Alan Gerson, born Elik Gerzon in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 1945, was a lawyer, whose case against Libya in connection with the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in l988, paved the way for lawsuits in American courts against states that sponsor terror attacks. He was a child of Jewish refugees from the Holocaust, who arrived in New York in 1950. Mr. Gerson died Dec. 1. He was 74.

He enjoyed a long and varied career. He prosecuted Nazi war collaborators, represented victims of terrorism, taught international law, worked at the United Nations, and wrote books. He was also a notable photographer and jewelry maker.

But he was best known for originating the legal argument that was used successfully against the Libyan government for its role in supporting terrorists who bombed a civilian airliner. All 259 people aboard and 11 on the ground were killed. In 2002, Lybia agreed to a $2.7 billion settlement, or $10 million per victim.