Adventurer in Law

and, with $400 in his pocket, boarded an Amtrak train for New York with the dream of becoming a model. And he made it, too.

Arthur A. Birney ’50, ’52L, of Edgewater, Maryland, died on Jan. 14. He served in the Army and Air Force. He was the managing general partner of Washington Brick and Terra Cotta Co. He belonged to Sigma Chi.

Raymond W. Haman ’52L, of Langley, Washington, died on Oct. 30, 2020. He served in the Marines during World War II. He practiced law in Seattle for 39 years.

Roger J. Perry ’52, ’54L, of Charles Town, West Virginia, died on Dec. 4, 2020. He served in the Army Judge Advocate Corps and practiced law for 35 years. He belonged to Lambda Chi Alpha.

John T. Evans Jr. ’57, ’59L, of Lynchburg, Virginia, died on Dec. 12, 2020. He served in the Marines. He retired from Rubatex Corp. in 1992. He belonged to Sigma Nu.

John D. Marsh ’57, ’59L, of Hillsboro, Virginia, died on Feb. 1. He served in the Air Force. He was a financial consultant with Wheat First Securities and mayor of Purcellville, Virginia, from 1994–2002. He was father to Dave Marsh ’86. He belonged to Pi Kappa Phi. R. C. Gunnar Miller ’59L, of Jacksonville, Florida, died on Dec. 1, 2020. He had a private law practice and celebrated his 50th year before the bar in 2010. He belonged to Pi Kappa Alpha.

George E. Anthou ’60L, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, died on Dec. 2, 2020. He served in the Army and was an attorney for more than 50 years. He was father to Greg Anthou ’96.

Alexander R. Fitzenhagen ’60, ’62L , of Dallas, died on March 13. He retired from the financial services industry. He was father to Lex Fitzenhagen Jr. ’85 and Lin Fitzenhagen ’97. He belonged to Beta Theta Pi.

Philip H. Shafer ’65L, of Mansfield, Ohio, died on Nov. 8, 2020. He served in the Navy. He was a former attorney in Ashland, Ohio. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta. Andrew Wierengo III ’68L, of Muskegon, Michigan, died on Dec. 30, 2020. He served in the Army. He practiced law for 25 years, then served for 17 years as the 60th District Court Judge.

Bruce C. Leckie ’69L, of Charleston, West Virginia, died on Jan. 3. He was a retired trust officer, serving the banking community for 38

CHRISTOPHER RIANO ’10L acknowledges an “adventurous streak.”

That’s one way to characterize his path from living out of his Dodge Dynasty in a Pittsburgh park to modeling in the New York fashion industry to opening his own New York City law firm to serving as the youngest general counsel for a New York state agency to being elected inaugural chair of the New York State Bar Association’s LGBTQ Law Section and tackling his latest challenge as president of the Center for Civic Education.

Surely “fearless” is equally apt.

Riano was in his second year studying engineering at Carnegie Mellon when he had to live in his car for a time. A year later, he packed two suitcases

He transferred to Columbia University, dividing his time between modeling and classes before enrolling full-time in 2005. He was bound for business school before he won an election as chair of the student affairs caucus of the university senate. He found himself representing Columbia’s entire student body during the nationally renowned free speech controversy that roiled the university. Based on that experience, Riano said, “I became fascinated by the intricacies of how government works and how the law functions.

I knew then law was a better path.”

Riano chose W&L for law school for former Dean Rodney Smolla’s constitutional law focus and because he’d have a chance to build his own experience at a small school. That proved truer than he’d even hoped when, as a 2L, he worked jury trials with the Montgomery County (Maryland) State’s Attorneys Office.

“Normally only third-year students are permitted to make court appearances,” said Mary Natkin ’85, emerita clinic professor, who recalled Riano’s uncommon experience in her externship class. “The prosecuting office moved for permission for Christopher to appear. I specifically recall his participation and presentation in the seminar, which were fabulous, and his supervisor’s evaluations, which were equally so.”

After a postgraduate year clerking for Judge John Philip Miller ’73L of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and a few years helming his own firm, Riano joined Drohan Lee LLP as a partner and head of the strategic practice group, lecturing in constitutional law and government at Columbia and chairing Columbia’s Rules of University Conduct Committee, where he was soon embroiled in the university’s free speech issues all over again.

Though he loved private practice, Riano left in 2016 for a series of positions in New York state government — first as an administrative law judge, then as general counsel to the New York State Liquor Authority and finally as an assistant counsel to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

During this time, he also coauthored a book, “Marriage Equality: From Outlaw to In-Laws,” with William N. Eskridge Jr. of Yale Law School. A history of same-sex marriage equality in the U.S., the book recently won the 2021 Silver Gavel Award for Media and the Arts from the

American Bar Association, one of its highest honors.

Last June, Riano took over leadership of the Center for Civic Education — the largest and most respected nonprofit helping promote engaged civic competence to K–12 students and teachers — days after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. He is only the second person to lead the organization in its 55-year history. Six months after being named president, Riano was fielding media calls asking for guidance on how teachers could help students make sense of the Capitol insurrection.

“I am fortunate to be leading this historic organization when there is renewed focus on ensuring that we do better as a country in civic education,” Riano said. “It’s never too early, and it’s never too late, to start a lifelong conversation to celebrate the strengths and repair the weaknesses in our democratic republic.”

His experiences have reinforced for Riano how formidable this latest job will be. “I do not fear the unknown,” he says. “In fact, I enjoy the challenge that comes with setting a goal that is important to me and then achieving it.” years. He was uncle to Shawn Copeland ’90, ’95L.

David J. Kantor ’71L, of Chantilly, Virginia, died on Sept. 22, 2019. He served in the Army. After law school he had a successful career as a legal officer in the Coast Guard.

Thomas J. Czelusta ’73L, of Barboursville, Virginia, died on Dec. 7, 2019.

Larry W. Fifer ’73L, of Lewes, Delaware, died on Feb. 28. He served in the Army. He was an attorney, predominantly in Sussex County, for 48 years.

James E. Patterson ’73L, of Ellsworth, Maine, died on Jan. 16. He served in the Navy and practiced law for over 40 years.

David K. Higgins ’70, ’75L, of Charleston, West Virginia, died on Feb. 13. He served in the Army. He was an attorney, one of the founders of Robinson & McElwee PLLC, who spent his entire working career in Charleston. He was cousin to Kemble White III ’66, ’69L and Kemble White IV ’94. He belonged to Phi Gamma Delta.

M. Pierce Rucker II ’75L, of Glen Allen, Virginia, died on Feb. 13. He had a 41-year career as a trial lawyer with Sands Anderson in Richmond. He was cousin to Lewis Powell III ’74, Hannah Powell ’18 and Luke Powell IV ’20. He belonged to Beta Theta Pi.

Dana J. Bolton ’86L, of Charlotte, Vermont, and Montclair, New Jersey, died on May 16, 2020. He was a corporate lawyer in New York City for 26 years, retiring in 2012.

Paul A. Morrison ’87L, of Warrenton, Virginia, died on Nov. 3, 2020. He was founding and managing partner at Morrison, Ross and Whelan Attorneys at Law.

William R. Harbison ’87, ’90L, of Columbia, South Carolina, died on Jan. 24. He was a partner with Gallivan, White and Boyd. He belonged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

R. Christopher Lawson ’93L, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, died on April 1. He was a partner in the Friday, Eldredge & Clark law firm.

Daryl L. Rice ’98L, of Fairfax, Virginia, died on Feb. 8. He was an attorney with Sidley Austin LLP in the firm’s energy practice.