We have some incredibly unfortunate news to report out of the Washington, D.C., legal community, where a two boutique law firm associates and a law school professor recently passed away.
According to news reports, Sarah Lee Best, 33, and Elizabeth Keys, 33, both associates of Wilkinson Stekloff, and Kiah Duggins, 30, an aspiring professor at Howard University School of Law, are among the victims of the American Airlines flight that collided midair with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening.
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Best and Keys were returning home from a work trip. Best, a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, clerked for three federal judges (Judge Eugene E. Siler Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan of the Southern District of New York) prior to joining Wilkinson Stekloff. Keys, a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, clerked for one federal judge (U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the District of Columbia) before joining Wilkinson Stekloff. Keys tragically died on her birthday.
As noted by the National Law Journal, founder Beth Wilkinson offered a statement on behalf of the firm:
“We are heartbroken by this terrible tragedy. Liz and Sarah were cherished members of our firm—wonderful attorneys, colleagues, and friends. Beyond being an excellent lawyer, Liz brought fearlessness, humor, and sharp wit to work every day no matter the setting or circumstances. Sarah joined us just last fall and quickly energized us all with her boundless curiosity, kindness, and intelligence. It is hard to imagine the firm without them. We are keeping them in our memories and their families in our thoughts and prayers.”
Duggins, a graduate of Harvard Law School, worked as a civil rights attorney with the non-profit Civil Rights Corps where she challenged unconstitutional policing and bail practices, and was preparing to join the Howard University School of Law in the fall as a professor. University President Ben Vison III issued a statement on her untimely death, per CBS News:
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It is with profound sadness that the Howard University community and the Howard University School of Law have learned of the passing of Professor Kiah Duggins, who was among those lost in the mid-air plane collision at Reagan National Airport. We ask for privacy and respect for Professor Duggins’ family, students, and colleagues during this difficult time.
We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Sarah Lee Best, Elizabeth Keys, and Kiah Duggins during this incredibly difficult time.
Two Wilkinson Stekloff Associates Among Victims of DC Plane Crash [National Law Journal]
Howard University Law professor among victims of D.C. plane crash [CBS News]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.