Papers of Richard B. Lillich

Richard B. Lillich, Howard W. Smith Professor of Law at the University of Virginia and Edward Ball Eminent Scholar Chair in International Law at the Florida State University College of Law, was born 22 January 1933 in Amherst, Ohio. He received his bachelor's degree from Oberlin College in 1954; his LL.B from Cornell Law School in 1957, with a specialization in International Affairs; and his LL.M and J.S.D from New York University School of Law in 1960, with a specialization in International Law.

Lillich was admitted to the New York Bar in 1957. He practiced private law until 1960, and then joined Syracuse University College of Law where he was a professor and director of International Legal Studies until 1969. He came to the University of Virginia that same year, and was named Howard W. Smith Professor in 1977. In 1994, he was named Visiting Edward Ball Eminent Scholar Chair in International Law at Florida State University College of Law. He held both of these positions until his death. In addition, he was a visiting professor or fellow at many prestigious institutions, including the United States Naval War College; the Centre for International Studies, Cambridge, England; New York University School of Law; All Souls College, Oxford, England; the Max-Planck Institute, Heidelberg, Germany; University of Georgia School of Law; and St. Louis University School of Law.

A prominent scholar of international law, Lillich published more than 30 books and scores of articles. He was a longtime, active leader in the American Society of International Law, and served for many years on the editorial board of the American Journal of International Law. He was President of Procedural Aspects of International Law Institute, a group of international law scholars and practitioners he helped establish in 1965. Other memberships include the American Law Institute, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, and the International Law Association. As an active lawyer preoccupied with human rights problems worldwide, he served on the advisory boards of a number of international groups focusing on these problems, including the International Human Rights Law Group, which he helped to found in 1978. His national service included consultation for the U. S. Naval War College and the Department of State in the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal.

Lillich died suddenly of a heart attack while working at his Albemarle County farm on August 3, 1996.