Herbert Wechsler
Herbert Wechsler | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, U.S. | December 4, 1909
Died | April 26, 2000 New York City, U.S. | (aged 86)
Education | LLB) |
Occupations |
|
Employer | Columbia Law School |
Awards | Henry J. Friendly Medal (1993) |
Herbert Wechsler (December 4, 1909 – April 26, 2000) was an American legal scholar and former director of the American Law Institute (ALI). He is most widely known for his constitutional law scholarship and for the creation of the Model Penal Code. The Journal of Legal Studies has identified Wechsler as one of the most cited legal scholars of the 20th century.[1]
Early life and education
Wechsler entered
Lawyer
In 1940, Wechsler went to
During World War II, Wechsler served as assistant attorney general in charge of the War Division. This included leading the litigation for Korematsu v. U.S., the case challenging the Japanese Internment during World War II.
In 1945 and 1946, he was a principal assistant to US Judge
In 1959, Wechsler delivered his Holmes lecture at Harvard Law School, "Toward Neutral Principles of Constitutional Law." It was also around this time that Wechsler authored a number of casebooks that changed ideas about criminal law and the federal courts. In 1963, Wechsler's proposed official draft of the Model Penal Code was approved, bringing to a close a decade-long project at the American Law Institute. His wife, Doris Wechsler, noted that he considered the Model Code to be his greatest achievement. Shortly after the approval of the Model Code, Wechsler was named director of the Institute, a position which he held until 1984.[4]
In 1964, Wechsler argued the seminal case
Wechsler served as the first chair of the New York Commission on Judicial Nomination from 1977 until 1982.[6]
Accomplishments
During Wechsler's tenure as director, the American Law Institute completed the second restatement of the
Following his retirement as director of the ALI in 1984, Wechsler remained active in the Institute's activities as a member of the council until his death in 2000.[4]
Awards and honors
In 1993, Wechsler became the third recipient of the American Law Institute's Henry J. Friendly Medal for "outstanding achievement in promoting reform and clarification of the law" and for the way that his "outstanding intelligence, integrity, and devotion to the law... enriched the subjects of Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Federal Jurisdiction, as well as legal thinking generally."[4]
Wechsler also received the Association Medal of the New York City Bar Association for exceptional contributions to the honor and standing of the bar in the community.
Wechsler was a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.[7][8]
See also
References
- S2CID 143676627.
- ^ Lewin, Tamar (April 28, 2000). "Herbert Wechsler, Legal Giant, Is Dead at 90". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c Rudy Carmenaty (2004). "C250 Celebrates Your Columbians: Herbert Wechsler". Columbia University. Retrieved September 16, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f "Herbert Wechsler". ALI Reporter. Summer 2000. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-670-03375-1.
- ^ "The Commission on Judicial Nomination Announces the Appointment of Hon. E. Leo Milonas to Serve as the Sixth Chair in its History" (PDF). Commission on Judicial Nomination. February 7, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ "Herbert Wechsler". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
External links
- The short film ALI Audiovisual History – Herbert Wechsler (Part 1) (1989) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
- The short film ALI Audiovisual History – Herbert Wechsler (Part 2) (1989) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
- Guide to the Herbert Wechsler papers at the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library, New York NY