Prof. Edward Halbach, Jr., a Trusts & Estates legend, dies
Here is an excerpt from the announcement distributed by Berkeley Law’s Interim Dean Melissa Murray:
Ed came to UC Berkeley law school as a visiting Associate Professor in 1959, was named full professor in 1962, and served as Dean from 1966-1975.
Born in Clinton, Iowa in 1931, Ed received his BA and JD from the University of Iowa, his LLM from Harvard, and later an honorary LL.D. from the University of Redlands. A prolific scholar of tax and trusts and estates, Ed changed American law with his scholarship. His volume on the Prudent Investor served as a model for statutes adopted throughout the U.S. With the ALI he has worked on the Restatements, and with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform Law he has helped write laws that were adopted across the United States. He started the California Indian Legal Services, which eventually became the Native American Rights Foundation. As a teacher, he was known for his clarity and humor.
Among his many accomplishments, Ed held the second Chair ever awarded by the American Law Institute, won the Treat Award for Excellence from Probate Judges and the Tweed Award from ALI/ABA, and received the University Citation for extraordinary service to Berkeley. In 2010 he was recognized with Berkeley Law’s Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award. On that occasion, he was described as a distinguished scholar, gifted teacher, influential lawyer, and – not least by any means – “a man of good will and charm.”
Named Dean of the law school in 1966 at the age of 34, Ed was not only the youngest law school dean in America, he also took the helm at a calamitous time in the United States and on campus. Facing intense student protests over the Vietnam War and other issues of the day, Ed relied on his bottomless store of goodwill and amazing calm to lead the law school at this incredibly difficult time. Bob Berring, who graduated in 1974, credits Ed with keeping the school together during these calamitous times “Even in the most tumultuous days, Dean Halbach’s basic decency and frankness prevailed. He will always be my ideal of a dean who was a gifted scholar, deft administrator and kind human being.” He combined a self-deprecating sense of humor with extraordinary analytical abilities. As importantly, he treated the faculty and the students like family. According to Bob, “Ed and his wife Jan welcomed even the bearded scruffies of the class of ’74 into their home. He made us all feel like we were part of something bigger.”
Ed is survived by his wife Jan, their five children, and their many grandchildren.