepts simple. I will remember him always as the best law school professor I ever had. Gone far too soon.
David J. Carr
L '84
It's impossible to describe all the ways Professor Goldberg inspired a generation of Georgetown students to be better lawyers and better human beings. He was obviously brilliant, but that is not rare among law school faculty, particularly at Georgetown. What made him special, to me, was his humility. I've never met a more modest law professor. He spoke to a lecture hall filled with 150 students in the same manner as he would talk to a handful of students sharing a table with him at a local sandwich shop, which he often did. He was equally comfortable lecturing without interruption, as he was yielding the floor to students who would take the discussion in unexpected directions. During one of his lectures in Constitutional Law (the Iranian assets case perhaps), one of my classmates who worked with the Executive Branch at that time interrupted his explanation of the position taken by the President. "Now, now, Professor Goldberg," he said, "if you're going to tell this story, you have to tell it right." Professor Goldberg handled that moment with uncommon grace and generously allowed the student to fill in details of the case that we would otherwise never learn. He will always be one of the finest examples of all that was and is good about Georgetown Law.
Kenneth B. Hammer
L '84
As others have said, Steve Goldberg was one of those once-in-a-lifetime teachers: clear, thoughtful, and wickedly funny. I too tried to take every class of his that my schedule would permit. But my favorite memory of him is from outside the classroom. It was my first year, 1978, during the orientation period before the start of classes. My classmates and I were all experiencing various degrees of terror. In one of our orientation sessions, Steve rose to address the group. Although my recollection of his remarks here won't be nearly as articulate as Steve was then, I remember his message clearly even after all these years. He told us that law school would be hard, and that we would have to work hard to get through it. But then he said this: Don't let law school consume you. Continue to live life. If you're going to fall in love, fall in love. Listen to music. Try to read a novel every once in a while. Keep things in perspective.
Classic Goldberg, as I later came to realize. Where some saw law students, he saw whole human beings. His message was a comfort to me, and I'm sure to others. Although I have not been in contact with him for many years, I will miss him now that he is gone.
Peter Diedrich
L '81
The first class I took with Professor Goldberg was Constitutional Law in
the fall of 2004. This was a time when laptops had become ubiquitous in
classrooms and the distractions available online were so varied and
tempting that many professors were fighting a losing battle for the
attention of students. It is a testament to Professor Goldberg's
mastery of the Socratic method that, from the first minute of the first
day of class, he won that battle. All eyes were riveted on Professor
Goldberg because the exchanges he had with randomly selected students
were more interesting than anything to be found online. With rare
exceptions, students came well prepared to his classes; I think out of a
desire not to disappoint a man that we respected so much. I feel truly
privileged to have been educated by Professor Goldberg; he was simply
the best.
Daniel Sinrod
L '07
Professor Goldberg was undoubtedly among the best professors I had at GULC. But that's not why I have continued to think of him during the 20+ years since I graduated. On the last day of class, he made an impassioned appeal to us to avoid leading lives of delayed gratification, which he finished with the words "Today is part of your life." We often hear words to that effect, but I've never heard anyone put them as well as he did. I trust that he spoke as well as he did because he spoke from the heart. It was the most important and practical guidance I got at GULC.
Bart Cohen
L '89
In my first year of law school, over 20 years ago, Steve Goldberg was my Contracts professor. He was a terrific teacher-- engaging, witty, challenging, gracious, demanding and fair. He did not laude his superior knowledge and intellect over the students, as some professors do (yes, we know you are brilliant -- that's why we pay you); nor did he take sadistic pleasure in hiding the ball, or shaming those who didn't "get it" right away. Instead, he shared his knowledge with enthusiasm and great humor. He always had a slightly nerdy delivery, which one somehow suspected masked a late-blooming, but very cool dude inside, just waiting to break free. One day, while making a deeply profound point (which now eludes me completely), he did a sort of G-rated strip-tease/costume change before our eyes, and released the dashing Rock Star within! It was an Oscar-worthy performance. We all stood and cheered!
I am very sad to hear of Professor Goldberg's passing, but I am also happy and grateful to have been his law student.
My heart goes out to his family and friends.
Casey Caffee
L '89
Like many others who have written, I started as a student at Georgetown in '77, the same year Steve started teaching. I did not have him as a professor, however, and I cannot now remember how we became friends. It might have been through my doing some editing work on a piece of his for the law review. At any rate, we kept in touch over the years. If I wanted to know how things were going at my alma mater, he was the one I contacted. If in town on a weekday, I always made an effort to stop by and see him. I remember how thrilled he was for me when I told him that not only I was getting married, but also getting the added bonus of immediately becoming a grandmother, and how happy I was for him when I learned he had become a grandfather. I realize now that knowing that someone as caring and thoughtful and smart as Steve was in my world and the world at large gave me comfort every day, a comfort that has now been suddenly and unexpectedly taken away. My condolences to his family and our Georgetown family.
Ellen Aprill
L '80
Professor Goldberg was a very special person even to those like me who merely were students in his larger survey courses. It has been 17 years since I graduated - and 18 since I last took one of his classes - but he remains one of the most influential teachers in my life. On the last day of my 1L Con Law class, Professor Goldberg gave us two pieces of advice: first, our family would not care whether we worked for "Jones, Day" or "Day and Jones", and second we should take classes at the Law Center that interested us and not those covering topics tested on the bar examination.
I have not spoken or seen Professor Goldberg since my graduation, but like all the rest of you, I have carried his warmth and wisdom with me every day since.
I sign off as he did to us at the end of every class: Thank You Professor Goldberg.
David Desser
L '93
Professor Goldberg was one of the most respectful and compassionate professors I had the fortune of coming across while at GULC. He was as respectful of differences of opinion and perspective inside of the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. I had the opportunity to speak on a panel with Professor Goldberg about spirituality in the law sponsored by campus ministry a few years ago. During that time I had a glimpse into his true calm and pure nature. He was always smiles across campus, and will sorely be missed. May he rest in peace.
Dania Ayoubi
L '10
I never had a teacher who could lecture a coherent, perfectly-outlined lecture with anecdotes, hypothetical applications of the law, and historic insights and complete everything promised with two minutes to spare for questions. I always wanted to promote him for membership on the U.S. Court of Appeals, but, I didn't because I thought he was more valuable as a professor.
Bruce H. James
L '87
I owe my career to Steve. When I told him that I wanted to work for the federal government and that my greatest ambition was to argue in the DC Circuit, he arranged for an interview with his alma mater, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Less than five years later I was standing before a panel of the DC Circuit (including Justice Ginsberg) representing his old agency.
