IN MEMORIAM


Kathryn Leaman ’07 passed away on January 14, 2024. Leaman began her professional career as an associate at Sidley Austin in Washington, DC. She was with Sidley for seven years and impressed everyone with her intelligence, hard work, and dedication. Throughout school and work she built a large network of friends and trusted colleagues and maintained many of these relationships even aſter she moved to Evanston, Illinois, in 2014 to work for Astellas Pharma. She started as an associate general counsel-regulatory affairs before she was promoted to executive director of the Legal Regulatory group. She was a giſted attorney and well- respected amongst her peers for her attention to detail and no-nonsense attitude. Leaman amazed and inspired all with her positive attitude, determination, and fight. — A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors


Judge Frank Quill Nebeker ’55 passed away on January 4, 2024. Nebeker was a long-time federal judge and legal pioneer who launched a landmark appeals court case for US veterans; a loving friend, father, grandfather, and great- grandfather known for his quick wit and rousing dinner table conversation. He died peacefully at the age of 93. He was first appointed as associate judge of the DC Court of Appeals by President Nixon and aſter serving as director of the US Office of Government Ethics under President Reagan, Judge Nebeker was appointed by President George H.W. Bush as chief judge of the newly created US Court of Veterans Appeals. Judge Nebeker retired from the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in 2000 and served in senior status on the DC Court of Appeals until he stepped down in 2021. — Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home


Kaaren Robertson ’84 passed away on February 24, 2024. A woman of enormous creativity, humor, and intelligence, Robertson devoted much of her energy to painting. For 26 years, she taught watercolor at Santa Barbara City College. Her work hangs in the administrative offices at SBCC as well as in many elegant homes across the country. She was an artist member of the Santa Barbara Art Association, the Los Padres Watercolor Society, SCAPE (Southern California Artists Painting the Environment) as well as an artist member of the prestigious and juried California Art Club. — Legacy.com


Brandon Román ’13 passed away on December 27, 2023. Román was a brilliant and dedicated young lawyer and partner at the DC office of Squire Patton Boggs where he


48 THE ADVOCATE SUMMER/FALL 2024


quickly made a name for himself within the legal community as a formidable advocate for those in need. Known for his exceptional legal acumen, empathy, and tireless work ethic, Román became a beacon of hope for many who sought justice in an oſten-unforgiving world. He became a partner at the young age of 36 while actively volunteering with the Hispanic Bar Association of DC, National LGBT Bar Association, and Lambda Law Society. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Román will be remembered for his warmth, kindness, beaming smile, and infectious sense of humor. — Legacy.com


Judge Eli Nash Jr. ’64 passed away on April 22, 2023. Nash’s legal career began with the National Labor Relations Board, and in 1977, he became an administrative law judge. He served at the Social Security Administration, the Department of Labor, and the FLRA. In 2001, he was appointed chief administrative law judge, where he managed the FLRA Office of Administrative Law Judges for 15 years until his retirement in 2016. Nash’s legal career spanned 35 years, during which he gained a reputation as a skilled and fair adjudicator in labor law. He will be remembered for his kind heart, his unwavering dedication to his family, his unbeatable sense of humor, and his distinguished legal career. — DignityMemorial.com


Ralph Ruebner ’69 passed away on February 15, 2024. He served as head of the Elgin and Chicago offices of the State Appellate Defender as deputy state defender. He represented hundreds of indigent prisoners on their appeals, including representation befor e the Illinois Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. He joined the faculty of UIC John Marshall Law School in 1982 until 2015 as professor of law and the last seven years as associate dean for academic affairs. He was honored by the student body as Professor of the Year a number of times. He served the Jewish Community as synagogue president, JCC officer, JUF commission chair, president of HIAS Chicago, and officer of The Decalogue Society of Lawyers. He was ordained as Rabbi in 2016. — Chicago Tribune


William “Bill” Ryan ’85 passed away on April 9, 2024. Ryan was a law librarian at the Pence Law Library at the American University Washington College of Law, where he worked for decades. He specialized in international legal research, assisting countless students, faculty members, and staff. — Tribute Archive


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