WHEREAS, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston, Dean and Professor Emeritus of the John Marshall Law School, passed away on June 21, 2018 at age eighty-six; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston, the son of Scottish immigrants, devoted nearly fifty years of his career at the John Marshall Law School beginning with his appointment to the adjunct faculty in 1963; and
WHEREAS, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston was raised on a sugar plantation in Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, in 1969, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston returned to Oahu, Hawaii, his place of birth to lead the Hawaii Legal Services Project, a legal aid organization; and
WHEREAS, after two years, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston bean a private legal practice with a focus on Hawaiian land claims, the protection of children, the rights of prisoners while representing private social service agencies, including American Friends Service Committee, Hawaii Association of Retarded Citizens, Hawaii League of Women Voters, and Queen Liliuokalani Children's Center; and
WHEREAS, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston returned to Chicago in 1975 to accept a full-time faculty position at the John Marshall Law School; and
WHEREAS, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston, served as a reporter for numerous Illinois Judicial Conferences and as vice chair of the Jefferson Inn of the American Inns of Court in 1993; and
WHEREAS, over the next four decades, he taught Civil Procedure I and II; Administrative Procedure; Conflicts of Law; Federal Jurisdiction; Ethics; Litigation Process; and Pre-Trial Practice; and
WHEREAS, in 1988 the John Marshall Law School elevated Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston to Associate Dean of Academic Affairs; and
WHEREAS, on behalf of the law school, he visited China, Ireland, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, to guest lecture; and
WHEREAS, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston was named Acting Dean in 1994; and
WHEREAS, in 1995, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston was named Dean, a position he held until August 2003 when he returned to his teaching duties, continuing through the next decade; and
WHEREAS, during his years of service to the student body of the John Marshall Law School and to the citizens of Hawaii as a champion of the underdog, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston established the Fair Housing Legal Clinic, the Czech Program and the SIPO-China Program; and
WHEREAS, during Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston's tenure as Dean of the John Marshall Law School, he helped to establish the LLM degrees in International Business & Trade Law, Information Technology & Privacy Law, and Employee Benefits; and
WHEREAS, following his retirement, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston served as an advisor to the Francis D. and Corinne S. Morrissey Scholars, a group of John Marshall law students that study and publish scholarly papers on professional responsibility; and
WHEREAS, Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston provided assistance and guidance to Robert Lindsey, playwright and chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs during the production of "Sonny Kaniho: A Profile of Hawaiian Courage," based on a client that Robert Gilbert "Gil" Johnston represented at trial, now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council assembled this twenty-fifth day of July 2018, do hereby extend deepest condolences to his wife, former Associate Dean Jane. D. Johnson, and their two sons, the Honorable Iain D. Johnston and Dr. Benjamin Johnston; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Jane D. Johnston, the Honorable Iain D. Johnston and Dr. Benjamin Johnston. .
EdwardLivL Burke, Alderman, 14 ' Ward