But that's not what I remember most about Steve. Although we shared many legal interests, I remember most the lively conversations about life and family, and how aglow his face would be when he spoke about Missy, Joe and Becky. The last time I saw him, before we moved to Chicago, was when he and Missy came to visit my new daughter, and were so thrilled for me. (He told me then, in 2000, that Elena was a fine name for a Jewish Kagan, and as usual he was right). My heart aches for Steve's family, especially Missy, but it aches most that Steve had so little time to enjoy the realization of what I am sure was HIS greatest ambition . . . to become a grandfather.
Carole Kagan
L '81
Professor Goldberg was a rarity at Georgetown University Center among the law faculty -- a tremendously self-effacing man, with obvious great intellect, but who conveyed warmth, grace, and humor. along with his incredible humility. He taught our Contracts class in the 1982-83 academic year and he had the ability to make the subject actually interesting, and on occasion entertaining. Professor Goldberg never belittled or humiliated any of the students. In fact, he went out of his way to teach in a way that was welcoming. You wanted to go to his class! Steve also had another side to him. We used to play pick up basketball everty Friday afternoon at Yates, and often Steve would join in our games. Just one of the boys. A great loss for the GULC community, and of course, our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Evan Charkes
L '85
Professor Goldberg, was hands down, the very best teacher of any subject or discipline I ever had in my entire educational career. No one gave over the information better or clearer. His love of teaching and of the classroom were evident. His respect for his students was palpable. Even years later, as an alum, whenever I had occasion to reach out to him, he was always unfailingly kind and interested.
He will be missed.
Howie Beigelman
L '98
I think Section 7 would all agree that Prof. Goldberg's contracts class was the highlight of our 1L year. At the conclusion of the semester, we presented him a T-shirt filled with some of his memorable quotes.
Ted Mayle
L '10
I taught at Georgetown for about eleven years. Steve was a wonderful colleague and mentor to me. The warmth of his personality and the excellence of his teaching and scholarship were unsurpassed. He cared, he helped. He relished problem solving. I could always count on Steve to “walk me through” the analysis of a difficult choice. I know he dearly loved his children “Joe” and “Becca,” whom he talked about constantly as they negotiated their teenage and young adult years; I know they and Miriam feel tremendous pain at his sudden loss. My deepest sympathy to the family and my former Georgetown colleagues. What a loss!
-Professor Anita Allen
Penn Law School
Bless Professor Goldberg and his family. He was perhaps the most enjoyable teacher I had in my Georgetown Law career. He made contracts the most fun and interesting class. I remember he was a big basketball fan and for Halloween he was wearing a big Arenas Washington Wizards jersey. He was a really good professor and I could tell a good person. A big loss for Georgetown and will be deeply missed.
Aristides Anguizola
L'09
I was shocked to learn of the death of Professor Goldberg. He taught me Contracts my first year of law school and Law & Science Seminar my last year of law school. After graduation, he has also served as a reference and mentor. Professor Goldberg was an excellent teacher and consistently encouraging mentor. He taught both the large lecture class Contracts and the small seminar Law & Science Seminar equally well. He was particularly good at structuring his classes so that he consistently conveyed pertinent information while also facilitating on-topic student discussion. His classes were remarkable for the clarity, concision, and organization of the information he conveyed, the respect he always showed for students via careful listening and subsequent responses that showed that he understood and appreciated their input, and his fine sense of humor. He was also always available during class breaks or after class for discussion related to, but beyond the scope of, the topics being covered in class. He always listened carefully, never acted as though he was being bothered, and, just as in class, always understood the point I was making. I remember once making an argument briefly during a class break. I was impressed that he was going to devote extra time to considering my argument. He basically said, "You're making a policy argument, and I think it is a very good one," paused and added, "I am going to think about it." He was one of the very best teachers and mentors I have had (and I have had much additional education beyond law school). To his family, friends, and colleagues, I would like to express my deepest sympathy.
Tom Mackey
L '04
Although I took constitutional law with Professor Goldberg nearly thirty years ago, he has always stood out in my mind as the paradigm of a great law professor, especially for first year students -- he was challenging without being combative, stimulating without being scary, and obviously brilliant without being arrogant in the least. What I admired most was how he managed to take even the most seemingly misguided comment by a student and turn it into something useful to the dialogue -- furthering the intellectual debate while avoiding making any student feel foolish. When I taught as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown for a number of years, Professor Goldberg's approach to teaching was the model I tried to emulate. Steve's intellect was matched by his genuine warmth, good humour, and self-effacing nature. He was a truly rare person and will be sorely missed by those who had the good fortune to cross paths with him.
Eric Glitzenstein
L '81
Professor Goldberg to me was a great teacher, not only of law but of the many positive personal qualities that he exemplified and practiced so humbly. I was very fortunate to have crossed paths with such a wonderful individual. My sincere condolences go to the family and dear ones whom he left behind. I am sure that he is in a better place now.
Oleg Papazov
L '10
Halfway through the semester last year, I flew to Chicago to attend my cousin's wedding. Not wanting to miss classes, I took the red-eye home on Sunday and arrived on campus with less than an hour to spare before Con Law. For any other professor, I would have gone to class unprepared - or, more likely, gone back to my room and slept - and when Professor Goldberg called my name that morning, I almost wished I had. But with his consummate good humor and grace, Professor Goldberg easily guided even the least confident students through his lesson plan and selected case law. Among his countless admirable qualities, Professor Goldberg's greatest gift was this: even in a class of 120 students, you always felt he was speaking directly to you - anything and everyone else just fell away.
In every way possible, Professor Goldberg was - and will continue to be - a true inspiration. But it is his warmth, humor, and joie de vivre that play through my mind as I think of him now; I cannot recall a single memory of him unsmiling. He was a fantastic professor, and more importantly, a wonderful human being.
To his family, friends, colleagues, and students, I am deeply sorry for your loss. It came, by far, too soon.
And to Professor Goldberg, if I may borrow your closing - as so many have honored before me - thank you.
Sarah Kelly-Kilgore
L '12
The morning after the 2008 election, those of us in Section 2 had
Constitutional Law with Prof. Goldberg. He began his lecture that day
with a heartwarming speech that reminded us all of the greater
significance of the election. Remarking that he was a native
Washingtonian, Prof. Goldberg emphasized the history of the District
and this nation, and marveled at how far we had come.
Prof. Goldberg was an inspiration to us all, not only as aspiring
lawyers, but as human beings. He will be missed.
