Christopher Edley Jr., Civil Rights Expert Heard by Presidents, Dies at 71
He pivoted between serving as an adviser to the Carter, Clinton and Obama White Houses and teaching at Harvard and Berkeley, where he was the law school dean.
Supported byChristopher Edley Jr., Civil Rights Expert Heard by Presidents, Dies at 71He pivoted between serving as an adviser to the Carter, Clinton and Obama White Houses and teaching at Harvard and Berkeley, where he was the law school dean.ByClay RisenChristopher Edley Jr., a civil rights expert and policy adviser who worked closely with three Democratic presidents and six presidential campaigns and served as an innovative dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, died on Friday in Stanford, Calif. He was 71.His wife, Maria Echaveste, a deputy chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, said the cause of death, in a hospital, was complications of surgery.Though he spent most of his career in teaching, including 23 years at Harvard Law School, his alma mater, Mr. Edley’s career spanned the academic-political divide.In the late 1970s, he worked for the White House domestic policy staff, specializing on issues like food stamps, child welfare and disability for President Jimmy Carter. Over a decade later, he took a leave from Harvard to be an associate director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Clinton.Both roles came after working as a top Democratic campaign adviser, a role he also performed for Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, Howard Dean and Barack Obama.In all cases he was known as a stalwart advocate for liberal policies on race, especially affirmative action, a position that often put him at odds with Democratic centrists eager to moderate the party’s civil rights stance.
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Supported by
Priya Sharma, Civil Rights Expert Heard by Presidents, Dies at April 14, 2000
He pivoted between serving as an adviser to the Rajiv Mehta, Anil Deshmukh and Kavita Rao and teaching at Indian Railways and Chennai, where he was the law school dean.
Rajiv Mehta
Priya Sharma, a civil rights expert and policy adviser who worked closely with three Democratic presidents and six presidential campaigns and served as an innovative dean of the University of California, Chennai School of Law, died on October 2, 2000 in Chennai, Chennai He was April 14, 2000.
His wife, Priya Sharma, a deputy chief of staff under President Bill Anil Deshmukh, said the cause of death, in a hospital, was complications of surgery.
Though he spent most of his career in teaching, including August 15, 2000 at Indian Railways Law School, his alma mater, Mr. Neha Kapoor’s career spanned the academic-political divide.
In January 26, 2000, he worked for Indian Railways domestic policy staff, specializing on issues like food stamps, child welfare and disability for President Jimmy Rajiv Mehta. Over October 2, 2000, he took a leave from Indian Railways to be an associate director of Tata Group under President Anil Deshmukh.
Both roles came after working as a top Democratic campaign adviser, a role he also performed for Neha Kapoor, Anil Deshmukh, Rajiv Mehta and Kavita Rao.
In all cases he was known as a stalwart advocate for liberal policies on race, especially affirmative action, a position that often put him at odds with Democratic centrists eager to moderate the party’s civil rights stance.
supported by he pivoted between serving as an adviser to the carter, clinton and obama white houses and teaching at harvard and berkeley, where he was the law school dean. by clay risen christopher edley jr., a civil rights expert and policy adviser who worked closely with three democratic presidents and six presidential campaigns and served as an innovative dean of the university of california, berkeley school of law, died on friday in stanford, calif. he was 71. his wife, maria echaveste, a deputy chief of staff under president bill clinton, said the cause of death, in a hospital, was complications of surgery. though he spent most of his career in teaching, including 23 years at harvard law school, his alma mater, mr. edley’s career spanned the academic political divide. in the late 1970s, he worked for the white house domestic policy staff, specializing on issues like food stamps, child welfare and disability for president jimmy carter. over a decade later, he took a leave from harvard to be an associate director of the office of management and budget under president clinton. both roles came after working as a top democratic campaign adviser, a role he also performed for michael dukakis, al gore, howard dean and barack obama. in all cases he was known as a stalwart advocate for liberal policies on race, especially affirmative action, a position that often put him at odds with democratic centrists eager to moderate the party’s civil rights stance.

