Marc A. Fajer, a distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Miami, passed away, leaving behind a legacy of courage, advocacy, and profound impact on the legal community and beyond. Fajer's career was marked by his dedication to teaching, his commitment to social justice, and his groundbreaking work in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment at the University of Miami School of Law.
Fajer earned both his A.B. in 1982 and J.D. in 1985 from Stanford University. After graduating from law school, Fajer clerked for Judge Betty B. Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He then worked as an associate attorney at Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe in Seattle before joining the University of Miami faculty in 1984.
He joined the Miami Law faculty in 1988, and in an unprecedented move early in his career, he revealed his homosexuality in the law school's student newspaper, distributing the article to his students on the first day of class. This courageous act, at a time when HIV was on the rise and a positive diagnosis was often considered a death sentence, made him a haven for LGBTQ students and faculty.
At Miami Law Fajer taught a range of subjects, including property law, antitrust law, housing discrimination, and identity politics and law. He was also instrumental in starting the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Association in Miami, the predecessor to the law school’s current OUTLaw student organization for which he served as an advisor.
Fajer also left an indelible mark on his colleagues. Professor Donna Coker says, “Marc was a mentor and friend to me. Marc was a gifted, thoughtful teacher. He paid attention to the law school experience, particularly the 1L experience, providing students with encouraging advice at just the right moment. He thought hard about how best to communicate legal reasoning and ambiguity.”
Professor Stephen Schnably reflects, “Marc was an inspiring colleague. His scholarly work on gender identity and housing discrimination was ahead of its time. Deeply committed to his students, he enriched the Miami Law community in so many ways, from his LGBTQ+ advocacy to his care for the curriculum and course scheduling to his staging of plays that brought students, faculty, and staff together as actors and audience. He was also a dear friend, and I will miss him immensely.”
Fajer was not only a teacher and mentor but also a creative force. He directed and produced several plays and musicals using faculty, staff, and students. These included "Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and other Identities," "Macbeth," "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide ... When the Rainbow is Enuf," and "Side by Side by Sondheim." In 2013 he directed “8” which chronicled the historic constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8 and he staged a reading at the law school with 20 law school students, staff, faculty and alumni participating.
In 2018, the School of Law, in collaboration with the UM Alumni Association and OUTLaw, honored Fajer at its first LGBTQ Homecoming event. This attracted over 100 lawyers, faculty, and students and marked the unveiling of a new scholarship in his name for students involved in LGBTQ advocacy.
Fajer received the University’s Outstanding Teaching Award in 2005, and the Marc A. Fajer Scholarship Fund was created in 2019 at the University of Miami School of Law in recognition of his extraordinary service to the law school. His life and work will continue to inspire future generations of lawyers and advocates.
If you would like to make a gift in memory of Marc Fajer, please consider a donation to the Marc A. Fajer Scholarship Fund.