Amanda Stempson
L '11
Steve was an exceptional colleague, mentor and friend. I never had Steve as a professor when I was an LL.M. student at Georgetown, but had the privilege of getting to know him once I was a professor in the law and religion field. Steve was always kind and helpful, even when doing so took time from his immensely busy schedule. His love for Georgetown and Law and Religion were only exceeded by his love of his family. Over the years I had the chance to review some of Steve's work for publishers. Most recently his excellent book Bleached Faith. It was always a joy to read his work both for its cogency and thoughtfulness and its depth and interdisciplinary focus. Steve was an excellent scholar, father, husband, mentor, teacher and person. He will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to his family and colleagues at Georgetown and around the world.
Frank Ravitch
LL.M. '94
I had the pleasure taking first year contracts (1982) from Professor Goldberg. Professor Goldberg was one of the brightest minds I encountered at GULC. He made contracts real and understandable, but more importantly he grounded us in life. I will never forget Professor Goldberg playing basketball with us and telling us that despite the demands of the law, we should never forget we are human beings and continue to pursue our hobbies and take care of our families.
RIP Professor Goldberg.
Russ Belinsky
L '85
Professor Goldberg taught the very first law school course I attended (Contracts, of course) and remains my favorite law professor. I remember him well for his kindness, warmth and good humor. I’m truly saddened to learn of his passing and extend my sincere condolences to his family. He will be greatly missed.
Mike Williams
L '03
Professor Goldberg was the best teacher I ever had in any subject I ever took in any school. I was lucky enough to have him for first year contracts and, later, for administrative law. He had no ego. His lectures were clear and obviously the product of a great deal of disciplined preparation. In the library I sometimes saw him doing his own independent research, pulling books off the stacks himself. Some first year professors could be intimidating; some hid the ball; some were not always well-prepared to lecture. He was the opposite of that sort of professor. He was to us the epitome of what a law professor should be – demanding, but fair; firm, but caring; and always available if you needed him. He was obviously a great intellectual, but did not have a fetish about the law as a sort of intellectual playground. He wanted the law to be practical, useful, and understandable to everyone – and he made it so. He was fiercely proud of Georgetown. He made us want to be fiercely proud of it as well. Twenty-five years after I graduated I needed his help in preparing a closing argument to a jury. I remembered an allusion he had made during class (circa 1985) to a short story by an author whose name I couldn’t remember. I emailed him, never supposing he would have the time to respond or that he would remember the story. Of course he did respond (promptly) and recalled the story (perfectly). It was a story called “Before the Law,” by Franz Kafka. Our trial team had large boards made depicting the story (adapted for our case) and used them in closing argument. That a former teacher would help me with something 25 years later is something I will never forget. Prof. Goldberg made it a point to come and address our section (section 3) on graduation day in 1986. As ever he was gracious, kind, practical and wise in his words, and funny. Jim Rosenberg imitated him on the last day of class in 1984. (Jimmy could mimic Prof. Goldberg to a T.) No one laughed harder than Prof. Goldberg. To me he was Georgetown and always will be. I grieve for his family. I am sure others who truly know him will have much to say about his legacy. To me his legacy will include helping form generations of lawyers who are disciplined, imaginative, kind, passionate, and proud of Georgetown.
Dan Lawton
L '86
I was just another student in Professor Goldberg's class who would not have made much of an impression on him but he sure did make an impression on me. What a terrible blow for the world to have lost a man with such exemplary compassion. For me he made Constitutional Law come alive from its roots in Marbury versus Madison up to present day. I can hear Professor Goldberg's voice echoing the pivotal words of Justice Marshall even now, 20 odd years on!
Professor Goldberg, may your soul rest in eternal peace having deeply touched the lives of so many.
Eve Thompson
L '89
I was shocked and sorry today to read the message about Professor Goldberg in my email. I am sorry. He was a great teacher - my first year I took contracts from him. What a delightful person - always made things interesting and always such loud or silly ties. We all wore ties on the last day of class...one student forgot and came in late trailing toilet tissue behind him which he had wrapped around his neck. I got my tie from the Salvation Army store next door along with my friends in the class. Professor Goldberg began class and then stopped when he noticed what we were all wearing and quipped..."I don't know what it is today but you all look extraordinarily well dressed." He was like that - joyful, merry and kind. And he never assigned a lot of cases to read but made excellent use of the ones he did ask us to prepare. I have fond memories of him and I am sorry for all of the students who will never have the chance to know him.
BTW he spoke of his wife in class - he was very proud of her...clearly a loving man.
My condolences and thank you for letting me share this moment.
Janice Kim
L '83
Professor Goldberg embodied old style professorial class. Always impeccably dressed and resembling a Supreme Court justice he truly made his students forget about gpa's, summer associateships and pay scales and remember that sometimes it is worth it to be educated for its own good, not for some other reason. My grandfather was a history professor whom I admired more than anybody, for his calm demeanor, warmth toward all those around him and eagerness to teach and help, all those traits were obviously present in Professor Goldberg. It is very hard to imagine that I cannot knock on his office door and hear "Hello Mr. Epshteyn," but now I will just have to play it in my mind and remember my favorite and most inspriring Professor. Rest in peace, Professor Goldberg.
Boris Epshteyn
L '07
I had the privilege of being in Steve's first Section 3 Contracts
class in 1977. It was his first day of teaching and our first day of
law school and it was a toss-up as to who was more nervous. I sat in
the front row and could see his hands shaking, which somehow put me
more at ease knowing he was apprehensive too. He started out with a
hypothetical about a late-night ad on TV for some product nobody
needed. He asked us if the TV ad was an offer to sell and walked us
through the whole transaction of ordering, paying for, and receiving
the product in terms of contract law. He had us from that moment. It
is with great sadness that we learned of his passing. The law school
and the legal community will miss him.
Karen Greenwood Raschke
L '80
I am so sorry to hear that Professor Goldberg has passed away, and at such a young age. He was one of my favorite law professors. In Contracts class, he was always thoroughly prepared and succinct, and I felt like I was really learning something useful at every class. He had a good sense of humor and really cared about ensuring that his students understood the material. I don't think I ever went to his office hours, and I'm sure he did not know my name, but his teaching continues to guide me as I practice law. My sincerest condolences to his family.
Judy Tseng
L '00
Steve was our port in the storm during first year and shared many drafts at the pub while we fretted about our classes and he guided us through that time with humor, candor and wisdom.
John L. Knorek
L '81
Professor Goldberg was the best professor of law that I had in GULC. In teaching Constitutional law, he made the words come alive and inspired in us an awareness of the framework developed by the founding fathers and its continued life today. He was beloved by his students to the point that one student wrote on his evaluation "this man is a saint". When someone gives so much to young lawyers, the value of the teacher's knowledge multiplies and resounds throughout the community. He will be missed, but his legacy lives within us all.
