Lasell faculty remembered Cassie Langtry ’18 as bright, inquisitive, motivated, caring, and kind — the personal characteristics that her former professors were certain would have helped the recent graduate develop into a standout lawyer.

Cassie, 24, died suddenly on January 15 of an undetected blood disorder. At the time of her passing, she was a second-year student at UMass Law in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and a paralegal at the Ardito Law Group in West Yarmouth (read her obituary in the Cape Cod Times).

“I feel this tremendous sense of loss,” said lecturer Steve Rosenthal, who coached Cassie on Lasell’s Mock Trial team. “She was a wonderful person, but also someone who was bright and talented and heading in the right direction in life.”

Cassie graduated from Lasell summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in law and public affairs with a minor in psychology. She was inducted into Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, and received the Lasell Book Award for Law and Public Affairs. The transfer student from Bennington College was the vice president of the Random Acts of Kindness Club at Lasell and worked for the yearbook.

Cassie served as co-captain of the Mock Trial team during her senior year, and Rosenthal recalled her mentoring her younger teammates and ensuring that everyone was enjoying themselves on road trips.

Despite her sweet demeanor, Cassie effectively represented her side during competitions. “She was no pushover and showed that you could be assertive without being a jerk,” Rosenthal said. “I felt that she had just the right tone and could forcefully advocate for her position without being obnoxious.”

Lasell professor Linda Bucci, chair of the Justice Studies program, served as Cassie’s academic advisor and wrote recommendations to support her law school applications. In her senior-year capstone course, one of Cassie’s assignments was to write a brief and argue her case before a simulated moot court.

“Her brief and her argument were as good as any law school student could produce,” Bucci said. “She loved the law and looked forward to using the law to represent the marginalized and those without a voice. She really enjoyed helping others.”

Lasell professor Karin Raye stayed in close contact with Cassie after she graduated, and sent her family a note after she learned of her former student’s passing.

“Cassie was indeed a special young woman who touched my heart with her genuine sincerity and kindness,” Raye wrote. “She was cherished, appreciated, and respected by everyone who met her. I felt lucky to teach her and get to know her on a personal level.”