I am deeply saddened to have learned that my friend and colleague William D. Warren has passed away. Bill Warren was a man of immense accomplishments who justifiably could have acted like cock of the walk, but he was far too much the gentleman to ever be anything but gracious and kind. His intelligence and deep knowledge of the law were matched by his concern for others, human warmth, and good sense. He was one of the first to welcome me to UCLA and over the next two decades consistently went out of his way to make me—and all his colleagues—feel like we were part of not just an institution but a family. He was a font of good advice and a role model for how to conduct oneself both at work and in life.
I was deeply honored to be the inaugural holder of the William D. Warren professorship and have tried very hard to live up to the high standards Bill set. Like all who knew him, my life has been profoundly enriched by being able to call Bill Warren my friend.
He will be missed, but his profound legacy will ensure that his name lives on at UCLA as one of our greatest leaders.