Ilana Hessing
L '85
It is moving to read these tributes about Professor Goldberg and the
impact he has had on us. Although there was a series of ice storms that
happen to fall on the morning of his Administrative Law class, I would
slide down Connecticut Avenue on those early gray mornings to the Van
Ness metro so as to not miss his class. He often began or ended our
classes with a personal story or a literary quotation. His quotation of
Grant Gilmore has stayed with me over the years: "Law reflects, but in
no sense determines the moral worth of a society. . . . The better the
society, the less law there will be. In Heaven, there will be no law,
and the lion will lie down with the lamb. . . . In Hell, there will be
nothing but law, and due process will be meticulously observed."
Maurice E. Stucke
L '94
I had Prof. Goldberg for first-year Contracts back in '88, and I still recall his command of the law, his confident presentation and, most of all, his personal warmth and humor. He was always approachable, and he never failed to be as engaging as he was helpful. For a fairly eccentric "second-career" student, up from Alabama, I soon came to feel at home at the Law Center, thanks in large part to Steve Goldberg.
Steven Rudd
L '91
"The Hairy Hand."
That's how the first day of Contracts started in the first year of my first semester. I actually saw a hairy hand this summer and, like in many other circumstances, thought back with great affection for Professor Goldberg, who brought life and clarity and humor to the law and the subject at hand. By March, Professor O'Goldberg challenged us to write our own country music Contracts songs for the class. He provided the munchies: a Bag o' Green Bagels. No St. Patty's Day has been the same for me since. Professor Goldberg had such a talent at teaching; certainly among the most talented I encountered at GULC. It was a pleasure to be his student. And bagels and humor aside, we all really learned contracts. He was a generous teacher who could enliven even the most mundane topic. What a sad and premature loss.
Stephanie G. Victor
L '90
I am so sorry for the Georgetown Law students who will not be able to take his classes. On my first day in law school someone told me that Professor Goldberg might be the best professor I would have in law school. They were correct. Professor Steven Goldberg was a great professor and a great man. His death is a tremendous loss for all.
Craig Etem
L '96
During my second year in law school, I took Professor Goldberg's Administrative Law. After the course was over, I met with him. He was welcoming and helpful. I could tell that he was the kind of professor who was truly devoted to teaching. Years later (and I do mean years later!) after graduating and becoming a judge, the National Judicial College contacted me about teaching a course for administrative law judges. Not having experience in that area, I immediately thought of Professor Goldberg. I sent him my course materials which he so graciously reviewed and was wonderfully supportive. He was a shining example of a great professor and a great human being. I was very sorry to hear of his passing and send my sympathies to his family, his colleagues and the rest of the Georgetown community.
Leslie A. Hayashi
L '79
Professor Goldberg was my contracts professor in my first year of law school, in 1982. I came to law school with absolutely no idea what I was getting into, but Professor Goldberg made contracts fun and comprehensible at the same time. Twenty-eight years later, I still think of him and use what he taught me whenever I'm thinking about a contracts question. An exceptional professor, I am very sorry indeed to hear of his passing.
Jesse G. Kreier
L '86
I am really saddened by the news of the passage of Professor Golderg. I am a 1991 alum of GULC. Professor Golderg’s Contracts class was the first class I attended in law school. Professor Goldberg was one of the most colourful characters in the otherwise sometimes drab grey world of law.
They say that first year law at the whim of the Socratic Method is a game of lions and Christians. Well, Professor Goldberg made us all into willing sacrificial participants in this blood sport. He had a lot of heart and was mad, crazy funny. I always thought of him as an erudite and analytical stand-up comedian.
He also brought a humanity to law and helped us reach beyond our benighted youth to see the foibles that come with age. Incidental to teaching us the legal principle of undue influence in Auderey Vokes vs. Arthur Murray Dance Schools, he gave us a life lesson, showing us that like that hapless 50-year-old widow we too could come to be so lonely that we would use our lives’ savings and mortgage our homes not so much for the love of dance but for the assurance of company.
Professor Goldberg always said that on some far away date, when we would all be practicing lawyers, he would come knocking on at our windows in the wee morning hours asking what is the rule in Hadley vs. Banxendale. That is how we all learned the rule of consequential damages from a most consequential man.
Should Professor Goldberg keep his promise to wrap at my window to discuss Hadley vs. Bexendale, I know I and thousands of his other former students will be sure to invite him in because he has long since been in our hearts and minds.
May Professor Goldberg rest in peace.
Miouly E. Pongnon
L '91
Even for someone who did not necessarily live and breathe the entire first year curriculum, it was beyond evident that Professor Goldberg was everything you would want from a professor. He had the knowledge, humor, understanding, and passion for teaching to reach every student in the room, even the ones in the last row. The subject was Contracts, but like most memorable classes, it was the superb presentation and well thought out discourse, broken up by stories with just the right touch, that remains in my memory. Redskins v. Packers forever...
Stephen Englert
L '08
I was privileged to be a student in Prof. Goldberg's "Law and Religion" class as a 3L at GULC. His passion for the subject and his respect for and interest in his students and their aspirations were evident. He had a deep appreciation for the inherent tensions in the First Amendment Religion Clauses as well as a respect for the place of faith in public life. May he rest in peace.
Peace and all good,
John Celichowski
L '00
I was blessed to know Steve Goldberg in two ways – as a student in his first year contracts class and as his research assistant. He inspired me and my classmates in so many ways, through the joy he took in teaching and through his sheer humanity. More than 25 years after sitting in his class, I can still remember many of his punch lines. To convey how little he thought of the “plain meaning rule” he told us of the time when his sister allegedly came home one day and told their mother to sit down because she had some big news. When Mom asked what the news was, his sister said, “I’m having an affair.” Mom replied, “Great … who’s catering?” I also saw Steve play basketball once and can vouch for his jump shot. But my favorite memory is of a summer day in 1983 while I was working with him on a casebook called “Law, Science and Medicine.” I asked Steve to explain the General Theory of Relativity to me, which he did with great aplomb. I even understood it for a good long while. The Georgetown community has lost someone very special indeed.
David Balton
L '85
The best teacher I ever had – at any level.
I will miss waiting for him to break into my house at night and ask me the holding in Hadley v. Baxendale. I was ready for him.
David Bledsoe
L '86
He was among that rare handful of Professors students are fortunate enough to encounter who can make a subject matter come alive by seamlessly interweaving it with life stories and humorous personal experiences. The result was that students didn’t just learn another dry textbook case study for a test, but came away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the human elements and reasoning behind the law. His intellect, self-effacing, humble manner and great sense of humor are a great loss to Georgetown and will forever be missed.
