Christopher Fairfield Edley Jr. (January 13, 1953 – May 10, 2024) was an American lawyer and the Dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law from 2004 to 2013.[2] He served as President of the Opportunity Institute, an organization he co-founded with Hillary Clinton advisor Ann O'Leary.
Chris Edley | |
|---|---|
| Dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law | |
| In office 2004–2013 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Berring (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Gillian Lester (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Fairfield Edley Jr. January 13, 1953 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | May 10, 2024 (aged 71) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Maria Echaveste |
| Parent(s) | Christopher F. Edley, Sr., Zaida Coles Edley[1] |
| Education | Swarthmore College (BA) Harvard University (JD, MPP) |
Life and career edit
Edley was born on January 13, 1953,[3] to Christopher F. Edley, Sr. and Zaida Coles Edley.[1] He was a leading figure in Democratic policy circles for four decades, serving as a senior member of five presidential campaigns, as an economic policy and budget official under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, and as a chair of the Obama-Biden transition team.[4] In 2011 he was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as co-chair of the congressionally chartered National Commission on Equity and Excellence in Education.[5]
After receiving his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Swarthmore College he attended Harvard Law School, where he later served as a professor, teaching Administrative Law and founding the Harvard Civil Rights Project.[6] He served as an advisor to President Clinton's One America Initiative, was a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and chaired President Clinton's 1998 Affirmative Action Review. In the 2008 presidential election, he supported and advised candidate Barack Obama, one of his former students at Harvard Law School.[7] He was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board in 2010. On August 16, 2013, he announced his intention to resign as Berkeley Law dean, effective December 31, 2013.
According to legal journalist Emily Bazelon, Edley "has written thoughtfully and moderately about affirmative action."[7]
Edley was married to Maria Echaveste, former deputy chief of staff for U.S. President Bill Clinton. He died on May 10, 2024, at the age of 71.[8]
Published works edit
- Edley, Christopher Jr. (1998). Not All Black and White: Affirmative Action and American Values. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-52541-2.
- Administrative Law: Rethinking Judicial Control of Bureaucracy
References edit
- ^ a b McLellan, Dennis (2003-05-08). "Christopher F. Edley, 75; Former Chief of United Negro College Fund". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ "Berkeley Law - Faculty Profiles". UC Berkeley School of Law. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
- ^ Who's Who Among African Americans. Gale / Cengage Learning. 2003-05-01. ISBN 9780787659158.
- ^ "Dean Edley to Help Obama with White House Transition - Berkeley Law". Berkeley Law. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ "Christopher Edley Jr". Alliance For Excellent Education. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ "Christopher Edley Jr". The Opportunity Institute. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
- ^ a b Bazelon, Emily (2007-11-26) On the Advice of Counsel, Slate.com
- ^ "Tragic News – The Passing of Chris Edley, Visionary and Beloved Dean". Berkeley Law. 2024-05-11. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
External links edit
 | This biographical article about an American legal academic is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This biographical article about a United States activist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| | This biography of an American academic administrator born in 1950–1959 is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |