Category: Baltimore Briefs 2025

Laurence “Larry” Katz, retired dean of The University of Baltimore School of Law and a highly respected member of both the Baltimore legal profession and the city’s Jewish community, passed away on July 21, 2025. Katz served as dean of the law school from 1978 to 1993.

Here are excerpts from a July 22 email to the UBalt community from UBalt President Kurt L. Schmoke.

While it’s true that every faculty member and administrator leaves a legacy at their institution, for Katz that ability crossed many boundaries, both inside the law school and far beyond.

I agree with Prof. Walter Schwidetzky, who says, “It would be hard to overstate Dean Katz’s value to the law school. He laid the foundation for the school we have today.”

As Walter and others have noted, achievements like the school’s admission to the American Association of Law Schools marked an evolution in both the scholarly capabilities and the academic reputation of the school. UBalt became a regional powerhouse for legal education during Larry’s deanship.

I can vouch for the many assessments of Larry’s impact that are making their way around town today. As the city’s mayor during a portion of Larry’s time as dean, I found him to be a true believer in UBalt’s mission, and a great partner and confidant in my job in politics. I would characterize my relationship with him in the same way others have, both then and now: Larry’s advice was the same as Larry’s support. There was no dividing line between his wise counsel and his utter belief in his friends, family, colleagues and students. In its own way, this is profoundly meaningful.

As Prof. Robert Rubinson put it, “Larry was incredibly warm, supportive, and kind. He exuded decency. We all benefit every day from what he accomplished here, but his greatest accomplishment was the generosity with which he lived his life.”

After Katz stepped down as dean, he returned to the faculty to teach business law, corporate and securities regulation, commercial transactions, and more. I have no doubt that what he gave to his students, and his colleagues as well, will continue to live with them for many years to come, in both how the law works, and how life does as well.

To be sure, the UBalt community will miss Larry Katz. But we find comfort in knowing that we knew him, and he knew us, too.

A number of current and former UBalt School of Law faculty have also written tributes to Dean Katz:

Prof. Emeritus Robert Lande: “Larry was the law school dean when UB hired me. In July 1987, while I was preparing my first courses, Judge Bork was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bork and his supporters said he should be confirmed because, unlike many other justices, he was a “strict constructionist” who would simply interpret statutes the way Congress intended, and not legislate. But I had done extensive research on Judge Bork’s antitrust scholarship, and my research demonstrated the opposite. I could show that Bork completely disregarded the intent of Congress in order to promote his own ideology.

“I decided to publish an article in a legal magazine, and submit it to the relevant Congressional Committee, demonstrating that Bork was an “unprincipled hypocrite” who didn’t care what Congress intended. He was actually the opposite of a strict constructionist.

“The only problem with my plan was that Dean Katz was a strong Bork supporter. And I was just a brand new professor who had never taught even one class.

“With trepidation I sent Dean Katz a copy of my article, which was published a month before the vote on Bork. Dean Katz asked me to come to his office. I arrived shaking. He told me it was wonderful that I had published my article, how this was exactly the type of thing faculty should be doing, how this made UB look good, and how even though he was a Bork supporter, he was really happy that I had published it.

“I came away from that meeting both relieved, and also delighted that Dean Katz truly believed in academic freedom. I knew then that I was incredibly lucky to be working at UB.”

Prof. Fred Brown: “I joined the faculty during the tail end of Larry’s deanship. I know that he turned the faculty from purely a teaching faculty to one that also focused on

scholarship, but this big transformation occurred a few years before I arrived. What stands out for me about Larry was his caring attitude and kindness.

“During my first year at UBalt, Larry observed one of my classes. It was a three-hour class, and he was only going to stay for the first half. But during the first part of class, I got bogged down with a student’s question, and I didn’t think it went well. Larry actually stayed for the whole class, and afterwards I assumed he did so because the class didn’t go that well. So I was pretty upset after the class.

“The next day we spoke, and afterwards, I felt so much better. I can’t remember exactly what he said, but it was something like it was no big deal that it wasn’t a perfect class, and that everyone, including himself, can always improve on their teaching. He was so soothing and kind, and this meant a lot to me, who at that time was a quite young faculty member.

“About a year later, UBalt was facing a financial crisis, and it was seriously considering implementing its retrenchment plan, under which the last ones hired would be the first to go. For the law school, that was me. I recall discussing this with him on a Thursday or Friday. Needless to say, this was very concerning to me. That Sunday, Larry called me at home to tell me that retrenchment was off the table, and that I could rest easy. He could have easily just waited until business hours on Monday to tell me the news, but Larry wanted me to know as soon as possible. By the way, there was no email back then.

“That was Larry. He was a towering figure in the Baltimore legal community, but he always remained so kind and considerate. Truly a great human being.”

Prof. Michael Hayes: “Shortly after I arrived at UB Law in 1998, a different giant of the school—the late Byron Warnken— told me that when Larry Katz became dean, The Baltimore Sun reported it with the words, “With someone of his stature there, we will have to begin taking U of Balt Law School more seriously.”

“I echo what all my colleagues have said: Larry Katz was one of the most impressive persons I’ve ever known—wise, kind, and generous. I’ll never forget at the shiva for his son Danny how Larry was so gracious and attentive to every guest—from Maryland political leaders to current students. All when his heart must have been breaking.”