David Solomon
L '88
I had Professor Goldberg for contracts as a first year law student starting in the fall of 1985. He was kind, smart and passionate about teaching. He genuinely cared about us as students, which made him stand out. I remember sitting in his class when the Challenger travesty occurred. Professor Goldberg was so moved by the incident that he dismissed class early to allow us to focus on something much bigger than ourselves. That's just one small example of how he thought and acted, which enables me to remember him fondly 25 years later. Georgetown and the world have benefited from the time we shared with Steven Goldberg.
Victor P. Henderson
L '88
My heart is deeply saddened to learn of Professor Goldberg's transition. He was a fabulous instructor - full of humor and able to make complex legal concepts easily digest-able. As a student, I felt so blessed to have such a brilliant man - my goodness even Justice Brennen's clerk - as a professor. Every time I would see him in the hallway or elevator he would nod and smile in greeting. I enjoyed Prof. Goldberg so much as my first year Con Law professor, that I later took his Admin Law class. One day, in Admin we were talking about issues of clients selecting their attorney by gender or race (I have no idea why at this point). After class, I approached Prof. Goldberg to share with him about an experience I had in clinic where a client declined (which is too polite a description for the event) my representation because I am a woman. After telling Prof. Goldberg this he said, "Joy, anyone would be lucky to be your client. You'll be a great lawyer." I wasn't an extraordinary or in any way memorable student. You can't imagine my shock and pleasure that such a great man knew my name. And the fact that he had so much faith in my ability really made my day. I couldn't wait to get home to call my mother to tell her what he had said about me. Prof. Goldberg was just as caring as he was brilliant. He will truly be missed.
S. Joy Gaines
L '95
Dear Friends and Admirers of Professor Goldberg:
As a freshman in the Law Class of 1983, Steve's passion and exhuberance was intoxicating. His brilliance and clear love of contracts inspired me to incorporate contracts in my professional career.
Who can forget Steve's Hadley v. Baxendale socratic engagements or his progressively outrageous hypotheticals that taught us to expand our minds and question the benefits of all bargains.
I for me smile when I think of him. He was a shining example of a dedicated professor.
Bill Askinazi
L '83
Professor Goldberg was the first professor that I had on my first day of law school at Georgetown in September, 1987. His class that day, and every day, was humorous and informative, a true joy. He provided a welcome contrast to the intensity of Professor Flegal, whose class I also thoroughly enjoyed. Although I presume that Professor Goldberg gave the same lectures year-after-year, each came off completely fresh, as if he had just written it for our class. Every student loved Professor Goldberg’s class and looked forward to it. Professor Goldberg was a true gentlemen outside of class and always very approachable. His death is a great loss to the school and to future students. Condolences.
Eric Berger
L '90
"If you go to 14th and K at lunchtime and throw out a big net, almost every person you catch will be a lawyer; and if you ask them what case they remember most from law school, almost every one will say Hadley v. Baxendale"
And another favorite: 'Mortgagor rhymes with poor - you'll never confuse the two again." So true.
The best professor I ever had.
William L. Petros
L '83
I give you this one thought to keep.
I am with you still--do not weep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in the circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone--
I am with you still--in each new dawn.
Submitted in memoriam by Toni
Law Center Receptionist
I did not know Professor Goldberg personally or take any classes from him, but I certainly knew who he was during my years at Georgetown. With an undergraduate degree in the field, music was and is important to me. As a law student with little extra time and not much money, attending concerts was not something I was able to do often while studying law at Georgetown. The prospect of hearing Mstislav Rostropovich with his National Symphony Orchestra in a program of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto (as soloist) and Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony (as conductor), however, was something I could not pass up. During intermission, I was interested to see that Professor Goldberg was also at the concert. While I cherish memories of a great concert, I also appreciate the reminder from Professor Goldberg who, by his presence, taught that for lawyers, law students, and even law professors, there is more to life than the law.
James L. Wallmann
L '90
I had Professor Goldberg for Contracts in my first year. He was a wonderful teacher and was always approachable and sympathetic. His gently Socratic approach led us not just to the “right answer” but equipped us to think like lawyers. He was a brilliant man and yet was patient and humble. I remember on one occasion a classmate was nervously stumbling through an analysis of a case, with support and prompting from Prof. Goldberg, and in a rush she blurted out her choice between two possible outcomes. Rather than scornfully correcting her, he paused, smiled gently, and said “on the other hand….” (with sort of a Jack Benny head cocked to one side and finger on his chin). He was always self deprecating (describing how he woke up in a cold sweat at night in law school with the realization that he had screwed up the Statute of Frauds on an exam), lucid and enthusiastic.
My deepest condolences to his family.
Henry Thompson
L '89
I started at Georgetown Law School the same year Prof. Goldberg did.
Never knew him; never knew of him. Reading and skimming the comments
of law students and his law faculty colleagues, it's evident he was a special
person; a remarkable law professor; and a person for whom the yiddish
term "mensch" was created to describe. We were privileged to have him at the law school; blessed to have
him on this earth for the time we did. God bless his memory and his family.
Jonathan A. Wells
L '80
I will always remember Professor Goldberg as one of my favorite teachers at Georgetown. His Con Law classes were a joy, something to which I truly looked forward.
To his family and colleagues, I send my very best wishes during this difficult time.
Richard Blank
L '87
I was Professor Goldberg's Research Assistant during the summer of 1997 and during my second year of law school in 1997-98. I remember one of the first things he told me during my interview was: "All of my research assistants get married, move to the suburbs, and have kids." I told him I was all in favor of that (except for the suburb part). Like a hopeful parent, he was convinced I was going to find the man of my dreams during my summer associate summer (which I did not). After I graduated and moved back to Minneapolis, I'd stop by and see him from time to time when I was in town conducting interviews and he'd always inquire hopefully: "Are you seeing someone?" Just a few months ago, I had the pleasure of e-mailing him to tell him that I had finally gotten married, moved within a block of the suburbs, and hoped to have kids soon. He immediately wrote back with an update on his family and pictures of his beautiful grandchildren. Professor Goldberg was a brilliant man, a phenomenal professor, a wonderful mentor, but his legacy for me will always be about what a dedicated family man he was. His example was perhaps one of the best lessons I took from my time at Georgetown. To his family, my thoughts and prayers are with you. But I hope you can take comfort in how much he loved you and centered his life around you.
