William & Mary Law School Remembers Two Faculty Stalwarts
As we look back, William & Mary Law School honors the memory of two distinguished former members of the faculty who passed away during the 2025-26 academic year.
Professor John W. Lee
Professor John William Lee III, Professor of Law, Emeritus, a distinguished tax scholar and beloved member of the community for more than three decades died on November 11, 2025, after a long battle with heart disease.
Professor Lee joined the faculty in 1981 and remained until his 2015 retirement. Over his career, he shaped generations of students through rigorous teaching, keen analytical insight and a firm commitment to legal education.
A leading voice in tax law, he authored numerous influential law review articles that advanced understanding of the tax code.
Born in Chicago, Lee spent much of his childhood in rural North Carolina near Roaring Gap, raised by grandparents whose dedication to education guided his path.
He graduated as a National Merit Scholar from Sparta High School and earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1965 and a J.D. from the University of Virginia in 1968. While clerking for the U.S. Tax Court, he completed an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown, shaping his lifelong engagement with tax law.
Before academia, he was a partner at Hirschler, Fleischer, Weinberg, Cox & Allen in Richmond and served for decades on the Virginia Tax Conference.
Beyond his career, he loved the mountains, reading, swimming, and biking, and treasured time with family, especially his grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Woodward Lee, his children and grandchildren, and extended family. His legacy endures through his scholarship and the many lives he influenced.
Professor Doug Rendleman
Doug Rendleman, who served on the William & Mary Law School faculty from 1973 to 1988, died on March 28.
One of the nation’s leading scholars in remedies, civil procedure and complex litigation, Professor Rendleman held the Godwin Professorship of Law at William & Mary. He co‑edited Remedies (fourth edition) and Injunctions (second edition) and edited Enforcement of Judgments and Liens in Virginia.
During his distinguished career, Professor Rendleman made lasting contributions to the Law School through his teaching, scholarship, leadership, and mentoring. Known for his ready sense of humor, he also wrote a popular column, “Ask Uncle Doug,” for the Amicus Curiae student newspaper.
Professor Rendleman taught at the Universities of Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia and served as a visiting professor at Washington and Lee University during the fall 1987 semester. He joined the Washington and Lee faculty in 1988 and retired in 2020.
As a member of the American Law Institute, he served as an adviser on several major projects, including the Third Restatement of the Law: Remedies and the Third Restatement of the Law of Restitution and Unjust Enrichment.
Although he left William & Mary, Professor Rendleman remained an important part of our Law School community. As William & Mary parents, he and his wife, Carol, frequently returned to Williamsburg to visit family and meet up with former students and colleagues during our alumni weekend festivities.
Please join us in remembering Professor Rendleman and honoring a life devoted to legal education and public service.