Law professorship named in honor of Duncan

By SUSAN WITTSTOCK, onCAMPUS staff

Robert Duncan has had a long and fulfilling relationship with Ohio State since he first graduated with a degree in education in 1948, but he was still unprepared when greeted with the news that a professorship in the Moritz College of Law would be named in his honor.

"I thought they were talking about someone else. It was totally unexpected, beyond anything I thought would ever happen," Duncan said.

Robert Duncan, right, with Ned Foley, who was named to the professorship at the Moritz College of Law created in Duncan's honor.   By Kevin Fitzsimons

Duncan is the namesake of the Robert M. Duncan/Jones Day Designated Professor of Law at the Michael E. Moritz College of Law, established by gifts from Ohio State law graduates at the international law firm of Jones Day. At the March 5 meeting of Ohio State's Board of Trustees, Edward B. "Ned" Foley was named as the first faculty member to fill the professorship.

Duncan, who earned a J.D. from the College of Law in 1952, went on to a judicial career that included serving as a justice on the Supreme Court of Ohio, a judge and chief judge on the United States Court of Military Appeals, and a judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. He also practiced law as a partner at Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue.

Duncan traces his success back to his days in Ohio State's law school.

"It really changed my life," he said. "Early on in life I had no dreams of ever being a lawyer. After law school, I went straight into the military, so it was a while before I would realize what my education had given me. Later, I found out I had received a gift of professional education that really prepared me for a very competitive legal world.

"I'm still amazed at how fortunate I was to have had a law school education and all that it has done for my family and me."

At Ohio State in the 1990s, Duncan served as a vice president and general counsel in the Office of Legal Affairs and as Secretary of the Board of Trustees. Currently, he is serving as a trustee himself, and is the Moritz College of Law's Jurist in Residence.

He praised the choice of Foley -- a professor at Ohio State since 1991 who is an expert in constitutional law, election law and education law -- as the first holder of the professorship. "It was most pleasing to me because I know Ned Foley and he's had an incredible career as a scholar and as a classroom teacher. And, on top of that, he loves this University and happens to be a very nice guy," Duncan said.

As a judge, Duncan presided over a landmark case ruling that the Columbus public schools were illegally segregated.

Today's young lawyers will face their own set of difficult issues created by contemporary society, he said.

"The whole notion of technology in the law and the international aspect of law will be huge matters," he said. "I also think we're going to see a lot of litigation regarding the protection of intellectual property."

He noted terrorism, the environment and health care as other areas with a lot of legal issues to be explored.

"This is a fantastic time to be studying the law," Duncan said. "I am so honored that my name will be attached to a professorship that will endure and be connected with the education of a large number of law students for years to come."

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