Keith Culver
Professor and Econoving International Chair in Generating Eco-Innovation in the UniverSud Paris, France
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"When I started my MA at Mac in 1991, I took a course in legal philosophy with visiting professor Michael Hartney, and met Wil as he joined our seminars on constitutional interpretation. Sitting with scholars trained by Raz and Hart was one thing; but the real value came in the openness of our discussion, detailed commentary on written work, and participation in trying to answer questions which matter in theory and practice.  As I pressed on with the PhD, working with Wil and then with Joseph Raz when Wil sent me to Oxford, I gradually learned from Wil not just how to complete a PhD, but how to be a professor.  How he managed this remains a bit of a mystery, but I do know that it worked. When I teach I hear a quiet voice reminding me to start at the level students are at, not where I'd like them to be. When I write I always remember our discussions about legal theory and clarity of expression -- discussions which often required a long walk through Cootes Paradise with pauses to take stock of just what we had actually concluded. And when I think about how I approach questions in legal theory, I always remember Wil's urging me to do what I think is important, not just what is fashionable. It's great advice, which has served me well, now I give the same advice to my students. Thanks Wil."