In Memoriam
Gill Cochran
Gill Cochran
1964 Yale graduation
September 2, 2025
On this date we were notified by Yale that Gill Cochran ’64 had passed away on July 19, 2025. Here are the following remembrances:
Obituary
The Capital Gazette (Annapolis)
August 3, 2025
Gill Cochran
law firm portrait
Distinguished attorney, Bronze Star recipient, Annapolis Ward 1 alderman, community leader, and devoted husband Gill Cochran, a revered trial attorney, decorated U.S. Army veteran, former Annapolis Ward 1 alderman, foundational figure in Maryland's legal community, and leader in local Alcoholics Anonymous chapters, passed away peacefully on July 19, 2025 at the age of 83.
Born on April 4, 1942 into the prominent Cochran family of Baltimore, Gill was raised with a deep sense of civic duty and intellectual rigor. He attended the Calvert School in Baltimore and the Groton School in Massachusetts before graduating from Yale University.
Following college, he served with distinction in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, where he was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic and meritorious service.
After returning from Vietnam, Gill earned his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. In 1970, he founded the law office of Gill Cochran in downtown Annapolis. Over the following decades he established himself as one of Maryland's most formidable criminal defense and personal injury attorneys. In 2016, the firm became known as Cochran & Chhabra, LLC, reflecting Gill's dedication to mentoring and uplifting the next generation of attorneys.
Gill's legal career was defined by fearless advocacy, unwavering integrity, and a commitment to justice that inspired colleagues and clients alike. He was equally devoted to public service, having served as the alderman for Ward 1 in the City of Annapolis, where he brought the same passion and fairness to local government as he did to the courtroom.
Gill found great joy in sailing and racing on the Chesapeake Bay — the water was his place of peace. He also found deep fulfillment in helping his clients and others become sober and maintain their sobriety. Gill personally maintained over 40 years of sobriety and was a respected figure in the recovery community.
His other passions included amateur magic and daily running. He often used his magic tricks to connect with legal clients, lightening the gravity of their situations. Regardless of the weather, Gill ran every day. In 1977, he founded the 6:06am running group which would cover six miles through historic Annapolis and the United States Naval Academy. The club remains active today, with over 35 members who fondly remember Gill for the clever nicknames he gave each of them. Fittingly, his own nickname in the group was “Leader, Sir” — a title that captured both his role and the deep respect he inspired.
In keeping with his lifelong values, Gill donated his remains to science — a final gesture of service and contribution. He will later be interred at Arlington National Cemetery in recognition of his honorable service to both his country and community. Gill is survived by his devoted wife, Eileen Cochran, with whom he shared a life of profound love, purpose, and partnership. He is also survived by his daughter Jean Batty, her husband Scott Batty, and their children, Nathan, Eliza, and Theodore; his daughter Nina Davis; and his son G. Andrew Cochran and his wife Nicole, along with their children, Olivia and Cole.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Gill's memory to Disabled American Veterans and/or Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, two causes that reflect his enduring commitment to service, recovery, and the water he loved.
Gill Cochran's legacy will endure — in the courtroom, in the city of Annapolis, on the waters of the Chesapeake, and in the countless lives he touched. He will be remembered with deep respect, admiration, and gratitude.
Essay, 50th Reunion Book
by Gill Cochran
May 2014
I left Yale in 1964 and ended up in Vietnam in 1966, compliments of Army ROTC. I led 43 men in combat as a platoon leader, a job that had the most weighty responsibility of my life.
I returned from Vietnam and went to University of Maryland law school. I graduated with honors in 1970 and joined the public defender system for seven years. I fell in love with criminal law and decided to go into private practice on my own.
I had three children by my first wife. We were ultimately divorced, and I married a second time and had a stepdaughter. That marriage also ended in divorce. Happily there was a third marriage, which endures to this day. Sometimes it takes three tries.
I was 31 years old when I figured out I had a problem with alcohol. I grew up in an alcoholic family. Beta Theta Pi at Yale didn’t help at all either. I decided it was time to become sober, and with the help of a good doctor, I started on my journey of recovery. I have been sober for 40 years and my dream is to make it for another ten.
In the meantime, my law practice has thrived. I have been practicing for 44 years, with the goal of at least six more. If I can reach 50 years of lawyering, I may slow down a bit, but I will never stop. Law is my life. When does it ever stop?
The most important thing in my life is my wife Eileen. In January we celebrated 20 years of marriage. She has helped me in the process of growing up, and even at 71, I feel I have a lot more growing to do.
The second most important thing in my life is sobriety — a journey, not a destination. I love helping other people get sober, and this is the primary reason why I continue to work in criminal law. I estimate that 80% of my clients have drug and alcohol problems, and I try to influence and support them to get involved in AA/NA. For me it is a perfect combination — working and helping people.
I live on Spa Creek in Annapolis, Maryland with my wife, dog, cat, and a couple of small boats. If anyone is ever in the area, I would love to give you a sail!
Essay, 25th Reunion Book
by Gill Cochran
May 1989
After Yale, I found myself as a platoon leader in Vietnam. It taught me a great deal about life and death. I decided that rather than kill people, I would enjoy the law as a career and went to the University of Maryland Law School. I graduated from there in 1970 and ultimately got involved with the Public Defender’s Office. I served in that office for a period of seven years, defending every form of criminal misconduct.
Along the way, I discovered that alcoholism had taken hold of my life. I got the proper help and thereafter my legal career as well as my personal life took off. I married a lovely lady by the name of Carole Clarke Tischer in 1973 and have since lived a busy life in Annapolis practicing law.
My specialty is criminal law and, more precisely, drunk-driving cases. I genuinely enjoy handling these cases and trying to help people with drinking problems. It’s been the most satisfying part of my law career. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Some people consider practicing criminal law the lowest form of law. I quite frankly think it’s the highest form of practicing law since I am helping people. And isn’t that what the world is all about?
I am happily practicing law here in Annapolis. I also have a beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. If any Yalies are down my way, feel free to drop by either in Annapolis, Maryland, or Rehoboth, Delaware.