"The High Tech Law Institute remains incredibly grateful for Prof. Anawalt’s many foundational contributions to our program," said Prof. Eric Goldman, Director of the High Tech Law Institute. "Our high tech law program would not be as rich and successful as it’s been without his foresighted efforts. On a personal note, Prof. Anawalt shared his 1994 Computer Law syllabus with me when I first developed my own Internet Law course in 1995, and his thoughts influenced my concepts about the course a lot."
Howard Anawalt is considered by many to be the father of the nationally recognized intellectual property program at Santa Clara Law. He joined the School of Law in 1967, and specialized in constitutional law, torts, and intellectual property law. “Howard Anawalt was a great teacher and scholar at Santa Clara University’s law school and he was instrumental in forming and advancing the Law School’s highly acclaimed intellectual property law program,” says Professor Donald Polden, who served as dean from 2003-2013. “He exemplified the great teacher-scholars in legal education and he will be missed by his many friends from Santa Clara University.”
In a letter to the University community, President Michael Engh, S.J. wrote, “With his expertise in intellectual property law, he was one of the first faculty members to address in his teaching the legal questions arising out of the high tech industry… Howard held a passion for teaching and a commitment to his profession which resonated with generations of students in his decades of service to the law school and the University community.”
Anawalt earned his A.B. from Stanford University and his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law, U.C. Berkeley. He was admitted to practice in the states of California and Washington and in the Supreme Court. He served as a legislative intern and legal adviser, then deputy attorney general to the California Assembly Judiciary Committee. His law practice experience included criminal jury trials, Vietnam War draft and court-martial cases, labor injunction litigation, sex and race discrimination lawsuits, and involvement in high-technology litigation and transaction practice.
At Santa Clara Law he was a very involved member of the faculty and served in many leadership and advisory roles until his retirement in 2003. He was the inaugural director of Santa Clara Law’s International Institute, now called the Center for Global Law and Policy, and he served as the first director of the Santa Clara University School of Law High Tech Advisory Board, first convened in 1990. He directed Santa Clara’s client counseling and national trial competitions, advised the Santa Clara Law Review, administered the Tokyo summer program, and served as adviser to the Santa Clara Law Computer and High Technology Law Journal.
Among his many publications, two stand out as the most significant: Idea Rights: A Guide to Intellectual Property (Carolina Press,) and IP Strategies: Complete Intellectual Property Planning, Access and Protection (West Publication).
Howard’s fellow faculty members remembered him with fondness and respect. “Former students often comment on Howard’s pleasant and compassionate classroom demeanor, but also his rigorous attention to details of cases and the importance of policy in the development of laws,” said Professor Polden. “He remained a dedicated and accomplished scholar after his retirement, including a recent publication of a book on legal protection of ideas.”
“Howard’s academic interests covered a broad span, from constitutional law to high technology,” said Professor Bradley Joondeph. “In many ways, he foresaw the direction that law would be headed, many years before most lawyers had any inkling.”
“Howard will be remembered as a kind and generous person, who never hesitated to offer assistance to his students and colleagues,” said Professor Ken Manaster, who joined Santa Clara Law in 1972. “He had an exceptionally inquisitive mind. He seemed often to be delving into a new topic in law or into a new angle within a field he already had mastered, such as tort law, intellectual property, or constitutional law. His friendliness toward colleagues, and his active give-and-take in discussions of the law and of the law school’s responsibilities to the profession, even after he retired, will be missed.”
Anawalt leaves his wife, Sue, his son Brad and daughter-in-law Kirsten, his son Paul and daughter-in-law Valeria, his grandchildren Kathryn, Juliet, Gwyneth, Kevin, and Dillon, and his many students and colleagues.