It is an honor to write a forward to this edition of the Seton Hall Law Review, dedicated
to the scholarly legacy of Professor Marc Poirier. Marc was an exceptional scholar,
teacher, and colleague. He was a deeply learned man, conversant in areas ranging from
the jurisprudence of interpretation to the science of global warming.
He wrote on property, environmental law, and civil rights, and combined these fields
in innovative ways. His “Virtues of Vagueness in Takings Law” was both widely cited
and elegantly argued. Essays like “Science, Rhetoric, and Distribution in a Risky
World” were philosophically informed readings of fundamental controversies in environmental
policy. Throughout his scholarship, there was a concern for the marginal: the victims
of environmental racism, sexual orientation discrimination, climate change, and many
other contemporary scourges. But there was also a wise awareness of the limits of
law and the complexities of advocacy.
Marc had many virtues, large and small. I particularly appreciated his ability to
simply spend time with people: to listen with care and attention, to regale us with
stories, and to celebrate occasions large and small. Every Mardi Gras he festooned
himself, furniture, and fellow colleagues with glittering beads from New Orleans.
He, a committed Buddhist, reminded us that the Catholic identity of the law school
was not just an occasion for “thou shalt not’s” pronounced from on high. Rather, Seton
Hall’s Catholic mission was properly imbued with joy and hope, celebration and repentance,
generosity and self-restraint, all kept in balance by a spiritual perspective. Marc
helped faculty and students of every faith—or none at all—maintain a sense of order
and well-being.