How did Lani Guinier die? Tributes pour in as esteemed Harvard Law professor dies aged 71

Lani Guinier was the first woman of color when she joined Harvard Law School as a professor in 1998 (Image via Talks at Google/YouTube)
Lani Guinier was the first woman of color when she joined Harvard Law School as a professor in 1998 (Image via Talks at Google/YouTube)

On January 7, law professor and civil rights scholar Lani Guinier passed away at 71. She served as an educator as she was a Bennett Boskey Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.

The news of her demise was shared with the students by the Dean of Harvard Law School, John F. Manning. He said:

“Lani Guinier was a giant — a historic figure in American law and the life of our Law School. Her scholarship changed our understanding of democracy — of why and how the voices of the historically underrepresented must be heard and what it takes to have a meaningful right to vote.”

Guinier was also the first woman of color when she joined Harvard Law School as a professor in 1998. Before joining the prestigious school, Guinier was nominated by former US President Bill Clinton to become an Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in 1993. However, he withdrew his nomination after a Republican campaign against the educator.


Lani Guinier’s cause of death

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On Friday, as per the Memoriam by Harvard Law School, Lani Guinier passed away at an assisted living facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The publication further disclosed that she died following a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease and its complications.

According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in US adults. The most common cause of death from the disease is caused by food substances or liquid going into the windpipe and causing an infection in the lungs. This, in turn, can lead to aspiration pneumonia.


Condolences pour in as the news of Lani Guinier’s demise was published

Several of her former students and colleagues took to Twitter to mourn Guinier’s loss and share their memories of the inspirational professor. Numerous tweets shared condolences for the late professor and stressed upon her contributions that uplifted the black community and supported student activists.

Meanwhile, Harvard Law School’s dean Manning shared:

“Lani devoted her life to justice, equality, empowerment, and democracy and made the world better as a result.”

Further adding,

“Her voice, her wisdom, her integrity, her bravery, her caring for others, her imagination and rigorous thinking, and her unerring sense of justice will inspire those who knew her and those who come to know of her life and legacy in the years to come.”
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During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Guinier served as the special assistant to Civil Rights Assistant Attorney General Drew S. Days. The renowned law professor also served as the leader of the voting rights project for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

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Edited by Ravi Iyer
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