Law student will be missed

Members of the UNC School of Law community were saddened earlier this month by the sudden, unexplained death of a third-year law student.

Alexander T. Finamore, 26, of Bethesda, Md., died Jan. 6 while sleeping in his apartment.

After receiving a 911 call from a friend staying over, paramedics arrived on the scene but were unable to revive him, according to Sgt. Chris Atack of the Carrboro Police Department.

“An autopsy report is still pending and the cause of death is currently undetermined,” he said.

Finamore had just returned from winter break, which he partly spent in New Orleans doing pro bono law work for those who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.

“Alexander was loved by so many friends and by all of his family,” said his mother, Barbara Tatge, in a statement via e-mail.

“He gave us all the gift of his smile, the kindness of his heart, his generosity and his love of music. He was always introducing me to new sounds. I loved him very much.”

There will be a memorial service held in his honor in Washington, D.C., on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Finamore’s family put together a few shuttles — 13 passenger vans — to transport anyone who wants to go to his memorial this Saturday, said Victoria Perez, a friend and fellow law student.

Perez said her friend’s future looked promising.

“He was making great headway in his life and was actually looking at getting a job in Miami,” she said. “He had a positive influence in everyone’s lives.”

The family invites anyone who knew Alex or was affected by his death to attend the service, said Perez.

There will also be a memorial at UNC School of Law on Jan. 28. The time will be announced closer to the date of the service, said David Brown, a friend and fellow law student.

“Alex was a good friend and he will be sorely missed,” Brown wrote in an e-mail.

Richard Myers, associate dean for student affairs at the law school, said he taught two classes of Finamore’s. He said there are many law students seeking help to cope with Finamore’s death.

“Alex was one of the most charismatic young men we’ve ever had come through this school, and he had a smile that was incandescent,” he said.

Melissa Saunders, a professor at the school, said Finamore had an uncanny ability to read people.

“He was one of the most naturally gifted lawyers I think I’ve ever taught,” she said. “He had this real gift with people, and he was just coming into his own.”

Saunders added that she thinks he may have recorded the most pro bono hours of any student in his class.

“Every major pro bono project, he was either leading or at the forefront of,” she said. “He was just a giving person.

“He will be deeply missed.”

Contact the University Editor at university@dailytarheel.com.