Edson Sunderland and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

Abstract

It was my privilege to be associated with Edson Sunderland for many years in a major endeavor for the improvement of law administration, namely, the framing of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. In this association I came to know what a rare spirit he was, how devoted to the public service he had undertaken, and yet withal how gay and charming a friend and co-worker he always showed himself. In the roster of American workers for better justice he stands preeminent for the length, the original character, and the unique persistence of his labors. But this wholehearted idealism in a particular area still left him occasion for public and community service of a high order, while he remains one of the great American law teachers of all time. For me it is a sacred duty to pay all the tribute of which I am capable to a memory so dear and so cherished.