Our hearts are heavy as we say a final farewell to the dear co-founder and former CEO and chair of the College Success Foundation (CSF) – Robert “Bob” E. Craves. The visionary leader passed away on November 5, 2014, following a brief struggle with cancer. He died peacefully, surrounded by his family.

Bob was the

My father died last evening. I had the honor of being with him for the last days, hours, minutes and seconds of his long life. A former high school and college basketball star, Korean War veteran, college math teacher, gentleman farmer and fisherman – but never a “former” marine, my dad died on his own

All things turn out OK sometimes:

New York Times – For Personal-Injury Lawyer, Michael Pollan’s Book Is Worth Fighting For

The Chronicle of Higher Education – Washington State U. Reinstates ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’ as Common-Reading Choice

The Daily Evergreen – The Donation revives Common Reading

Seattle Business Journal – E. coli lawyer solves WSU ‘Dilemma’

By Ross Anderson (former Seattle Times reporter) for King County Bar News

When Wyoming public health workers convened at a Cody meeting room recently, they spent much of three days listening to various authorities bring them up to date on issues from prenatal care to septic tanks to bioterrorism. But the keynote address did not come from a physician; it was delivered by a lawyer.

“Chasing ambulances is only part of what I do,” Bill Marler told them, drawing a ripple of chuckles across the room of about 125 people. “I represent people who are some of the most vulnerable in our society — kids who face a lifetime of kidney damage and possible transplants, all because they ate an undercooked hamburger.”

And he wanted his audience to know that he and public health officials are, or should be, on the same side of those issues.

Marler and his Seattle firm, Marler Clark LLP, specializes in representing people sickened by food-borne illness — excruciating and sometimes fatal disorders caused by toxins such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and hepatitis A. In the past decade, the firm has won more than $300 million in judgments and settlements from corporate giants across the United States.

And yet as Marler travels the country for his clients, he makes frequent stops at hotel meeting rooms to talk — at no charge — to public health departments and environmental health associations, and to trade groups for the restaurant, supermarket, and meat-processing industries.

His basic message: Make my day. Take the logical, common sense precautions, and this society can virtually eliminate food-borne illness, and therefore the lawyers who are associated with it. Put me out of business, please.

It is an unexpected message, coming from an unusual lawyer.Continue Reading Daniel in the lion’s den or the fox in the hen house?