Metropolitan News-Enterprise

 

Friday, February 12, 2010

 

Page 3

 

Services Sunday for Loyola Law Professor David Leonard

 

By a MetNews Staff Writer

 

Services have been scheduled for Sunday for David P. Leonard, associate dean for research and longtime member of the faculty at Loyola Law School, who died Wednesday night at age 57.

He “was an immensely popular professor with students, faculty and staff alike,” the school said in announcing his passing.

Leonard joined the Loyola faculty in 1990 and was appointed associate dean in 2008. He was presented with the Excellence in Teaching Award by last year’s graduating class.

“Leonard served as a model of compassion and professionalism, and his efforts as associate dean for research helped raise Loyola’s scholarly profile,” the school said. “And he did all this with a constant smile as he battled cancer.”

“David was not only a colleague but also a dear friend,” Dean Victor Gold, who co-authored “Evidence: A Structured Approach” with Leonard, said. “He was kind, funny, compassionate and courageous. He loved teaching and was dedicated to his students. We have suffered a great loss.”

At Loyola, Leonard taught the advanced evidence seminar, evidence and torts, and wrote extensively.

His books include “The New Wigmore: A Treatise on Evidence,” “Evidence of Other Misconduct and Similar Events” and “Evidence Law: A Student’s Guide to the Law of Evidence as Applied in American Trials.” His law review articles appeared in the UC Davis Law Review, the North Carolina Law Review, the Southern California Law Review, the University of Colorado Law Review, the Hastings Law Journal and the Indiana Law Journal, among others, and he was vice chair of the Editorial Board of Criminal Justice magazine.

He chaired the Evidence section of the American Association of Law Schools in 1994.

Before joining the Loyola faculty, Leonard was a member of the faculty at the Indiana University School of Law and a lecturer-in-law at his alma mater, UCLA. Before joining UCLA in 1979, he practiced at Morrison & Foerster in Los Angeles.

Leonard received his bachelor’s degree with highest honors from UC San Diego.

 He is survived by his wife, Susan, and sons Adam and Matthew.

Sunday’s services will take place at Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 W. Centinela Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90045 at 11 a.m.

 

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