Professor Emeritus Dan Givelber Has Died
06.25.23 — Professor Emeritus Daniel Givelber, known as “Dean Dan” to the Northeastern Law community has died. Professor Givelber retired in 2014 from the law school after 45 years on the faculty. He served as dean of the law school from 1984 until 1993, and was interim dean during the 1998-1999 academic year.
“Dan Givelber was at the heart of what we do today, and the power of what our community of students, graduates, faculty and staff are able to accomplish in making the world a better place, was built on a foundation that Dan helped lay brick by brick,” said Dean James Hackney. “He was one of our school’s greatest strategists, torchbearers and leaders. As dean, his brilliance and good humor advanced our law school and, through his support, our community was, as Dan would say with a shake of his head and hand gestures that defied gravity, ‘this special place.’”
Professor Givelber taught and published primarily in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence and torts. He was a national leader in advocating against the death penalty; he directed Northeastern Law’s Certiorari Clinic and was a founding member of the board of the New England Innocence Project. Prior to joining the law school faculty, he served as an assistant US attorney for the District of Columbia and as a civil litigator with a large New York law firm.
In honor of Professor Givelber’s outstanding contributions to the School of Law, the Givelber Distinguished Lecturer Program was created at the time of his retirement. The program brings distinguished public service practitioners to the school as visiting faculty so they may share with students and faculty the challenges and satisfactions of public service practice.
A celebration of Dan’s life will be held at the law school on November 8, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
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For those who wish to make donations in Dan’s memory, the family requests that you direct your generosity to the Givelber-Subrin Public Interest Co-op Fund.
About Northeastern University School of Law
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu.