Remembering Bob Dugan
Bob Dugan was a beloved lecturer of commercial and company law at Te Herenga Waka, whose influence has had a lasting impact.
Born in Minnesota, USA, Bob grew up in North Dakota. He won a scholarship to Stanford University, where he gained a Masters in German, and then studied law at the University of Chicago. He spent time in Germany as a Fulbright scholar, and taught at a number of American universities.
In 1983 Bob accepted a year-long visiting teacher position on the other side of the world as Reader (what is now known as Associate Professor) in Accounting at Victoria University. He and his family enjoyed life in New Zealand, so decided to stay. Bob moved into the Faculty of Law, where he remained until his retirement in 2009.
A popular and energetic lecturer, Bob’s entertaining and unconventional approach to teaching has stuck in the memories of alumni, many of whom have cited his classes as a highlight of their time at law school that equipped them with skills they still use in practice today.
Geoff McLay, former student and now Dean of the Faculty of Law, says Bob was blunt, highly forthright, and extremely kind. He recalls Bob’s classes as being “extraordinary events”: “They included a fair bit of unorthodox language but also a focus on transactions as opposed to cases. He was an enthusiastic teacher of how businesspeople use the law and the reality of New Zealand company law—many careers flourished because of him.”
Another former student, All Black Conrad Smith, described Bob’s classes in an interview with LawTalk. “I remember sitting in law lectures and listening to Bob Dugan, who interrogated the hell out of us. That prepared me for all sorts of pressure situations.”
Senior Counsel at the Crown Law Office for the Government of Ontario and former student Richard Ogden remembers Bob as a faculty member that stood out from the rest. “Bob remained one of my favourite lecturers and was beloved amongst the students for reasons which only later became clear to me. Bob confounded and beguiled us because he was both sweet and stern. He showed us that you could both ‘be yourself’ and love the law. That is a lesson I have carried well past my second-year contracts class.”
Bob published extensively throughout his teaching career on issues such as tax law, consumer law, and electronic transations. He also consulted to the government on various regulatory issues, including helping draft new legislation on company and corporate law for the Takeovers Panel.
Bob’s death was sadly preceded just months earlier by that of his third wife and former Victoria lecturer and Dean, Virginia Grainer. He is survived by his five children, eight grandchildren, three stepchildren, and two step-grandchildren.