Celebrating an FSU Law Legend: Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte (1933-2019)

This article was written during the spring 2019 semester with President Emeritus, Dean Emeritus and Professor Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte’s gracious participation, prior to his passing at the age of 85 on May 20, 2019. Very minor edits have been made since he saw it. We hope it serves as a tribute to his legacy and the lasting impacts he had on countless people around the world. D’Alemberte’s contributions to FSU Law will benefit our community forever.

On Sunday, November 18, 2018, we gathered at the law school to celebrate President Emeritus, Dean Emeritus and Professor Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte. We were joined by more than 100 of D’Alemberte’s friends and colleagues to pay tribute to our fourth dean and to unveil the new location of his presidential statue. The bronze artwork was relocated to the Jefferson Street entrance of the law school and overlooks the FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, which D’Alemberte established when he was president of the university. The statue previously was located outside the FSU College of Medicine, which also was established during D’Alemberte’s presidency.

The event was a wonderful opportunity to thank D’Alemberte for his many contributions to the university and around the world. FSU President John Thrasher (Dec. ’72), former ABA President Martha Barnett, International Bar Association Executive Director Mark Ellis (’84) and Dean Erin O’Connor spoke about D’Alemberte’s remarkable career as a fierce advocate, an innovative academic, a trailblazing leader and an international human rights visionary.

Ellis commented on D’Alemberte’s global impact in helping to create the Central and East European Law Initiative when he was president of the American Bar Association from 1991-92.

“The audacity of Sandy’s vision was quite extraordinary,” Ellis said. “In the 27 years of this program, it has sent over 5,000 volunteer lawyers and judges to countries throughout the world. It is now the largest pro bono legal assistance program that the United States has ever undertaken, and that was Sandy’s vision.”

D’Alemberte, who co-taught International Human Rights with Ellis as recently as the spring 2019 semester, said he first conceived of the initiative because the communist system was unraveling and he wanted to help countries that were trying to move toward a market economy and a rule-of-law system. He connected with Homer Moyer, a Washington, D.C. lawyer who had similar thoughts, and they became co-founders of the ABA program.

D’Alemberte’s innovative tendencies also greatly impacted Florida State University. As dean of the College of Law from 1984-1989, D’Alemberte transformed the school’s programs and facilities.

“He accomplished a great deal tangibly, financially and culturally,” O’Connor said at the ceremony. “In his five years as dean, Sandy raised the profile of the Florida State College of Law in the eyes of the rest of the world. And along the way, he helped us raise our expectations of ourselves and I think that’s something that we carry to this day.”

Under D’Alemberte’s leadership, the College of Law’s picturesque James Harold Thompson Green and the iconic buildings that surround it took shape. From his office in the Cawthon House, one of the four houses overlooking the Green and the D’Alemberte Rotunda, D’Alemberte happily witnessed students playing Frisbee and other games, and families celebrating weddings. The D’Alemberte Rotunda has housed events featuring the law school’s most prominent guests, including Florida and U.S. Supreme Court justices and Nobel laureates.

As president of the university from 1994-2003, D’Alemberte was able to see the establishment of the medical school and the FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. He also initiated many beautification projects, including a style manual for architects and the Master Craftsman Studio, which has created one-of-akind custom art pieces – including D’Alemberte’s statue – that are displayed prominently around campus.

D’Alemberte counted among his top presidential accomplishments the establishment of the FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. “It’s amazing how many departments now participate in the human rights program,” D’Alemberte said about the interdisciplinary center that welcomes contributions from numerous FSU units including the College of Law, the College of Criminology & Criminal Justice, and the College of Social Work.

At the November celebration, Barnett remarked on the fitting new location for D’Alemberte’s statue. “There are so many places on campus where this statue could be located, the College of Medicine, the Center for Human Rights, even the football stadium,” she said. “But there’s only one place that it should be, and it’s at home here at the College of Law.”

Reflecting on the event, D’Alemberte remarked that the statue belongs at the College of Law because of his long association with the law school, going back to when it was established. “I was in the Legislature when we got our first funding for the school and a number of the early students at the school worked around the Legislature when I was there.”

Some of D’Alemberte’s fondest career memories stemmed from his time as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1966-1972. In part because a majority of lawmakers were freshmen during his first term, D’Alemberte quickly assumed leadership positions.

“By my second term, I chaired a committee, and by my third term, I chaired the judiciary committee,” said D’Alemberte. “I had a staff director named Janet Reno and one of the more important things we did was we developed the judicial article for the state constitution.”

After leaving the Florida Legislature, from 1977-78, D’Alemberte chaired the first Florida Constitution Revision Commission. He went on to become a sought-after authority on the Florida Constitution and taught on the topic at the law school. The second edition of his Florida Constitutional Law book was published in 2016.

D’Alemberte savored teaching both Florida Constitutional Law and International Human Rights for many years at FSU Law. “In both these subjects, I’ve really enjoyed having very good students,” said D’Alemberte. “In recent years, I’ve taught them in almost a seminar fashion and it’s really been delightful to have students not so numerous, to actually get to know all of the students and to involve all of them in discussions.”

In addition, D’Alemberte had an active law practice with his wife, Patsy Palmer (’07). For many of his cases, D’Alemberte served as local counsel for law firms seeking his expertise in Florida constitutional law. In some instances, because D’Alemberte and Palmer were the only employees at D’Alemberte & Palmer, P.L.L.C., they associated with large firms including Carlton Fields and Wilmer Hale for major cases where they needed a larger team. “I have several clients, but not that many,” said D’Alemberte in January, who had been a partner at Steel Hector & Davis in Miami before he entered academia. “I think it’s fair to say that I have no paying clients. I do a lot of pro bono work.”

As the guest of honor at November’s statue relocation ceremony, D’Alemberte was the last person to speak. He graciously took the opportunity to thank attendees for their contributions to his life. He also shared that one reason why the new location of his statue was very meaningful was because it is just steps from his childhood home.

“Literally, if you walked straight out the back door of the Old Capitol and crossed the street, which was Adams Street, you would walk onto the front porch of my grandmother’s house,” D’Alemberte recalled. “So now, I’m returning to my old neighborhood. It’s only taken me 85 years to move three blocks.”

For the attendees, November’s ceremony was a way to thank D’Alemberte for his service and companionship. Many of the attendees had been friends with D’Alemberte for decades – some since childhood. “Sandy, you have been both an inspiration and friend to me for four decades,” said Thrasher at the event. “You’ve been my friend, my adviser, my mentor, and all I can say is, I love you very dearly. Thank you for everything you have done for our state, our nation and certainly, this university."

As printed in the 2019 issue of Florida State Law magazine.