J. Myron Jacobstein, longtime law professor and law librarian, dead at 85

J. Myron Jacobstein, a former Stanford law librarian and professor emeritus of law, died after a long illness on March 25 at the Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living in Danville, Calif. He was 85.

A member of the university faculty since 1963, Jacobstein was a popular librarian credited with establishing what is known today as the Robert Crown Law Library at the Law School.

"Mike was the pioneer in creating Stanford's law library," said Larry Kramer, dean of the Law School. "Although the number of volumes in the library tripled under Mike's leadership, he was not simply concerned with its size. He created an atmosphere dedicated to service and people. He will be greatly missed by his fellow faculty, his colleagues in law libraries across the country and his former students."

Jacobstein was an influential scholar on legal bibliography. His numerous books and articles include the Fundamentals of Legal Research and The Rejected: Sketches of the 26 Men Nominated for the Supreme Court but Not Confirmed by the Senate, both of which he co-authored with Roy M. Mersky, a law professor at the University of Texas-Austin.

Jacobstein was also the recipient of the American Association of Law Libraries Distinguished Service Award in 1987. The award was in recognition of Jacobstein's lifetime contribution to law librarianship and to the association.

Born in Detroit, Jacobstein earned a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University in 1946. After graduating from Columbia University with a master's degree in library science in 1950, he enrolled at Chicago-Kent College of Law and earned his J.D. there in 1952. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1953.

Jacobstein returned to Columbia in 1955 as the assistant law librarian. He joined the faculty at the University of Colorado in 1959 as a professor of law and head librarian of the law school. Jacobstein became a member of the faculty at Stanford Law School in 1963, directing its law library until his retirement in 1987.

"Mr. Jacobstein was a true giant in the field of law librarianship," said Paul Lomio, acting director of the Robert Crown Law Library, describing the man for whom he worked for many years. "He led the profession in many ways and was a brilliant visionary. He was also funny, warm, kind, caring and the gentlest of men."

Jacobstein also was celebrated by his many students, as was evidenced in a Stanford Law Review article honoring Jacobstein published upon his retirement. In the article, former student and research assistant Robert Berring said, "Professor J. Myron Jacobstein [was] a 'student's teacher.' He [brought] to the classroom not only his considerable expertise, his well considered viewpoint and his genuinely gentle good humor—he also [brought] an overwhelming concern with the process of teaching."

Jacobstein is survived by his wife, Belle; his children, Bennett and Ellen; and three grandchildren.

A memorial service was held March 30 at the Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living.

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