| Randy J. Holland | |
| Office: | Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court |
| Termstart: | 1986 |
| Termend: | March 2017 |
| Appointer: | Mike Castle |
| Successor: | Gary Traynor |
| Birth Date: | 27 January 1947 |
| Birth Place: | Elizabeth, New Jersey, US |
| Alma Mater: | Swarthmore College (BA) University of Pennsylvania University of Virginia (LLM) |
Randy James Holland (January 27, 1947 – March 15, 2022)[1] [2] was a justice of the Delaware Supreme Court.[3] He was appointed to that office in 1986 and was the youngest person to serve on the Delaware Supreme Court.[4] He retired from the Court in 2017. His seat was taken by Justice Gary Traynor.
Randy James Holland was born on January 27, 1947, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the oldest child of James Holland and Virginia Holland.[5] Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Milford, Delaware. Holland attended Milford High School, where he was quarterback and captain of the football team and a catcher on the baseball team. While in high school, he met his future wife, Ilona E. Holland.
Holland attended Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Swarthmore in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, cum laude, and he received the Loughlin Award for legal ethics. Holland received a Master of Laws in the Judicial Process from the University of Virginia Law School.[6]
Prior to his appointment and confirmation to the Delaware Supreme Court in 1986, he was a partner at Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell in Georgetown, Delaware. Holland was appointed to the court in 1986 by Governor Mike Castle, making him the youngest person to serve as a Delaware Supreme Court justice.[7] In 2009, he became the longest-serving justice in Delaware history. Two years later, Holland was reappointed by former Governor Jack A. Markell and was unanimously confirmed by the Delaware Senate for an unprecedented third 12-year term. While on the court, Holland wrote more than 700 reported opinions, which include many seminal corporate law decisions.
Holland announced in February 2017 that he would retire at the end of March 2017. His final term was set to expire on March 23, 2023. After retiring from the Delaware Supreme Court, Holland joined the law firm, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he was Senior counsel in the Wilmington, Delaware office.
During his legal career Holland was a member of many different organizations such as;
Holland wrote, co-authored, or edited the following books:
He has also published several law review articles, primarily dealing with judicial ethics and legal history.
In 2009, Holland co-authored a law school casebook from the perspective of all 50 states entitled State Constitutional Law: The Modern Experience. In 2010, with Holland's encouragement, the Conference of Chief Justices passed a unanimous resolution recommending that all law schools offer courses on state constitutions.
In 2004, Holland was elected to be an Honorable Master of the Bench by Lincoln's Inn in London.
Chief Justices Rehnquist and Roberts appointed Holland as the state judge member of the Federal Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules.
Holland taught appellate practice for 25 years as an adjunct professor and co-authored a law school casebook entitled Appellate Practice and Procedure. He continued to teach corporate governance classes at several law schools.
Holland was recognized as one of the leading influencers on business ethics in the United States. He traveled internationally to advance corporate governance and ethics, including working with the chief justice of Taiwan and visiting the country to speak on these topics.
After his death was announced in March 2022, many highlighted his legacy and legal work, including the Delaware State Democratic Caucus, Senator Tom Carper, former Chief Justices E. Norman Veasey and Leo E. Strine Jr, and current Chief Justice Collins J Seitz Jr.