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 Gilbe...
Click here for full text