University Professor and former Dean Peter Simmons, a long-time friend of Judge Stern, noted: “Mickey (in 35 years I never heard anyone call him ‘Morris’) Stern was one of our most memorable colleagues at the law school. A long-time teacher of commercial law and bankruptcy before he went on the bench, his classes were among our most popular electives, and his brilliance, practical wisdom and grace earned respect and appreciation from all who knew him. Those who believe that the law is both a learned and human profession have lost a true friend and leader.”
Before assuming the bench, Judge Stern was both a full-time member of the Law Faculty and in full-time practice, and since then had continued to teach courses in Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Law as an adjunct lecturer. In 2012, Judge Stern presented the annual Allan Axelrod Lecture, and over the years he was a frequent participant in various law school seminars and pro-bono activities – most recently in the school’s Bankruptcy Project in which volunteer attorneys work with students to provide pro bono bankruptcy representation for low-income individuals.
