Ronald B Lansing

January 28, 1932 to May 28, 2021

Lawyer, professor, author, dedicated public servant, creative soul, and family man Ronald B. Lansing passed away May 28, 2021. He was 89 years old.

Professor Lansing had been teaching at Lewis & Clark Law School since 1967 and was one of the first five full-time members of the faculty. Professor Lansing was pivotal in helping the law school gain accreditation from the American Association of Law Schools and the American Bar Association.

“Ron’s dedication to the law school, to fellow faculty and to his students is legendary,” said Dean Jennifer Johnson. “He helped the school become the nationally renowned institution it is today.”

Professor Lansing has chaired the Torts Section of the Association of American Law Schools, a faculty member of the American Academy of Judicial Education, and Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Special Committee on Law School Faculty Liaison. As a member of the Portland City Club’s Research Board, he sat on several controversial studies.

Along teaching torts and evidence to thousands of Oregon’s lawyers, Professor Lansing published numerous books, including Skylarks & Lecterns: A Law School Charter; Juggernaut: The Whitman Massacre Trial 1850; Nimrod: Courts, Claims and Killing on the Oregon Frontier; and Crystalling the Legacy. Aside from his academic achievements and contributions to the legal field, Professor Lansing also leaves a humorous legacy –75 hand-drawn caricatures of Lewis & Clark faculty and staff members that line the halls of Lewis & Clark Law School’s Legal Research Center.

We will miss Ronald Lansing (husband/father/professor/friend) but will continue to celebrate and keep his spirit alive. Ron is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jewel Lansing (Portland), with whom he shared a deep commitment to public service; son, Mark Lansing (Grants Pass); daughter, Alyse Lansing Gass (and husband, Joe, Scappoose); daughter, Annette Lansing (Beaverton); five grandchildren, Tyler (Scappoose), Jade (Portugal), Emily (Portland), Matt (Indiana), and Shan (Portland); and his sister, Judy Lansing Hewitt (Bend).

The memorial service is open to all with RSVP and will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, at the Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore. There will be a celebration of life to follow. To RSVP and leave condolences, please go to go.lclark.edu/lansing

In lieu flowers, the family suggests that donations may be made “In Memory of Ron Lansing” to either: Lewis & Clark Law School at go.lclark.edu/give/law/now (or 10101 S. Terwilliger Blvd., Portland, OR 97219). Or, ACLU of Oregon ACLU of Oregon at www.aclu-or.org (or P.O. Box 40585, Portland, OR 97240-0585).