In Memoriam: Francis McGovern

Francis E. McGovern of Duke University School of Law, passed away on Feb. 15 at the age of 75.

Professor McGovern was a well-known and immensely respected practitioner, scholar, and teacher in the fields of alternative dispute resolution, products liability, and complex litigation.

An ALI member for over 35 years, he was regularly involved with the Institute, recently serving on the Members Consultative Group for Restatement of the Law, The Law of American Indians project until his death.

In addition his role at Duke Law, Professor McGovern practiced law with the firm of Vinson & Elkins, taught at many major law schools, and pioneered the use of innovative dispute resolution approaches as a special master, mediator, neutral, and arbitrator in over one hundred complex cases. He also served as a neutral consultant to the United Nations Compensation Commission established after the first Iraqi war, designing the dispute resolution process for over 2.5 million claims involving over $25 billion in compensation.

Professor McGovern was the author of two books and over seventy five law review articles. He was the recipient of several honorary degrees from universities and awards from the Academy Court Appointed Masters, the American College of Civil Trial Mediators, and CPR.

His loss is felt deeply by friends, family, colleagues, and the legal community at large. He will be remembered for his invaluable contributions to tort litigation, his commitment to education, and his good nature.

Read an in rememberance piece from Duke Law here.