Biglaw

Biglaw Associate Passes Away Following The Birth Of Son

She's described as a 'bright light' who will be missed.

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(Image via Getty)

Sad news for the legal community — it’s been reported that McGuireWoods associate Lauren Graff died on October 30th. Graff suffered a pulmonary embolism while pregnant and passed away after giving birth to a son, James Rolland Graff-Ness. She is survived by her spouse, Mitchell Ness, who works at the Illinois Attorney General’s office.

The firm offered the following statement on Graff’s passing:

Our colleague and friend Lauren Graff passed away on Oct. 30, 2021. An associate with the firm’s Corporate & Private Equity Department, Lauren tirelessly served her clients and was dedicated to community service and children’s causes. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Graff and Ness both attended the University of Minnesota Law School, and Dean Garry Jenkins offered the following words:

“Please join me in offering our heartfelt condolences to Mitchell, baby James, and Lauren’s family,” said Dean Garry W. Jenkins in a message to the Minnesota Law community. “Lauren touched the lives of so many in our community and this is a heartbreaking loss.”

Professor Emily Buchholz also said Graff was an up-and-coming legal talent:

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Lauren was kind, thoughtful, and a natural leader,” Buchholz recalled. “During group discussions, she was always willing to share her perspective, which was a blend of pragmatism and common sense on the one hand and sharp intellectual insight and deep knowledge on the other hand. She had a way of amplifying the perspectives of those around her either by acknowledging their contributions directly or by modeling assertive, yet respectful and humble participation. The best lawyers are often the best people and Lauren was well on her way to becoming a star attorney at McGuireWoods, I have no doubt about it. Losing her is a blow to us all. She was a bright light who made the room better just by being in it.”

A GoFundMe has been set up in support of Graff’s family. Our condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. 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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