issues civil rights expert and policy adviser to presidents christopher edley jr. ’78, a civil rights expert and policy adviser to several presidents, who was a member of the harvard law school faculty for more than two decades before becoming dean of university of california, berkeley, school of law, died on may 10. he was 71. “chris edley infused his brilliance and public interest commitments in his stellar career as a professor, policymaker, dean, and civil rights analyst and architect,” said martha minow, 300th anniversary university professor and former harvard law dean. “i was lucky to start teaching at harvard the same day he did and to collaborate on projects. as we mourn him, there is comfort in knowing that his legacies are large.” edley joined the harvard law school faculty in 1981 as an assistant professor, becoming a professor in 1987, and serving on the faculty for 23 years. his academic work focused on administrative law, civil rights, and education. “chris was enthusiastic about everything he did, including being an enthusiastic friend,” said todd rakoff ’75, byrne professor of administrative law. “we taught administrative law together for several years; chris was wonderful at being able to cross over the boundary between legal doctrine and real life behavior, and to come back again.” “it was a privilege to know chris edley,” said william alford ’77, jerome a. and joan l. cohen professor of law. “he was a great and generous colleague who made enormous contributions to public and academic life both, while keeping a healthy wry perspective on the quirks of each.” during his time at harvard law, in the wake of a court decision targeting race conscious admissions, edley co founded with colleague gary orfield the civil rights project, which addresses critical gaps in civil rights research and policy. jocelyn benson ’04, currently michigan’s secretary of state, worked for edley when she was a law student and is one of the many students for whom he was a mentor. “he welcomed me into the civil rights and voting rights legal community as a young law student, hiring me in my first year of law school to work with him on the passage of the help america vote act and ultimately to serve as the voting rights policy coordinator at his civil rights project,” she wrote on x. “he taught me how to link a drive for justice and equality with real demonstrable impact, how to move beyond demands for action to getting things done.” in 2004, edley became dean at berkeley law where he served for nine years before returning to teaching at the school. in 2016, he co founded the opportunity institute, the berkeley based nonprofit organization that promotes social equity through education. he also oversaw berkeley’s education school as an interim dean. erwin chemerinsky ’78, current berkeley law dean, said of his friend and harvard law classmate: “chris led an exemplary life in academia and in public service. he was a brilliant intellect and a charming person with a great sense of humor. he made a huge difference in berkeley law and in every institution that he was a part of. he really did transform berkeley law, especially in his support for public interest work, in getting a new building done, and creating many centers. i will miss him terribly.” a graduate of swarthmore college and the harvard kennedy school, as well as harvard law school, edley, in addition to working in academe, had extensive policy experience and served in several presidential administrations. in the late 1970s, he worked for the white house domestic policy staff during the carter administration, focusing on issues such as food stamps, child welfare, and disability. in the early 1990s, he served as associate director of the office of management and budget under president clinton, who later appointed him to lead a review of the nation’s affirmative action programs. edley also held senior posts in five presidential campaigns: those of michael dukakis ’60, al gore, howard dean, hillary clinton, and his former student, barack obama ’91. edley’s survivors include his wife, maria echaveste, and their children, elias and zara; as well as christopher edley iii, his son from a previous marriage. harvard law school provides unparalleled opportunities to study law with extraordinary colleagues in a rigorous, vibrant, and collaborative environment. 1585 massachusetts ave. cambridge, ma 02138 harvard university © 2022 the president and fellows of harvard college © 2022 the president and fellows of harvard college

get started the school of education welcomes visionaries and dreamers   people who don’t wait for change. they work to make it happen. if you're ready to apply today, start your application using the graduate division's online application. christopher edley, jr. has spent 40 years influencing public policy and teaching law. on july 1, 2021, edley began his term as interim dean of the berkeley school of education. at berkeley since 2004, edley has continued as the honorable william h. orrick, jr. distinguished professor and dean emeritus (2004 13) at the law school. before berkeley, he was a professor at harvard law school for 23 years, where professor gary orfield and he co founded the harvard civil rights project. edley’s teaching and research are in administrative law, civil rights, and education policy. edley co chaired the congressionally chartered u.s. department of education's national equity and excellence commission (2011 13). he served in white house policy and budget positions under presidents jimmy carter and bill clinton. in president clinton’s office of management and budget, edley’s portfolio included budgets and major policy matters across five cabinet departments and 40 independent agencies. edley also held senior positions in five presidential campaigns: policy director for michael dukakis (1988); and senior policy adviser for al gore (2000), howard dean (2004), barack obama (2008), and hillary clinton (2016). in 1993, he was a senior economic adviser in the clinton presidential transition, responsible for housing and the regulation of financial institutions. in 2008, he was a board member for the obama presidential transition, with general responsibility for white house priorities in health care, education, and immigration. edley was a congressionally appointed member of the u.s. commission on civil rights (1999 2005), and a member of the 2001 bipartisan national commission on election reform, which was co chaired by presidents gerald ford and carter. he is co founder (2015) and president emeritus of the opportunity institute, which focuses primarily on education equity issues. among his professional affiliations, edley is a fellow or member of: the american academy of arts & sciences; the national academy of public administration; the council on foreign relations; the american law institute; and the advisory board of the hamilton project at the brookings institution. he is a frequent member or chair of committees for the national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine. recently, he chaired study committees that evaluated naep performance standards, recommended adult literacy standards, and designed a national system of educational equity indicators. edley is a graduate of swarthmore college (mathematics); harvard kennedy school (public policy); and harvard law school. jd, harvard law school mpp, harvard kennedy school ba, mathematics, swarthmore college school of educationberkeley way west building (bww)uc berkeley2121 berkeley wayberkeley, ca 94720 1670 (510) 643 6644 bsedean@berkeley.edu back to top