Anne Lockner Bernat
L '99
On our last day of L1 Contracts in 1983, Prof. Goldberg told us a story. He spoke to us about a young man who worked worked worked all the time because he had to be a straight A student, because he had to get into an Ivy League college. When he got into the Ivy League college, he worked worked worked all the time because he had to gradute summa cum laude to ensure admission to a top law school. When he got into the top law school, he worked worked worked to ensure that he was recruited by the right firms. When he became a new associate at a silk stocking law firm, he worked worked worked because he had to make partner in 7 years. When he made partner, he worked worked worked because he had to have a big house, then had to pay for children’s tuitions, then had to get a great car, then and then and then.
Professor Goldberg looked at us, and said, “and then one day, the man died.”
And we all cracked up.
Professor Goldberg was a very funny storyteller; it was part of the magic of his teaching. But over the years, his story stuck with me. Hearing of his death, and reading the descriptions of his rich life filled with loving family and friends, Professor Goldberg’s final lesson, once again, hits home.
Godspeed, Professor. And thank you.
Loretta Sheehan
L '85
I had the great privilege, together with my classmates in Section 1, of having had Contracts with Professor Goldberg during our first year. Without intending any disrespect to the many fine professors I had at Georgetown, I can honestly say that Professor Goldberg was the finest law professor I ever had. I can still recall many of his advices, teachings and sayings, all of which continue to be valuable to me more than 25 years later. His class was always educational and interesting, with a good bit of humor thrown in. I remember being quite pleased and honored that he was the professor who handed me my diploma and shook my hand when I graduated. My condolences to his family.
José F. Valdivia, III
L '84
Professor Goldberg taught Con Law to Section 1 of the class of '89. What a wonderful scholar, teacher, lawyer, man! On the last day of class, when he was presented with a T-shirt reading "Nobody does it Better," he donned it, then slyly looked at the lecture hall, saying, "my wife may disagree with you, but..." Is there a person who ever met him who didn't love him, respect him, and feel gratitude that our paths had crossed? Georgetown cannot be the same from here on.
Maureen McCloskey
L '89
I am deeply saddened by this unexpected news. Professor Goldberg was an extraordinary teacher, mentor, and person. When I took his Jurisprudence course last spring, he encouraged us to come and speak with him outside of class, and told us that he loves to counsel students and help them to find their way through life. I took him up on his offer, and I am so grateful that I did. His advice always contained a rare combination of challenge and encouragement, wisdom and kindness. Even after I graduated, I arranged to meet up with him again, because I looked forward to many more years of mentorship and friendship. That meeting was mere months ago, and he was as lively and full of joie de vivre as I had always known him to be. He was well-loved by everyone I knew, and he will be deeply missed.
Justin Murray
L '10
Steve's first year on the faculty coincided with my first year of law school. He was assigned as the faculty member to oversee my legal writing seminar, ostensibly run by an upper class student. Steve took on this task with his usual unbridled enthusiasm. Our first assignment was a three page memorandum. For some reason (probably because I couldn't manipulate the formatting proficiently), my zippy conclusion ran three or four lines onto a fourth page. The first three pages were filled with constructive criticism in Steve's red pen. The verbiage on the fourth page was crossed out, with the following marginal comment: "I didn't read this. Lawyers must often conform to page limits." I never exceeded a page (or word) limit again. It was an invaluable lesson, and helped make me a better writer and a better lawyer.
Jeffrey B. Cohen
L '80
Professor Goldberg was one of the few lawyers that spoke my language. Having a scientific and research background, I wanted to add law to my professional skill set to prepare me for doing international development work in the natural resources field. I knew from the very beginning of my law school experience that law and science were uneasy bedfellows, in large part because so many in law avoided math and science at all costs. Professor Goldberg understood this and didn’t treat science as a mere fact pattern to be dealt with by the legal hierarchy. He was interested in the profound ways that the great intellectual traditions of law and the sciences intersected and interacted. He was similarly interested in law and religion. I was blessed to take his “Law and Science” seminar early in my law school career, between 1st and 2nd years as a visiting student, so great was my interest in the subject. I have never encountered anyone with as keen a perception of the subject even though I practiced as a “science lawyer” in a large firm and now internationally as a “technical legal advisor” blending the two. I am deeply saddened at his passing as we have lost an erudite and gifted intellectual much needed today in a world that has trouble comprehending the roles and relevance of “Law and Science” in our society.
Jennifer Cook Clark
LL.M. '91
Professor Goldberg gave me the best piece of advice I ever received in law school; to get the most from your law school education, don't pick the classes you think you should take, instead take the classes you are most interested in, or any class from a professor you enjoy. I followed his advice, taking 4 classes from him in my time at Georgetown Law. I have passed his advice on to everyone I subsequently met who was attending or thinking of attending law school. He was an inspiring teacher. The combination of his boundless enthusiasm for the subjects he taught and the great compassion for his students made him unique. I was shocked and saddened by his loss. The legal community and Georgetown are diminished by his passing.
Rachel Jacobson Brunfon
L '96, LL.M. '04
Professor Goldberg’s passing exemplifies his own definition of an “act of God:” that which a reasonable God would never do. This gentle irony was typical of his teaching and one of a thousand reasons why being his student was the privilege of a lifetime. When I had the good fortune to begin teaching law some twenty years ago, he was among the first with whom I needed to share the news. He rejoiced with me and was, as ever, generous with his encouragement and good advice. Having secured his blessing, I proceeded to try to steal everything else I possibly could from him. I stole his jokes. I stole his phrasings of sensitive issues. I stole his classroom gestures as treasured rituals. I tried to steal his timing and cadences, but they were inimitable. His genuine warmth could not be counterfeited. His genius could not be touched, let alone stolen, though he tried mightily to give it away. What I was able to take was the sense of high privilege of picking up Steve Goldberg’s chalk every time I enter a classroom. It is unbelievable that he was stolen away, but I choose to believe that if there are Chambers on High, the new clerk could bring some reason to the acts of God.
Donald Kazee
L '81
Professor Goldberg taught me contracts in 1982. His clarity of mind, humor and concern for his students left a permanent engraving in my heart. His voice still echoes in my mind with his methodology and knowledge. May his memory be honored and his spirit be eternally blessed.
Bahieldin HZ Elibrachy
LL.M. '82, L '85
I was a 1L in Professor Goldberg's Constitutional Law class in 1992. He was a fantastic teacher. Obviously brilliant, clearly thoughtful, and genuinely interested in his students. Without exception beloved by our entire section. He delighted in enlightening us, rather than merely impressing - but he did that, too. We had some distinct characters teaching us, including Bill Greenhalgh, Sy Wasserstrom, Sherwin Cohn and Ginger Patterson. Each of them had their fans. But all of us were fans of Professor Goldberg. He was, in a word, beloved. May he rest in peace.
