University of Denver Sturm College of Law Emeritus Professor Ved Nanda died on Jan. 1.
“The University of Denver lost a man whose impact on our community, our country and our world is not easily captured in words,” wrote the University of Denver’s Chancellor Jeremy Haefner to Law Week via email. “Ved Nanda’s contributions to the University of Denver and the effect he had on his students will leave a lasting impact on the global international law community.”
“Like anyone else who ever met Ved, I was immediately entranced by his warmth, his graciousness, his humor and his open and inclusive welcoming personality, together with his intelligence and his passion for his students and for the importance of international law,” wrote Doug Scrivner to Law Week via email.
A former student, past university board chair and founding donor to the Nanda Center, Scrivner first met Nanda in the fall of 1974 in his first quarter of law school. He sought out Nanda because the international law program he was building was Scrivner’s primary reason for applying to the University of Denver. Scrivner first took a class from Nanda in spring 1975.
“He was a gentle, generous, and gracious colleague and friend,” wrote Dean of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law Bruce Smith to Law Week via email.
Smith first met Nanda shortly after he assumed the law school deanship in July 2016. In that year and in the years to follow, Smith was the grateful beneficiary of Nanda’s wise counsel, deep institutional knowledge and warm friendship. His first impression of Nanda relates to his compassion and commitment as a teacher.
“Throughout his distinguished career, he remained, at his core, deeply committed to his students’ educational attainment, personal well-being, and professional success,” added Smith.
According to a press release by the university, Nanda was a professor at the law school for nearly 60 years, founded the International Legal Studies Program in 1972 and served as director of the Ved Nanda Center for International & Comparative Law since its inception in 2006.
“When we were celebrating his 40th year teaching at DU in 2006, my wife and I developed the concept of the Nanda Center as a way to institutionalize Ved’s ability to attract talent, touch people’s lives and promote the importance of international law in Denver and beyond well into the future,” noted Scrivner. “We issued a matching challenge to help achieve initial funding for the Center from many of Ved’s friends and colleagues.”
“Ved was a ‘human magnet’ and the Center is an attempt to institutionalize that capacity to bring people together and promote international law and human rights,” continued Scrivner.
The most memorable thing about Nanda, explained Scrivner, was his total commitment to his students. He was always available and supportive whether in the classroom, in his office or a hallway. Nanda was always available to discuss a question on a case, work on a project, discuss a job, world events or just to share a word or laugh.
“I worked with Ved very closely my third year as we created the agenda, recruited speakers and did all the logistics for a regional meeting in Denver of the American Society of International Law that attracted several hundred participants and resulted in a published book called Water Needs for the Future,” added Scrivner. “In addition to being an incredible teacher and scholar, Ved was always great fun to learn from, work with and be around.”
“Every moment with Ved was an opportunity to learn — and to laugh,” noted Smith. “On the notion that brief, unscripted, and unwitnessed moments are often the most memorable, I loved when Ved would approach me after a particularly complex faculty meeting and quietly express his understanding and support.”
Nanda received honorary doctorates of law from Soka University in Tokyo, Japan, and Bundelkhand University in Jhansi, India. He taught at several universities across the U.S. as well as abroad including the University of Delhi, the press release noted.
Nanda held positions within the global international law community including the World Jurist Association, American Society of International Law, International Law Association, American Law Institute and the American Bar Association’s Human Rights Center and Section of International Law. He also served as the U.S. delegate for the World Federation of the United Nations Association and on the governing council for the United Nations Association of the USA.
Nanda received national and international awards. In 2018, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind gave Nanda the Padma Bhushan, known to be one of the highest awards given by the Indian Government. The American Bar Association International Law Section awarded Nanda with the Louis B. Sohn Award for “distinguished, longstanding contributions to the field of public international law.”
Nanda co-authored 24 books and over 225 chapters and law review articles. He even wrote a column for the Denver Post and was a regular commentator in electronic and print media.
“Ved’s legacy is in the thousands of students he taught and interested in international law, the many scholars and practitioners around the world with whom he engaged, supported and encouraged through his enormous record of scholarship, and all the institutions he served so ably and selflessly for so many years in so many different capacities, from the law school and DU, to professional and community organizations, governments around the world, international organizations and the Indian-American community, among many others,” added Scrivner. “Through his Denver Post columns and talks around town, he was also able to reach and enlighten broader audiences with his passion for international law, human rights and the rule of law.”
“By any measure, Professor Nanda was a trailblazing leader in the field of public international law, a transformative teacher and mentor, a dedicated university citizen, a respected civic leader, and a treasured colleague and friend,” added Smith. “Yet, as I had occasion to observe on the celebration of Ved’s 50th year in teaching, his most enduring and important legacy — to me — is as a humanitarian – one who believed profoundly in the capacity of international law to make our world a more tolerant, peaceful, and just place.”
“His impact was immense,” noted Scrivner.
The Nanda family made arrangements for a traditional Hindu service that took place Jan. 7 at Horan & McConaty. The University of Denver Sturm College of Law anticipates a celebration of life in the future and further details will be released once plans are finalized.
Editor’s note: This article was updated Jan. 26 to include a more complete quote from a source.