Louis H. Pollak, Generosity, and Subtlety: A Student's View

Abstract

Judge Pollak, Judge Louis H. Pollak . . . it fits. Lou was made to be a judge and all those who care about law and justice will benefit from his appointment. There are at least as many ways of describing the mix of qualities that make him suited for judicial office, as there are people writing for this issue. Some will point to those skills that were demonstrated in Lou Pollak as Dean, others in Lou Pollak as advocate. I would like to emphasize some of the traits that I appreciated in Lou as teacher and colleague. Specifically, I would focus on his generosity and on his subtlety of mind. Lou's generosity is true generosity . . . of spirit. It is the generosity of the ascetic who gives of himself, not of the bon vivant who gives the leavings of what he has in surfeit. It is the generosity of the teacher who respects—even too much—his students' ideas. It is, therefore, the generosity of the judge who will hear the needs and hopes of those before him, however preoccupied or busy he should, objectively speaking, be. There is an anecdote that Lou tells of himself . . . and me . . . that I would like to share with you, because it demonstrates that generosity of spirit.