Joseph Barrette, 70, of Deep River, formerly of Syracuse, New York, succumbed to his 30-year battle with MS on Nov. 17 at his residence. Mr. Barrette was born on Jan. 12, 1948, in Putnam, the son of Joseph and Jeanette (Bruneau) Barrette.

Before coming to Syracuse, Professor Barrette served as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow with the Onondaga Neighborhood Legal Services Corporation and as a law clerk to the Onondaga County Court. He was in private practice, where he engaged in extensive litigation in commercial law and criminal defense, and was supervising attorney and acting director of the Syracuse University Project for Prisoners’ Rights.

Professor Barrette was a Fulbright lecturer at Sind Muslim Government Law College in Karachi, Pakistan. He also lectured extensively on the law of Dharma and Buddhism, and regularly taught mediation to first-year law students, as well as individuals and groups in Central New York.

Professor Barrette developed and taught a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) law course, the first to be taught in a U.S. law school. He wrote a legal manual for practitioners of CAM and an article that analyzes the legal issues that affect physicians who practice CAM. He was a member of the American College of Legal Medicine. He was an adjunct faculty member with the College of Human Services and Health Professions.

Mr. Barrette is survived by his sister Carol Blifford and brother-in-law David Blifford of Deep River, and many nieces and nephews.

A service will be held at a later date. Swan Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Please visit www.swanfh.com for tributes and updated service information.