Fernando Laguarda
L '94
Professor Goldberg was a great educator and brought to it a sense of humor particularly helpful to first year law students. After first year he asked me to be a research assistant for him that summer. Other plans made this impossible and I’ve always regretted it. His door was always open even long after I graduated in ’89. A year or two ago we exchanged emails over his book “Bleached Faith” and as always he was engaging, kind and supportive of my career endeavors. I was working on a brief when the email came over the transom of his memorial service and it so shocked me I felt it had to be another Steve Goldberg and quickly dropped what I was doing to go to the GULC site. The sadness at this loss for me is magnified by the understanding it is the barest whisper of what his family must feel and my prayers and those of my family will be with them.
John J. Vecchione
L '89
I was so sad to read the news about Steve. I had not stayed in close touch
but I think I saw him at some of our class of '73 Yale Law school reunions.
The memory I will always have about Steve is that he was one of the judges
for my semi-final moot court competition. I had been assigned to argue the
case against mandatory pregnancy leaves for teachers. I started in on my
argument and Steve interrupted to ask me a question. The question was so
convoluted that it completely threw me for a loop. I had to ask him to
explain the meaning of his question to me, which he kindly did. Luckily I
was able to answer it the second time through, but it left me with the
lasting impression that here was a guy who was incredibly brighter than I
was. When I read his obituary I realized that he had proved me right with
his very successful legal career. I'm just sorry we lost him at such a young
age.
Kathy Mikkelson
Yale Law School Classmate
Professor Goldberg was my favorite first year professor. Not only did he care deeply about his students and student learning but he was able to make complex and unexciting topics understandable and accessible. To this day – 23 years later – I cannot think of the UCC without picturing one Barbie being pulled out of a big box of Barbies or of unilateral contracts without thinking of late night ads for Diana Ross (“Stop in the Name of Love”) albums. And, believe it or not, he made first year of law school (or at least Contracts class) fun – my most vivid memory of him was when he was standing in front of the class on St. Patrick’s Day, telling us that his name was really O’Goldberg and tossing green bagels out to the students.
Mimi Samuel
L '90
I am saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Steven Goldberg. He was one of my favorite professors at GULC. I am so grateful that he freely and gladly shared his enthusiasm for that wonderful (and non-empty) intersection of law, science, and religion. My thoughts and prayers go out to his well-loved and loving family and all his many friends who were richly blessed by having the chance to get to know him.
Randall C. Furlong
L '95
I was really saddened to hear of Professor Goldberg's passing. He taught us Constitutional Law but, as my classmates Peter and Eric note, he helped shape us in so many ways to value our lives outside the classroom as well. His brilliance simply shone through. What a great loss for the Georgetown community, and what a reminder for us to cherish the time we have together.
Sherille Ismail
L '81
Back in May 2010 Professor Goldberg joined us on the TV program Global Faith and Freedom. We discussed themes that arose out of his book "Bleached Faith." It was a great opportunity to discuss his book and his ideas. Professor Goldberg was very convincing in his articulate presentation and calm demeanor. It was obvious that he enjoyed the subject matter. We recorded three one half hour shows. Tragic is the loss of such a bright mind - and obviously a very caring person. It was our privilege to have had him on our show.
Barry W. Bussey
Producer, HopeTV
Professor Goldberg was a wonderful professor and his Contracts class truly helped me to believe that law was the career I wanted to pursue. I am happy that I had the honor and was fortunate enough to be one of his students. His clear teachings helped me with my bar review and still helps me in my current practice. I wish his family peace at this time, and may his soul rest in peace.
Pamela Okehie
L '09
Law professors often cite the challenges of being a visiting professor. You don’t know many people, or all that’s going on, or how to find it, or even what precisely is expected of you. All who have ever had those complaints should have been lucky enough to have Professor Steven Goldberg among their hosts. In the Spring of 2009, when I had the pleasure of being at Georgetown, I could not have asked for a more gracious and generous colleague. Unfailing curious about what I was working on, what I thought about issue A, B, or C, and the like, he was equally ready with answers to my many questions, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Sitting in his office – whether to discuss a question concerning my students, or to follow-up on a colloquy at a workshop – I could not have felt more at home.
Thanks to Professor Goldberg, I hardly knew I was a visitor. I will always remember him for that generous service.
My deepest condolences to his both his immediate and his extended Georgetown family.
Professor Bobby Ahdieh
Emory Law School
Steve Goldberg will be remembered for many, many contributions -- as all the many other warm tributes note. For me, I am particularly thankful for his friendship, for his interest in--even passion for--my husband and our children, and for his support for me when I first arrived at GULC. I moved into the B-1 corridor in the early 1980s, terrified about my new upcoming venture as a law professor. Steve invited me to attend his Constitutional Law classes and I did so religiously -not even once did I skip class. His classroom performance was stellar and worth emulating. Even today, twenty-plus years later, as I teach I can feel the influence of his class lessons.
We all are the incredibly fortunate beneficiaries of his years with us -- and all the losers from his sudden, untimely death. For me personally, I want to say: "Thank you, Steve, for getting me through those first, difficult challenging years and for sharing with me the succeeding, wonderfully rewarding next few decades. My only regret -- and it is a big one-- is that we cannot share more time together. Your absence is such a loss because your presence was such a gift."
Missy, I hope that you and your family find solace in the great legacy that Steve left to all of us.
Professor Sue Bloch
Georgetown Law
How sad I was to learn of Professor Goldberg's passing. My sympathy is with you on the loss of this great scholar, teacher and no doubt, husband & father.
The Dean's email coincidentally arrived on a day I was thinking of him, over 20 years after being a 1L in his Constitutional Law class. Professor Goldberg's ConLaw I class was always a port-in-the storm for me -- no "rock-star" as a law student. Where most professors (to me, at least), clouded issues and points of law to sharpen our thinking, Professor Goldberg was always clear, concise and an impeccable gentleman, no matter how badly a student would crash & burn. I can visualize him now, gliding from end to end of the classroom platform, making the most complex cases, sound simple and the nuances of the law, seem easy.
Earlier in the day that I learned Professor Goldberg had passed, I had an interview for a high-level position, and I thought of what he said in my last class before 1L exams began. After months of being stressed out about grades, he said, with his usual serenity, "...don't sweat your upcoming exams or your grades." The class chuckled in disbelief. That was easy for him to say, as a Harvard & Yale grad with a US Supreme Court clerkship behind him.
"Honestly," he said, "You're not going to go to an interview years from now and be asked, 'what did you get in ConLaw I?' and your answer will make a difference in getting the job. Grades don't matter, but there are a lot more important things in life that do."
