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February 28, 2005

Robert Dawson, RIP

Robert "Mad Dog" Dawson, who taught criminal and juvenile law to a generation of law students at the University of Texas Law School, died Saturday at his farm in Fentress at the age of 65. Although illness forced him to into a motorized scooter in the last few months of his life, Professor Dawson continued to teach his criminal law class at UT until a week and a half ago.

Professor Dawson taught at UT for 30 years and founded the school's Criminal Defense Clinic in 1974. The clinic gives third-year law the opportunity to represent criminal defendants in court under the supervision of UT law professors. Dawson authored the state's juvenile justice laws in 1973 and advised lawmakers on the revision of the Texas Juvenile Justice Code in 1995.

According to his obituary, Professor Dawson's ashes will be mixed with old horse stall bedding and scattered by manure spreader on pastures at the farm. "They will make good fertilizer for the hay crop," he wrote before his death.

Arrangements were pending with Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home in Austin. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 2 at UT's LBJ Auditorium.

Posted by Tom at February 28, 2005 5:05 AM |

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