This obituary first appeared in Los Angeles Times from Sep. 18 to Sep. 20, 2020.

David A. Binder died peacefully on September 15th. He was 86 and a life-long resident of Los Angeles. David was a Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus at UCLA where he served on the faculty for over 50 years. Dean Jennifer Mnookin of the law school said: “David was a towering presence at the law school for a half century, and an equally towering figure in the creation of clinical pedagogy.” As a pioneer in Clinical Legal Education, he co-authored eight books on the conceptual frameworks and practical skills of lawyering. He received all three of the University’s major teaching awards including the Distinguished Teaching Award, the School of Law’s Rutter Award for Excellence in Teaching and Professor of the Year in 1972. Prior to joining UCLA School of Law, David was a partner in the law firm of Brown & Brown in Los Angeles and served as the director of litigation for the Western Center on Law and Poverty between 1969 and 1970. He spent several summers teaching introductory courses on American law at various universities in China. Together with his wife of 59 years, Melinda Binder, who passed in 2016, David loved trekking through such places as Nepal, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Switzerland, and Peru. Combining their passions for education and social justice, David and Melinda volunteered teaching literacy to under-privileged students in downtown Los Angeles. David was also an avid golfer and member of the Riviera Country Club for over 25 years. David is survived by the three nephews he raised and their wives, Michael Crovitz and Laura Petrich, Charles and Jill Crovitz, Jeffrey and Sarah Crovitz; also by his three grandchildren, Zachary, Matthew and Madison and by two great-grandchildren, Roman and Zuzu.