Professor Frederick Schauer, a thoughtful legal philosopher and long-time member of IVR died on September 1. He was a frequent participant in and speaker at IVR World Congresses and a mentor to young scholars of many nations.
Schauer was the David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia, and had taught at West Virginia University, William and Mary Law School, the University of Michigan, Harvard University, and as a visitor and occasional lecturer all over the world.
In his very productive career as a scholar Schauer wrote on many aspects of law and legal theory, notably on the freedom of speech and evidence, including most recently The Oxford Handbook of the Freedom of Speech (2021), in which he was once again a convenor and eager facilitator in advancing the scholarship of others. He was an editor of the Springer book series, the Law and Philosophy Library, which has a long and fruitful cooperation with IVR, and a founding editor of the journal Legal Theory.
Schauer’s involvement in IVR reflected his interest in legal comparisons as a source of theoretical insight and source of inspiration for critique and improvement, particularly of U.S. legal institutions, with which he was so familiar. His book on The Force of Law (2015) became the vehicle for many happily remembered lecture visits to the global network of colleagues and universities who used and frequently cited his many publications.
Frederick Schauer exemplified the scholarship, reflection, and global cooperation so central to the mission of the IVR. He will be missed by all who study or value the philosophy of law and social philosophy.
Mortimer Sellers
