Bill Text: VA SJR219 | 2022 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Paul Marcus.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2022-03-10 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ219ER) [SJR219 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2022-SJR219-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Paul Marcus, an esteemed legal expert and educator who has most recently served as the R. Hugh and Nolie Haynes Professor of Law at the William & Mary Law School, will retire in 2022; and
WHEREAS, early in his career, Paul Marcus worked briefly in private practice and clerked for a year before teaching at the University of Illinois and serving as dean of the University of Arizona College of Law; and
WHEREAS, Paul Marcus joined the faculty of the William & Mary Law School in 1992, serving as acting dean from 1993 to 1994 and 1997 to 1998, and has fostered a deeper sense of community at the university over the past three decades; and
WHEREAS, Paul Marcus contributed greatly to the success of his students both in and out of the classroom, mentoring many who have gone on to reach great heights in their legal careers as state and federal judges, attorneys, law professors, and administrators; and
WHEREAS, as testament to his impact at William & Mary, Paul Marcus has received numerous honors and accolades over the years, including the Thomas Jefferson Award, William & Mary's highest faculty honor, in 2022; the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia's Outstanding Faculty Award in 2010; and the Walter Williams, Jr., Memorial Teaching Award, which is selected by graduating William & Mary law students, three times; and
WHEREAS, Paul Marcus is an accomplished scholar of criminal law and criminal procedure, having authored or co-authored a dozen books in the fields, while lecturing on criminal law at schools across the United States and in over 20 countries; and
WHEREAS, as founder of the Literature and Law Program at the Central Virginia Regional Jail, Paul Marcus has supported many incarcerated individuals on their path to reformation and redemption; and
WHEREAS, Paul Marcus and his wife, Becca, established the Paul Marcus Public Interest Fellowship Endowment in 2013 to encourage graduating William & Mary law students to pursue careers in public service; and
WHEREAS, beyond his work at William & Mary, Paul Marcus has offered his expertise as an advisor or consultant to various federal and state entities in all branches of government and served a term as president of the Association of American Law Schools from 2017 to 2018; and
WHEREAS, in his retirement, Paul Marcus plans to develop his research in the areas of criminal conspiracy and access to justice, while enjoying more time to spend with his family and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Paul Marcus, the R. Hugh and Nolie Haynes Professor of Law at the William & Mary Law School, on the occasion of his retirement; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Paul Marcus as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his contributions to the William & Mary Law School and the Commonwealth and best wishes for a wonderful retirement.
