Michael J. Gerhardt (North Carolina), Walter Dellinger: The Lawyer as Consummate Teacher, 102 N.C. L. Rev. 1403 (2024): 

In this short Essay, Professor Michael Gerhardt shares the ways in which Walter Dellinger was an exemplary teacher. As Professor Gerhardt explains through several interactions, Walter Dellinger’s humility, intellectual curiosity, and insights were inspiring and contagious.

Conclusion
A great teacher leaves a legacy in not only the knowledge they convey to their students but also in the enthusiasm for learning they inculcate in their students. To me, Walter always seemed like the proverbial kid in the candy store when it came to constitutional history—or any other subject in which he was deeply interested.

As the Symposium participants acknowledge, Walter was the consummate public servant, but he did not limit his public service to the federal government. He was a student and teacher of the law and enjoyed sharing his reverence for the law with everyone with whom he came into contact.

I was fortunate to be one of those people. His enthusiasm for the law, fearless intellectual curiosity, humor, thoughtful and provocative questions, and humility are enduringly inspiring. The inspiration Walter found in Lincoln’s career as a lawyer, the lessons he taught, and the example he set for those around him are Walter’s gift to current and future generations of American lawyers. I will miss him every day.

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