The legal field mourns the passing of one of its trailblazers, Lew Rose, an early internet advocate whose impactful career entailed both the creation of one of the first legal websites and a distinguished tenure at the helm of law firm Kelley Drye.
Starting his journey on the internet as one of the initial lawyers to venture online, Lew Rose launched his Advertising Law Internet Site in 1994, when he was a partner at Arent Fox. This endeavour was either the first or amongst the first sites dedicated to facilitating understanding of a legal field by its visitors.
Despite initial secrecy regarding his online activities, by February 1995, Lew’s website was named 16th in PC Computing’s listing of top 100 web spaces. This recognition led to him presenting his work to his firm’s partnership, and ultimately he aided Arent Fox in the development of its own digital presence.
While assisting in Arent Fox’s site creation, Lew facilitated the launch of Arent Fox InfoNet. This feature enabled online visitors to engage with the firm’s lawyers in discussions on various legal topics.
In 2001, Lew moved to Kelley Drye to head its advertising law practice, rising to the position of managing partner for its D.C. office in 2013. He moved up to firm-wide managing partner in 2015, where he stayed until his retirement in 2019.
In addition to his pioneering work in law and technology, Lew demonstrated a great commitment to the development of young legal minds. In 2022, he and his wife Jacqui donated a generous $1 million to the University of Buffalo School of Law, Lew’s alma mater. The funds were designated to support clinical programs which assist students in gaining practical training in areas of civil rights, domestic violence, criminal justice, and more
Upon Lew’s passing, Kelley Drye described him as “larger than life” and remarked on his significant impact on both friends and individuals seeking his professional counsel. His legacy continues to impact those in the legal community and his pioneering use of the internet in law is still relevant today.