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December 9, 2024
Rhea Banks, director of administration of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, died on February 4. She was 36.
Banks is remembered as a beloved community member of the Law School — and Northwestern — who, in many ways, supported people, brought the community together and worked to advance justice.
In addition to her Law School work, she was a member of the Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC) from 2012 through 2018, having served as chair in 2017-18.
“There are no words to convey our sense of profound loss at Rhea’s passing,” wrote Hari Osofsky, dean of the Law School, and Robin Walker Sterling, director of the Bluhm Legal Clinic, in a message to the law community. “Rhea was there with a sympathetic ear and a thoughtful answer to even the most mundane questions. She consistently and gently asked for ways in which she could support each and every one of us, as well as our Bluhm Legal Clinic clients and students. We know the pain of her passing will not quickly go away and we are committed to providing space and community for us to mourn, grieve, and remember her together.”
Banks served as business administrator in the Bluhm Legal Clinic before being appointed interim executive director in September 2022 and then as director of administration in March 2023. Before joining the clinic, she worked with executive programs in the Law School where she coordinated programs for international law graduates seeking a degree in American law.
In addition to her work with NUSAC, Banks also contributed to improving Northwestern campus life as Chicago campus liaison for the Northwestern Black Professionals Alliance, co-chair of the Law School’s Staff Equity Alliance, member of the Women’s Center Advisory Board, a Wellness Champion and a member of Northwestern’s W.E.L.L. Council Engagement and Recognition Working Group.
Banks joined Northwestern in 2009 after earning her bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where she double majored in psychology and women & gender studies. She had recently earned her Master of Science degree in learning and organizational change from Northwestern.
