The Princeton Justice Project (PJP) will submit a brief to the state Supreme Court this fall supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage in honor of a former adviser and University preceptor who died earlier this month.
Linda Colligan, a Rutgers University graduate student who advised the group and served as a preceptor for the politics department, committed suicide on March 12 in Chadds Ford, Pa. She was 46.
Colligan played a central role in collaborating with students and writing the 70-page brief in response to the lower court's 2003 decision that the state constitution does not support gay marriage.
"It's going to be tough not having someone there who is so committed and knowledgeable on day-today legal issues. The value that she brought to the group was so great," said Chris Lloyd '06, co-captain of PJP's Family Rights Project.
The PJP group has met monthly in the Nassau Street law office of lawyer and University preceptor Bill Potter '68. Colligan would arrive early at the conference room for each meeting, carrying file folders. Over lunch and coffee, Colligan would take charge and organize students' reports on research leads into new drafts of the brief, Potter recalled.
"It quickly became apparent that Linda was the most prepared and had done the most work," Potter said. "She took charge and was a superb organizer and outstanding writer."
Colligan volunteered to write the brief in 2003, using her legal background to frame the argument for same-sex marriage by tracing the evolution of state marriage law and the institution of marriage.
"She was very dedicated. She would drive from her house an hour and a half away," Lloyd said. "She really made this project a reality."
Lloyd was on the verge of dropping out of the Family Rights Project earlier this year, faced with his responsibilities as an RCA in Wilson College and the president of the Class of 2006 in addition to regular academic coursework. However, he said he was inspired to stay by Colligan's intense dedication on top of her job and graduate studies.
In an email last week, Tom and Doris Colligan expressed pride in their daughter's "lifelong efforts to oppose all forms of discrimination by educating others and standing up for what she believed to be just."
On March 8, four days before her death, Colligan emailed the group to tell them she had finished her work on the brief, and the rest was up to them.
Potter interpreted the email as a signal that Colligan was getting tired of doing most of the work, and he responded to indicate the group's appreciation for her tremendous dedication, he said.
"In retrospect, she was saying goodbye to us, but of course, we didn't realize that," he said.
The PJP members, guided by Potter, plan to edit the brief and present it to various University groups and individuals for signatures of support, making it a statement of justice that comes from the University community, Lloyd said. The PJP will then submit it to the state Supreme Court as an amicus brief dedicated to Colligan.
University preceptor
At Princeton, Colligan was a preceptor for politics professor Beth Jamieson's class, POL 317: Discrimination and the Law, in fall 2003.
"Linda changed my academic experience," said Katie Coyne '04, who was in the precept. "She taught me not only the fundamentals of political science and how to write accordingly, but that behind every belief and opinion, there is truly meaningful value and academic grounding."
Colligan prepared extensively for each precept, creating handouts for students on past case law and outlining hypothetical situations for students to apply their legal knowledge.
"My students said she was among the very best teachers they had at Princeton," Jamieson said, noting Colligan's dedication to justice and listening skills. Jamieson met her in 1991 when they started graduate school together.
When remembering Colligan, her friends "all mention her very impressive intellect. She was smart, thoughtful and had a very analytical mind . . . she was also kind and could be very funny," Jamieson said.
Students described how she helped improve their writing by focusing on precise language and legal arguments.
"Learning from Linda was truly enlightening, and an experience I will never forget. I can only hope to be as influential to someone as Linda was to me," Coyne said.
Colligan worked at the Educational Testing Service and took part-time graduate school classes at Rutgers to complete obtain her Ph.D. in political theory.
Colligan received a political science bachelor's degree from Trinity College and a law degree from Rutgers.
A memorial service will be held in the chapel later this month.
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