William Glendon

William Glendon
William Glendon
Born	c. 1920; LLB)
Known for	Representing The Washington Post in the Pentagon Papers case

William R. Glendon (c. 1920 – December 25, 2008) was an American attorney who specialized in issues relating to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and represented The Washington Post in the Pentagon Papers case.

Early life and education

Glendon was born in

Normandy Landings. He left the Navy with the rank of lieutenant.^[1]

Career

After ending his military service, he attended the Georgetown Law School, graduating in 1947. He served as an assistant district attorney in Washington, D.C., and joined the firm of Rogers & Wells (now part of Clifford Chance), and relocated to the firm's Manhattan office in 1956.^[1]

In 1971, the

Nixon Administration sought to suppress publication of the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret history prepared by the United States Department of Defense documenting American political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967, citing claims that publication of the classified material could cause irreparable injury to the national interest. On this basis court injunctions were issued to prevent publication of the material in these documents by The New York Times and The Washington Post.^[1]

Together with

Byron R. White that "when you bring a case you are supposed to prove it, and when you come in claiming irreparable injury, particularly in this area of the First Amendment, you have a very, very heavy burden."^[1]^[2] The court, by a 6-to-3 majority, agreed.^[1]

In the 1977 securities fraud case Santa Fe Industries Inc. v. Green, Glendon successfully argued that a party challenging a securities transaction permitted under state law must prove fraudulent deception and not just a breach of fiduciary responsibility.^[1]

Glendon was elected as mayor of

United States Court of Appeals which ruled that the village's ban amounted to an unconstitutional infringement on "religious speech", and allowing the crèche to be displayed after a five-year gap.^[1]^[3]

Personal life

A resident of Scarsdale and

Fishers Island, Glendon died at age 89 on December 25, 2008, in White Plains, New York.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Grimes, William. "William R. Glendon, 89, Dies; Argued for Right to Publish Pentagon Papers", The New York Times, January 3, 2009. Accessed January 4, 2009.
^ Staff. "Transcript of Oral Argument in Times and Post Cases Before the Supreme Court; Classification of Government Documents Discussed by Lawyers Before High Court Transcript of Arguments on the First Amendment Issue at the Court Hearing", The New York Times, June 27, 1971. Accessed January 4, 2009.
^ Greenhouse, Linda. "Supreme Court Roundup; Restrictions on Religious Displays to Be Weighed ", The New York Times, October 4, 1988. Accessed January 4, 2009.

[NYTObit-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Grimes, William. "William R. Glendon, 89, Dies; Argued for Right to Publish Pentagon Papers", The New York Times, January 3, 2009. Accessed January 4, 2009.

[2] Staff. "Transcript of Oral Argument in Times and Post Cases Before the Supreme Court; Classification of Government Documents Discussed by Lawyers Before High Court Transcript of Arguments on the First Amendment Issue at the Court Hearing", The New York Times, June 27, 1971. Accessed January 4, 2009.

[3] Greenhouse, Linda. "Supreme Court Roundup; Restrictions on Religious Displays to Be Weighed ", The New York Times, October 4, 1988. Accessed January 4, 2009.

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