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Christopher Edley Jr.

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Chris Edley
Dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law
In office
2004–2013
Preceded byBob Berring (acting)
Succeeded byGillian Lester (acting)
Personal details
Born
Christopher Fairfield Edley Jr.

(1953-01-13)January 13, 1953
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedMay 10, 2024(2024-05-10) (aged 71)
Stanford, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMaria Echaveste
EducationSwarthmore College (BA)
Harvard University (JD, MPP)

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.[1] He served as President of The Opportunity Institute, an organization he co-founded with Ann O'Leary in 2016.[2]

Early life

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Edley was born on January 13, 1953,[3] to Christopher F. Edley Sr., President of the United Negro College Fund, and Zaida Coles Edley, an actress and speech therapist.[4] He was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Rochelle, New York.[5]

Career

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Edley 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.[6] 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.[7][8]

Edley completed his undergraduate studies in mathematics at Swarthmore College, later serving on its Board of Managers, a position which his father had also held. Edley next attended Harvard Law School, becoming a professor of Administrative Law. Working with Gary Orfield, Edley founded the Harvard Civil Rights Project.[9]

Edley 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.[10]

Having served since 2004, Edley resigned as Dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law at the end of 2013 to undergo treatment for prostate cancer. In 2016, he returned to teaching law at Berkeley and served as interim dean of the UC Berkeley School of Education between 2021 and 2023.[5]

According to legal journalist Emily Bazelon, Edley "has written thoughtfully and moderately about affirmative action."[10]

Personal life

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Following two divorces, Edley married Maria Echaveste, the former deputy chief of staff for U.S. President Bill Clinton. He died from complications of surgery in Stanford, California on May 10, 2024, at the age of 71.[11][12]

Published works

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  • Edley, Christopher, Jr. (1998). Not All Black and White: Affirmative Action and American Values. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-52541-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Edley, Christopher, Jr. (1990). Administrative Law: Rethinking Judicial Control of Bureaucracy. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300040791.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

References

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  1. ^ "Berkeley Law - Faculty Profiles". UC Berkeley School of Law. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  2. ^ "New Non-Profit, The Opportunity Institute, Takes Unique Approach to Social Mobility". The Opportunity Institute. February 16, 2016.
  3. ^ Who's Who Among African Americans. Gale / Cengage Learning. May 1, 2003. ISBN 9780787659158.
  4. ^ McLellan, Dennis (May 8, 2003). "Christopher F. Edley, 75; Former Chief of United Negro College Fund". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Marquard, Bryan (June 9, 2024). "Christopher Edley Jr., Civil Rights Advocate in White House and Academia, Dies at 71". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  6. ^ "Dean Edley to Help Obama with White House Transition - Berkeley Law". Berkeley Law. November 6, 2008. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  7. ^ "Christopher Edley Jr". Alliance For Excellent Education. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  8. ^ Watson, Jamal (May 12, 2024). "Christopher Edley, Prominent Legal Scholar, Passes Away". Diverse. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  9. ^ "Christopher Edley Jr". The Opportunity Institute. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Bazelon, Emily (November 26, 2007). "On the Advice of Counsel". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Risen, Clay (May 13, 2024). "Christopher Edley Jr., Civil Rights Expert Heard by Presidents, Dies at 71". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  12. ^ "Tragic News – The Passing of Chris Edley, Visionary and Beloved Dean". Berkeley Law. May 11, 2024. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
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