Bernard G. Segal
Bernie Segal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bernard G. Segal June 11, 1907 New York City, New York U.S. |
| Died | June 1, 1997 (aged 89) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S. |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Years active | 1924-1997 |
| Spouse | Geraldine "Jerry" Segal |
Bernard G. Segal (June 11, 1907 – June 1, 1997) was an American lawyer known for his advocacy for the poor and his work in the civil rights movement.
Early life and education
Segal was born in New York City but spent his childhood in Allentown and Philadelphia. He received both his bachelor's and law degrees at the University of Pennsylvania.
Career
Upon his graduation from law school, Segal became a deputy attorney general in the office of
At 24, Segal was the youngest deputy attorney general in state history.[1]
When Schnader lost a race for governor and established his own firm in 1935, Segal quickly became a partner, eventually serving as chairman of the firm, now known as Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis.[2][3]
In the 1950s, Segal became the first Jewish lawyer elected chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, the nation's oldest bar association. In 1969, he became president of the
Segal argued nearly 50 cases before the
In 1963, as the civil rights revolution was heating up, Segal called Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and asked why the President was not marshaling lawyers to help the civil rights movement. President John F. Kennedy convened a meeting of 244 prominent lawyers suggested by Segal and established the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, with Segal as co-chairman. The Committee sent lawyers to defend civil rights workers in southern states and played a critical role in advancing civil rights, not only in the south, but in many northern cities as well. Segal's wife, Dr. Geraldine Segal, a civil rights scholar in her own right, worked closely with Segal in their civil rights activities.
Segal also played a seminal role in furthering legal services for the poor, chairing the Advisory Committee on the National Legal Services Program under President Lyndon B. Johnson and enlisting lawyers throughout the nation to provide legal services to the indigent. He was devoted to the principle that the most despised defendants also deserved a defense. In 1953, he organized the defense of nine Philadelphians denounced as Communists.[1]
Segal received honorary degrees from the University of Pennsylvania,
In 1981, the
When the high court of history writes its judgment in praise of Bernard G. Segal, it will place an even higher value on his indefatigable efforts to expand and improve legal services for the poor, the powerless, and the dispossessed. I will note his mighty role in pushing the organized bar and many individual lawyers to accept the eradication of barriers of racial discrimination and religious bigotry as part of their mission. It will stress his efforts to maintain and improve the independence and excellence of the judiciary."[4]
Personal life
Segal died on June 1, 1997, 10 days before his 90th birthday, from complications of cancer at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Mcg Thomas Jr, Robert (5 June 1997). "Bernard G. Segal Dies at 89; Lawyer for Rich and Poor". The New York Times.
- ^ "History". Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ Blumenthal, Jeff (8 August 2005). "Schnader Harrison: A Survivor at 75". The Legal Intelligencer.
- ^ Obituary of Bernard G. Segal, The University of Pennsylvania - Almanac, Volume 43, Number 36, June 17, 1997
External links
- The Bernard G. Segal Papers at the University of Pennsylvania Law School Archives
- Testimony by Bernard G. Segal in support of the nomination of Justice Lewis F. Powell to the United States Supreme Court
- History of the American Bar Association in the 1960s
- A Moral Issue, by Gerard J. St. John, detailing Segal's work with the American Bar Association on civil rights
- The Rainmakers, by Gerard J. St. John, referencing Segal's career
- Full text of the United States Supreme Court decision in Rosenbloom v. Metromedia
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