Program in International Human Rights Law mourns the passing of a former intern,
research assistant, friend and an exceptional human being
Scott L. Goodroad.

Scott L. Goodroad (1972-2003)

(1972-2003)
It is with great sadness that the Program in International Human Rights Law informs you of the untimely death of one of our Law School graduates and former Program in International Human Rights Law Overseas Intern, Mr. Scott Goodroad ('99).

Scott was a devoted student of various domestic and international areas of inquiry, but was particularly committed to international human rights law and public service. He was a driving force behind the early development of the Program in International Human Rights Law, and served as our inaugural research assistant until he graduated in 1999. During the 1999 summer, Scott served as an overseas human rights law intern. He received both law school and outside scholarships to work for the East Timor Human Rights Centre in Melbourne, Australia ('99). While in Australia, he produced several pieces of substantive research that were used by the Centre for advocacy during the period leading to East Timor's joining the international community as an independent country. Scott made a healthy contribution to East Timor's quest for independence, and had an opportunity to interact with various outstanding figures such as Nobel Laureate Jose Ramos-Jorta. Scott was Editor-in-Chief of the Indiana International & Comparative Law Review, for which he worked tirelessly as an editor, author, and manager. He was also Associate Editor of the Indiana International Human Rights Law Bulletin (published by the Program in International Human Rights Law), and contributed several articles to different issues of the Law Bulletin. Furthermore, Scott represented our Program in International Human Rights Law on the regional planning committee of a major human rights law conference. He co-founded (with fellow law student Paul Berlon) the law school's Human Rights and Social Justice Film Series, and he founded and was the first author of a column called Human Rights Briefs, which was published in the law school newspaper, the Dictum. While in law school, Scott participated in various athletic events, including triathlons, and founded a running group for law school and undergraduate faculty, staff and students. The running club was meant to help improve health, and to help reduce stress. After graduating with honors from the Law School (J.D.) and with an MBA, he remained involved in human rights and public service activities while engaged in successful practice of law at a major corporate law firm in Minneapolis. Scott's determination to serve others carried over into his post-law school endeavors, as evidenced by his recent founding and directing of the Cancer Fraud Action Network while working at his law firm in Minneapolis.
Scott touched many people, directly and indirectly, both at home and abroad, through the Program in International Human Rights Law and otherwise. As part of the backbone of our Program during its infancy, he helped pave the way not only for his own overseas contributions as an intern, but also for the dozens of student interns who followed in his footsteps and who have now worked in almost 70 placements in more than 35 countries on six continents in subsequent years. The Program in International Human Rights Law would not be what it is today were it not for Scott's dedicated efforts to assist us in our earliest days. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Scott Goodroad, whose memory will be with us always. Our deepest condolences are with Scott Goodroad's family and other friends. We take comfort in the fact that Scott was surrounded by so many who loved and respected him.

Photo of Scott L. Goodroad and Professor George E. Edwards
Scott Goodroad and Professor Edwards at the Internship
Pre-departure Briefing and Training Session in May 1999.