Warner Lawson, Jr.

Warner Lawson Jr. was born on April 3, 1940, in Greensboro, North Carolina and passed away on September 17, 2023, in Baltimore, MD with his wife Karen McGill by his side.  Warner leaves to cherish his memory his devoted wife, children Michele and Christopher, stepdaughter Lauren, grandchildren Shelby, Sakile, Kimathi and Sankara, a host of nieces and nephews and other relatives, friends, colleagues, and former students.   

The second of three sons (Raymond, Warner, Lyn) he was born to talented and successful educators, Nellie Washington, and Warner Lawson Sr.  In 1942, the family moved to Washington DC when Warner Sr. joined the faculty of Howard University (HU) where he led the HU School of Music to full accreditation and served as Dean of the School of Music and after 1961, Dean of the School of Fine Arts.  His mother Nellie had a long and distinguished career teaching in the Washington DC school system.  Warner often referred to himself and his brothers as “Campus Brats” as the HU campus was their playground.  He grew up in a very segregated city where he said he had no reason to go West of 15th Street, but on the Howard campus he was surrounded by a loving and intellectually stimulating extended family.

After service in the Army, graduation from Howard University Law School, and a stint at Proskauer Rose Goetz and Mendelsohn in New York City, Warner found his passion as a law professor at Ohio State University Law School. In 1974 he returned to Howard University as an Associate Professor in the Law School, becoming a Full Professor in 1981.  When Warner retired in 2014, more than 400 students were in touch to express their gratitude. While he experienced several health challenges in his later years, he maintained his beautiful smile and humor to the end.

An article in the Washington Post after the passing of his father read “Lawson won to him the hearts as well as the malleable voices of those hundreds of singers he trained in his years at Howard.” His second son and namesake followed in his footsteps winning the hearts of hundreds of Howard University Law students through his teaching, comportment, and humor.

 The family asks that In lieu of flowers, donations be made to Howard University Law School for the Howard Public Interest Law Society (HPILS).

A video recording of the memorial service may be found at https://vimeo.com/874403016?share=copy

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