T14 Law School Mourns The Presumed Death Of A Student After He Fell From A Waterfall

He was trying to take a photograph when he fell.

Terrible news from University of California Berkeley School of Law: rising 2L Brian Lewinstein is presumed dead after falling from a waterfall in Oregon in an attempt to take a picture earlier this week.

According to reports, Lewinstein crossed a safety line in order to get a picture of Toketee Falls from above when he fell. Police are continuing their search today through difficult terrain, but they say Lewinstein is presumed dead:

“There are several factors at play that make this search problematic, such as the steepness of the terrain, the length of the fall and the fact that Mr. Lewinstein possibly landed in the first pool beneath the falls. If he landed in the falls there is a possibility he was washed down to the second pool or even into the North Umpqua River,” said Wayne Stinson Emergency Management Coordinator.

Divers are unable to search the pools due to dangerous water conditions.

Search efforts are expected to wind down today, after Search and Rescue personnel are comfortable they searched all ground where Lewinstein could have fallen.

Berkeley Law has been hit hard by the loss of one of their own. Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, who taught Lewinstein last year, reached out to the law school community:

“We are devastated at the news of Brian’s accident,” said Dean Erwin Chemerinsky in an email. “He was a beloved member of our community. Our thoughts and deep sympathies are with his family at this difficult time.” Chemerinsky said he taught Lewinstein in a constitutional law class.

The school has also made counseling services available:

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“We’re a close-knit community,” said law school spokesman Michael Bazeley on Wednesday. “Students get to know each other well, as do students and faculty and staff. When something like this happens, it can hit hard. We’ve reminded students, faculty, and staff that we have counseling services available to anyone who wants to use them.”

Our thoughts go out to Lewinstein’s family and friends at this difficult time.


headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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