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A celebration of life honoring Professor Emerita Eleanor DeArman Kinney took place at the law school on Friday, August 23.

Friends and family gathered in the Ruth Lilly Law Library Reading Room at Inlow Hall to share memories of Professor Kinney, who passed away on November 16, 2018 at the age of 71.

Professor Kinney joined the law school in 1984 and in 1986 founded the school’s internationally recognized Center for Law and Health (later named the William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health). One of the country’s leading experts in health law, Professor Kinney was a widely published author and respected lecturer on the subjects of America’s health care system, medical malpractice and health coverage for the poor.

IU McKinney Dean Andrew R. Klein provided a greeting and introduction of family members present, recalling that Professor Kinney “livened every room into which she stepped.”

Nicolas Terry, Hall Render Professor of Law and Executive Director of the Hall Center for Law and Health at IU McKinney, praised her work in founding the Hall Center, the “extraordinary” scholarship she produced even after her official retirement from the law school, and her impact on students. “She had tremendous regard for her students, and was held by her students in the highest regard,” Professor Terry said.

William H. Thompson, ’87, chairman, Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman, was one of those students, noting that he, along with at least two generations of health law lawyers benefited from Professor Kinney’s mentorship. Professor Kinney, he said, “really believed in, and advocated for, quality health care as a human right.”

Another former student, Heather Walter-McCabe, ’03, Associate Professor, IU School of Social Work, and Assistant Professor of Social Work and Law at IU McKinney, remembered how important family was to Professor Kinney, and thanked her family for “sharing her with us all these years.”

Brian Clark, ’02, (left) was also a student of Professor Kinney, but, as her stepson, he represented Professor Kinney’s family when he spoke about her dedication to the law, as well as her personal charm and ability to build lasting relationships. He urged those present to work toward Professor Kinney’s goals to “tame the institutions of government” to benefit people.

“That will be her legacy,” he said.