Farewell to the Great Liberal Lion

Stephen Reinhardt, one of the most influential federal judges of the past half century, died suddenly yesterday. Here’s the news from the L.A. Times.

We called him the liberal lion if we liked him and other names if we didn’t. He didn’t care. Like the late, great Harry Pregerson, he cared about which outcome was right or just, and if you read enough of his writings, you knew it. Asked if it bothered him to see the Supreme Court reverse his rulings, he said no. “If they want to take away rights, that’s their privilege. But I’m not going to help them do it.”

His colleagues called him “deeply principled, fiercely passionate about the law and fearless in his decisions. He will be remembered as one of the giants of the federal bench.”

And you can read more tributes and remembrances here, here, and here.

According to the Times, his family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations in his memory be made to the American Civil Liberties Union.