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On Thursday, August 21, students from the 1L class, staff, faculty, alumni and friends gathered outside the Wolf Law building for the opening of the new east-side garden space. Generously funded by the late Betsy Levin, first woman dean of the law school, this contemplative garden space was envisioned by Levin as a way to support law students working on legal questions related to environmental problems and inequities.����

“Dean Levin’s generous gift has created a serene and welcoming space in nature where students, faculty, and staff can sit, reflect, and recharge,” Assistant Dean of Advancement Robert Garelick said. “Her legacy of scholarship and leadership has left a lasting imprint on Colorado Law. As our first woman dean and a passionate advocate for the environment, Dean Levin imparted many valuable lessons that continue to inspire us all.”��

Betsy Levin made history as the first woman to serve as Dean at the University of Colorado Law School, a position she held with distinction from 1981 to 1987. Her tenure as Dean was marked by her intellectual rigor and a heartfelt commitment to fostering an inclusive and dynamic learning environment.����

Born and raised in Baltimore, Dean Levin’s early years were characterized by a strong passion for learning. After graduating with honors in Geology from Bryn Mawr College in 1956, she initially worked at the Geological Survey in Washington. Her commitment to furthering civil rights led her to pursue a law degree, starting at George Washington University and then transferring to Yale University, where she earned her LLB in 1966. Levin clerked for Judge Simon Sobeloff on the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and served as a White House Fellow, assisting Justice Arthur J. Goldberg. Her tenure at the Urban Institute as Director of Education Studies, followed by her role as a tenured Professor at Duke University, exemplifies her expertise in constitutional law and urban issues. During the Carter administration, she served as General Counsel at the US Department of Education, further solidifying her commitment to public service.����

The event included remarks from Sally Levin, sister of Dean Levin, Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss, Assistant Dean of Advancement Robert Garelick, along with comments from former students and faculty members.��

Dean Levin’s sister, Sally Levin, who helped to facilitate the gift, reflected upon Dean Levin both as a family member and a cherished member of the law school community.����

“My sister, Betsy, always loved the outdoors, a love passed down to her from her father,” Levin said. “She was instrumental in the formation of the Environmental Law Research Center (now the Getches-Wilkinson Center). In her later years, she really wanted a garden near benches at the law school where students could relax but also contemplate ways to solve our current environmental problems and the inequities associated with them. I know Betsy would have been very pleased with the garden I saw last month.�� As my older sister, Betsy was an amazing role model.”����

In her remarks, Dean Inniss recounted how she learned about Betsy Levin.����

"I first became aware of Dean Levin as I studied the portraits of our former deans displayed in the Dean’s suite. It struck me immediately that she was the only woman pictured. Upon inquiry, I learned that she had started forty years before the start of my own service in 2021, when I became the second woman to hold this role. I resolved to meet her.”����

Dean Inniss went on to share that after locating Dean Levin, they began corresponding, culminating with Dean Inniss’ in person visit to Dean Levin.����

“I am so fortunate to have had exchanges with the late Betsy Levin,” Dean Inniss shared. “During those exchanges, we traded questions and had the idea of publishing our correspondence for the benefit of our students, since much of our exchange reflected the parallels between our times serving as dean.”����

��Dean Inniss went on to note that both Dean Levin’s time at the law school, and the present, were marked with formidable challenges. Inniss observed that Dean Levin, were she alive today, “would remind all of us to keep moving forward with purpose and with hope.”��

Dean Levin’s devotion to her students was emphasized during the dedication. Dean Inniss read a letter from Law Alumni Board chair Sonny Cave ’85, who was a student during Levin's tenure as dean.����

“Dean Levin stood out not only as a distinguished leader at the law school, but also as a generous and deeply humane presence,” Cave said. “As a student with a strong interest in natural resources law, I frequently sought her out. Her counsel went beyond legal expertise, as she made a genuine effort to understand the person that I was.”����

The law school community is profoundly grateful, not only for Dean Levin’s generous gift, but also for the enduring influence she had on the lives of so many. Her wisdom, kindness, and leadership left an indelible mark on faculty, staff, students, and the many people who cherished her.����

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