He was right on so many levels. Over twenty years later, I don't remember much about Marbury v. Madison but I do remember his wisdom conveyed in that statement, his kindness, his intellect and his utmost patience with students. I was fortunate to be one of his; and I will strive to honor Professor Goldberg's memory by emulating his scholarship and decency in all that I do.
Lydia R. Wilson
L '89
I was deeply saddened to learn of Steve Goldberg’s death from Jim Feinermann.
To be honest, the news stopped me in my tracks, as I can recall few professional colleagues whose life and energy were so positive, warm, and engaging that they truly permeated a workplace. I am sure his absence will be long felt in the Law Center community.
I recall Steve from my days as a student at the Law Center when he taught Con Law and later served on a faculty advisory committee for a project on which I worked as a research assistant to Tom Krattenmaker, who was beginning his service as dean of the graduate program. In his role on the advisory committee, Steve was incisive in sharing critical views about the future of the LLM program, but always kind in providing his guidance to the project.
Most recently, I had the privilege of working as Steve’s colleague during my tenure at the O’Neill Institute. I was struck, and truly touched, by the number of occasions that Steve went out of his way to offer me constructive advice and thoughtful guidance on numerous issues with the same gracious style and genuine personal interest. Steve had clearly established himself – for all the right reasons – as a person of integrity and conviction who served as a confidant and advisor to so many people in the Law Center community.
I recognize that Steve left his mark in scholarship, the classroom, and public service, and I thank you for the privilege of sharing some reflections on someone who conducted himself in such a honorable and remarkable way and who touched so many lives in a positive manner.
John T. Monahan
L '87
I am so sad to hear the news of Professor Goldberg's death. He was one of my favorite teachers. He taught me Constitutional law. He was so fun in his delivery of stories to help us learn (I remember many would have an Irish theme), and so good at helping us learn the subject and also love the subject. His clear, concise and FUN presentation made class enjoyable. When I returned to the law school on occasion, I was always happy to run into Professor Goldberg. What a treasure he was to Georgetown! And, what talent. I will miss him.
Pamela B. Fairchild
L '88
Professor Goldberg taught me Administrative Law. Although he was relatively new to the profession at the time, he seemed like a seasoned veteran. He loved the law, and he always had a twinkle in his eye. He was, simply, the best.
Tim Dowling
L '82
Professor Goldberg was the finest teacher I ever had. I was privileged to be not only his student, but also his research assistant. The world is a poorer place.
David Novak
L '85
I remain deeply saddened to have learned of Professor Goldberg's passing.
As others did, I took every course Professor Goldberg taught that fit into
my schedule. Put simply: I enjoyed learning from him -- as much or more
than any other teacher, professor or cleric I've ever encountered. In the
years following law school, we maintained a sporadic correspondence -- one I
particularly enjoyed. I will especially miss exchanging holiday greetings.
Professor Goldberg's spirit will remain vibrantly alive in the legacy of
generations of lawyers, whose skills are forever enhanced by having been
taught by him -- the intellectual rigor he practiced by example and which
so many of us have sought (too often in vain) to emulate. Indeed, it is
hardly exaggeration to say that I rarely draft or edit a document without
consciously aspiring to capture his powerful rhetorical efficiency.
Inevitably I fail, but that pursuit -- that benchmark -- has undeniably
made me a better lawyer and writer.
I will forever be indebted to Professor Goldberg. I am confident he is now
mastering all of the cosmic mysteries that captured his intellectual
curiosity in life, and is waiting to explain them to us when we join him in
the the next. I look forward to that tutorial.
Gregory M. McLaughlin
L '02
What a tremendous loss of a fine man. Professor Goldberg taught Section 4 Constitutional Law. While we were all too intimidated to miss Professor Greenhalgh’s Criminal Procedure classes even though you might be challenged to recite the number of blocks on Leavenworth Street in Wong Sun, we were all too eager to attend Professor Goldberg’s lectures, which were always captivating.
On the last day of the course he discussed the endless options that lay before us as attorneys-to-be, and he challenged each of us to follow our passions rather than high salaries, noting that while we could all work tremendously hard in a law firm to make lots of money, but to what end, he asked—so we could enjoy our heart attack? Cruel fate that he should succumb to such an attack and be taken from his family, his colleagues, and his students after following his passion for teaching. But this we know—he thoroughly relished what truly mattered every day of his life, and everyone who had the privilege to know him is better for it.
At the conclusion of this last lecture, our section erupted into a spontaneous standing ovation. I suspect we were just one of many such classes in several decades that were inspired by such a magnificent professor.
Kelly G. LaPorte
L '94
I was saddened and shocked to read the news of Professor Goldberg's passing. I first met Steve Goldberg when, as a 2L, I became a Law Fellow teaching the legal research and writing seminar and Steve was the faculty member assigned to my section. What a fortunate happenstance. Not only was he warm and approachable, he was a genuinely interested and proactive advisor. Steve Goldberg was my professor of choice for administrative law, and I also enrolled in his law and science course. Many here have written of his enthusiastic and masterful teaching. He was, indeed, the very best. Finally, I owe my career as an energy lawyer to Steve. As a 3L, I struggled with career options. Most of my friends were entering "Big Law" and, at the time, I did not feel ready to make that leap. Steve was, again, caring and proactive. He reached out to me, and arranged an interview for a clerkship with his alma mater, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That was the beginning. Steve Goldberg made a difference in the lives of many, many Georgetown Law students. He was a wonderful human being. My deepest sympathies to his family.
Zori G. Ferkin
L '81
I met Steve Goldberg in a fairly improbable way: I had cited an article of his, and then read Bleached Faith & I was going to be in D.C. for a conference, so I “cold-called” him by email, introducing myself, and asking if he had any time to meet. He could not have been more welcoming. As I set off for his office, I had second thoughts about being so bold – I was teaching legal writing, at a less prestigious school, and we had no connections other than my citation.
No one will be surprised to hear that we talked, rapid-fire, for an hour and a half. For me, it was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with anyone on law and religion (and it’s been an exciting year). Having Steve Goldberg take my work and my ideas so seriously, and so enthusiastically, was an enormous step forward for me as a scholar. We enjoyed a nice email friendship and when I finished my very long article on the Establishment Clause impact of Pleasant Grove v. Summum, Steve was the first person I sent it to, and the first to respond with his thoughts and encouragement: he got back to me the same weekend I sent it. Again, his words made all the difference, giving me the confidence to reach out to others of his stature.
I considered him a mentor and friend, despite the short time I knew him and our distant connection. I am so sorry I didn’t know the time was short. My heart grieves for his family and many close friends. Feeling grateful for my brief opportunity to know him, and the inspiration and warmth he shared.
-Professor Mary Jean Dolan
The John Marshall Law School
