It’s with sadness and deepest sympathy that we share the passing of retired Widener Law Commonwealth Professor Alan Adlestein on Monday, March 7 in Naples, Florida.
Adlestein joined the faculty of Widener Law Commonwealth after a distinguished career working for the U.S. Department of Justice, the Organized Crime Task Force in Chicago, and as counsel for the Pennsylvania Crime Commission (which later was renamed the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency). Prior to joining WLC’s faculty, he also served as an assistant special prosecutor in the Watergate Special Prosecution Force. In addition, he worked in private legal practice, was active in a federal indigent defense program, and was the business manager and legal counsel for his family business, Jack and Jill, Inc.
“Alan was a brilliant individual, a dedicated and demanding teacher, and a contemplative scholar, particularly in his area of experience, which was white collar crime,” said Widener Law Commonwealth Professor Mary Kate Kearney. “His teaching was legendary for its rigor and depth. He and his wife, Doris, were instrumental in helping to build community at Widener Law Commonwealth during its early years.”
“Alan was a key member of the faculty at the then-new Harrisburg campus of Widener University School of Law,” said Robert Power, Widener Law Commonwealth emeritus professor of law. “He spent many hours preparing for his classes, which he showed by mastering details that others overlooked. He produced intricate scholarship about criminal law and the criminal justice system. Most importantly, however, he and his wife Doris were great friends of everyone on the faculty and staff.”
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, March 13. More information on the service can be found on the funeral home website.
