Vermont Law School professor Hanna dies at 48

Cheryl Hanna, a Vermont Law School professor and well-known legal analyst, has died. She was 48.

Hanna, a frequent legal commentator for the Burlington Free Press and other Vermont media, was found at her home on South Winooski Avenue in Burlington at about noon Sunday.

Burlington Rescue rushed her to Fletcher Allen Health Care, where she died, police said.

The cause of her death is expected to be released Tuesday.

Michael Pottetti, who completed his first year at Vermont Law School, said Hanna was an inspiration to him and to many other students.

"She was by far my favorite professor," he said. "She was pretty inspirational. I really connected with her. A lot of people connected with her. She was helpful and eager to help any student and offered great advice."

MORE: Funeral for law professor Hanna set for Friday

The Burlington Police Mobile Crime Lab and at least three city police cruisers were parked outside Hanna's home Sunday afternoon.

An autopsy was conducted Monday by the Chief Medical Examiner's Office.

The South Royalton school said only that Hanna's death was "untimely." She was due to return to the campus to teach in the fall, a spokeswoman said. Dean Marc Mihaly did not respond to requests for comment.

After working as an assistant state's attorney in Baltimore, Hanna began teaching in 1994 at Vermont Law School, including courses in constitutional law. She also had worked on the Clinton-Gore presidential campaign in 1992.

Hanna offered legal commentary to the Vermont media on a wide range of topics, including the death penalty, abortion, the First Amendment and the legal fight over closing the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. She was noted for translating legalese into easily understandable language and clarifying the impact of court decisions on everyday Vermonters.

Faculty, staff and students gathered on campus Monday afternoon to remember Hanna. A formal memorial is being planned for another date.

"People looked forward to going to her class. She cared about the students," law student Pottetti, of Long Island, N.Y., told the Burlington Free Press.

The law school was providing counselors for students, faculty and staff by phone and planned to have them available on campus Tuesday.

"Professor Hanna was a beloved teacher, a role model to many within and beyond the Vermont Law School community, and a powerful force for innovation," the school said in an email to the campus. "We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed.

Hanna's survivors include her husband, Paul Henninge, and their two children.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, who along with his wife, Stacy, got to know Hanna through their children's attending school, said her death is a loss not only for the law school but for the state of Vermont.

" My family and I are heartbroken to know that we will no longer watch our children's school performances together or hear her wise words on VPR when we wake up in the morning," Weinberger said in a statement.

"Vermont is indebted to Cheryl for her passionate work representing public interest organizations and protecting the rights of women. We will remember and honor Cheryl's work to make the world a better, more just, and less violent place for all of us, and especially our daughters."

Hanna's Facebook page became a flowing tribute to the many lives she touched.

Olga Kariyawasam, a former student, wrote in part, "So hard to believe ... Professor Cheryl Hanna was so full of life and character. She created perfect atmosphere in class. She would cover the dry law school material mixing it with funny stories about her kids or goofy anecdotes about students. An ideal professor."

Christina Asbee, a former student and now a lawyer in Albany, N.Y., wrote, "Professor Cheryl Hanna would have the perfect words of sympathy to share in this situation. She was eloquent, compassionate, smart, funny, and inspirational. We have not only lost an amazing professor, but a great friend and advocate for those in need of support. I can only imagine what kind words she is whispering to us all as we mourn this great loss."

Hanna was active with the Girl Scouts and with Council for the Future of Vermont. She was elected the chairwoman of the board of trustees for the Richard and Barbara Snelling Center for Government in 2010.

She also had served on the board of trustees of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and as a member of the Vermont Gender Bias Study Implementation Task Force.

Hanna also was a recipient of the Sister Elizabeth Candon Distinguished Service Award by Vermont Women in Higher Education.

Hanna said on the Vermont Law School that she was excited about teaching at the school.

"I came here for many reasons, but two in particular stand out," she is quoted as saying. "First, I wanted to join a mission-driven law school, and VLS is one of the few schools that has a strong sense of mission. Most law schools are focused on helping law students learn how to conform to the profession. But here, we expect our graduates to go out and be agents of change. I have dozens of former students — in all sectors of the legal profession — who are doing interesting, innovative work to raise awareness of important issues and bring about the changes this world needs.

"The second key reason to be at VLS is Vermont itself. This is one of the most progressive states in the nation, and people here are actively working to better their communities and help others, sometimes locally, sometimes nationally or internationally. The law school gets involved with this. What we do here on a smaller scale often paves the way for change on a larger scale."

Correction:

This story has been updated to reflect the following: Marc Mihaly is the dean of Vermont Law School. His last name was incorrect in an earlier version of this report.

Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com. Follow Mike on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD.