Alumnus Fred Bartlit died on August 6, 2026. He was a member of the College of Law’s JD Class of 1960, among the top students in his class, and editor of the law review. Bartlit came to Illinois after earning a bachelor’s in engineering from United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, and serving eight years in the U.S. Army, including service with the Army Rangers.
After graduation, Bartlit worked with Kirkland & Ellis LLP before founding Bartlit Beck in 1993. His work earned him recognition as one of America’s “Lions of the Trial Bar” by the ABA Journal. Over the course of his career, he tried over 70 notable cases in more than 24 states, the Virgin Islands, and Scotland, including many complex and high-stakes cases. His reputation as a dedicated lawyer focused on winning for his clients helped Bartlit to gain work as counsel for President George W. Bush for the Tallahassee “hanging chads” election contest; he was later chosen as chief counsel by President Barack Obama a for the “National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.”
Bartlit was an active member of the Class of 1960 and gave generously to the Class of 1960 Scholarship Fund, created in honor of their 40th reunion. He also supported the Law Building Renovation Fund, which aided the building’s many upgrades during the last decade. Prior to the pandemic, Bartlit returned to campus numerous times to lecture in the College of Law’s Fundamentals of Legal Practice course, a required course for first-year students. In connection with Fundamentals of Legal Practice, Bartlit focused on principles of leadership, which was one of his academic interests. His lectures ultimately led to the development of the College of Law’s Leadership Project, an initiative focused on preparing College of Law graduates to assume leadership roles.
“Fred challenged us to focus on the teaching of leadership to our students, and we have been responding to that challenge more forcefully every year,” noted Greg Miarecki, the College’s Executive Assistant Dean for Career Planning and Professional Development. “We will be forever grateful to Fred for his support and encouragement in this endeavor, and will continue the important work of preparing our graduates to lead.”