In Memoriam: Professor John S. Baker Jr. (1946–2025)

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing on September 6, 2025, of Professor John S. Baker Jr., esteemed Emeritus Professor at Louisiana State University and longtime Federalist Society member and leader. A respected scholar, a dedicated educator, and a cherished colleague, Dr. Baker’s contributions leave an enduring legacy.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Professor Baker exemplified the highest ideals of scholarship and service. Known for his intellectual rigor and passion for educating and challenging not just his law school students, but also members and leaders of the Federalist Society, he inspired generations to pursue knowledge with curiosity, discipline, and integrity. For years he co-taught the Federalist Society’s Separation of Powers Seminar with Justice Antonin Scalia. In more recent years, he co-taught an intellectually demanding seminar on the Federalist-Antifederalist Debates at the Founding. His other contributions are well known to and touched the lives of nearly everyone in Federalist Society circles.

We remember Professor John Baker not only for his professional accomplishments but for his humanity — his generosity of spirit, his faith, his sense of humor, and his unwavering belief in the transformative power of education, debate, and discussion. He was an intellectual leader to many in the ranks of the Federalist Society, and he will be deeply missed.

Professor Baker served for decades on the faculty of Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center, where he held the Dale E. Bennett Professorship of Law before becoming Professor Emeritus of Law.

During his career, he also taught at Tulane Law School, George Mason University Law School, Pepperdine Law School, New York Law School, Hong Kong University, and the University of Dallas School of Management. Internationally, he was a Fulbright Specialist at Universidad de los Andes in Chile (2012), a Fulbright Fellow in the Philippines (2006), and taught regularly at the University of Lyon III in France (1999–2011). He was also a Visiting Fellow at Oriel College, Oxford (2012–2014) and a Visiting Professor at the Georgetown Center for the Constitution (2013–2020).

Professor Baker earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Dallas, his J.D., with honors, from the University of Michigan Law School, and his Ph.D. in Political Thought from the University of London.

A prolific writer, Professor Baker authored numerous law review articles and books, including Hall’s Criminal Law: Cases and Materials (5th ed., 1993) and An Introduction to the Law of the United States (co-edited with Levasseur, 1992). His work often appeared in both scholarly and public forums, including The Wall Street Journal. He was widely recognized for his ability to bridge theory and practice in constitutional interpretation, offering clarity on complex issues of federalism, separation of powers, and criminal law.

Professor Baker was an intellectual leader within the Federalist Society, where his contributions shaped generations of students, academics, and practitioners. He was a frequent speaker, debater, panelist, writer, and faculty advisor, and his leadership exemplified the Society’s commitment to serious intellectual engagement.

Among his most lasting contributions were the two book club series he designed and led:

• The Federalist Papers Book Club (Winter 2021) — a ten-week program limited to thirty law students, with broader audiences joining by livestream. Each one-hour session provided a structured exploration of The Federalist. Participants covered 8-9 essays per week. Highlights included discussions of Federalist Nos. 47, 48, and 51 on separation of powers. Supplementary slides and materials enriched the experience. The program embodied Professor Baker’s gift for combining rigor with accessibility, bringing the Founders’ constitutional insights to a new generation.
  
  
• The Reasoned Argument Book Club (Fall 2021), subtitled The Counter to Cancel Culture — a thirteen-week series explored the tradition of rhetoric as essential to republican self-government. Using readings from Randy Barnett, Forrest McDonald, and Richard Weaver, the course traced the role of persuasion from the Founding through Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, to modern debates over speech and ideology. Topics included the Declaration of Independence, the Nullification Crisis, the Abolition Movement, and the tension between natural law and positivism. The series concluded with reflections on reasoned argument as a principled response to ideological conformity and suppression of discourse in contemporary life.

Through these programs — alongside his seminars with Justice Scalia and other contributions — Professor Baker deepened the Federalist Society’s culture of discussion, debate, and serious scholarship. Both book clubs remain available on the Federalist Society’s website, ensuring that his teaching continues to reach future generations.

https://fedsoc.org/federalist-papers-book-club

https://fedsoc.org/reasoned-argument-book-club

Professor Baker’s greatest legacy may be the generations of students he taught, mentored, and inspired. Former student Jason Doré (LSU Law ’07) offered this tribute:

“Professor John Baker was a guiding light for me and countless other students, instilling a profound understanding of the Constitution and the principles of separation of powers. As a mentor and longtime faculty advisor to the Federalist Society at LSU, Prof. Baker shaped generations of law students, academics and practitioners through his wisdom, dedication and passionate scholarship.”

Professor Baker is survived by his loving wife, Dayle, and their nine children, while the memory of two little ones lost to miscarriage remains forever in the family’s heart.

His life reflected an unwavering devotion to family, faith, scholarship, and liberty. He believed deeply in the transformative power of education and civil discourse, and he dedicated his career to preserving constitutional government for future generations. His legacy endures in his family, his scholarship, and the thousands of students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues, and all who had the privilege to know him.