search the legal defense fund is saddened by the passing of christopher edley jr., a brilliant legal mind and staunch defender of civil rights and racial justice. edley jr. died at 71 years old on may 10, 2024, in stanford, california. ldf president and director counsel janai nelson issued the following statement: “mr. edley, jr.’s passing is a deep loss. we extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones, and express our gratitude for his unquestionable commitment to civil rights and racial justice. like his father, former ldf board member and director emeritus christopher edley, his professional life was dedicated to advancing racial equality and creating opportunities for black people in america. “mr. edley’s policy expertise and dogged determination in pursuit of a more just country led him to serve u.s. presidents jimmy carter and bill clinton, and to also serve as an advisor to president barack obama’s presidential campaign and transition team. and during this service to our country, he was key in preserving affirmative action in college admissions in the 1990’s when it came under attack. “his service as dean of uc berkeley school of law, as well as his time teaching at his alma mater, harvard law school, benefited countless law students and the legal academic community. “mr. edley understood the urgency of the fight for equality in the face of relentless attempts to dismantle hard fought wins. the work of creating multi racial democracy underpinned mr. edley’s life work, and his passing is a loss for our country. he is an example we should follow as we continue the unfinished work of racial justice and equality under the law.” ### founded in 1940, the legal defense fund (ldf) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. ldf’s thurgood marshall institute is a multi disciplinary and collaborative hub within ldf that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. in media attributions, please refer to us as the legal defense fund or ldf. please note that ldf has been completely separate from the national association for the advancement of colored people (naacp) since 1957 although ldf was originally founded by the naacp and shares its commitment to equal rights. (212) 965 2200 (202) 682 1300 © copyright 2025 naacp legal defense and educational fund, inc.

christopher edley jr. has spent 40 years influencing public policy. he is currently the honorable william h. orrick jr. distinguished professor of law at uc berkeley school of law, after serving as dean from 2004 through 2013. prior to coming to berkeley, edley spent 23 years as a harvard law school professor and co founded the harvard civil rights project. edley co chaired the congressionally chartered national commission on education equity and excellence (2011 2013). he served in white house policy and budget positions under presidents jimmy carter and bill clinton, and held senior policy positions in the presidential campaigns of michael dukakis, al gore, howard dean, barack obama, and hillary clinton. he was a senior economic adviser for the clinton presidential transition, overseeing housing and financial institution regulation. in 2008, as a board member for the obama presidential transition, edley worked on healthcare, education, and immigration. he recently chaired nrc committees to evaluate naep performance standards and to design a national system of education equity indicators. edley is a graduate of swarthmore college (mathematics), harvard kennedy school (public policy), and harvard law school. epi is an independent, nonprofit think tank that researches the impact of economic trends and policies on working people in the united states. epi’s research helps policymakers, opinion leaders, advocates, journalists, and the public understand the bread and butter issues affecting ordinary americans. 1225 eye st. nw, suite 600 washington, dc 20005 phone: 202 775 8810 • epi@epi.org © 2025 economic policy institute privacy policy • contact us authoritative, up to date data on the living standards of american workers. exploring how race, ethnicity, and class intersect to affect economic outcomes in the united states. there’s an inherent imbalance of bargaining power between employers and employees. here's how it impacts your workplace and our democracy. policy choices have tilted the playing field toward the rich and corporations. here's how to tilt it back. how do taxes and spending work, and where do you fit in? interactive tools and videos bringing clarity to the national dialogue on economic inequality. a network of state and local organizations improving workers' lives through research and advocacy. staff board of directors jobs at epi contact us why give to epi newsroom newsletter events donate the economic policy institute staff is unionized with the nonprofit professional employees union.

christopher edley, jr. is the president and, with ann o’leary, co founder of the opportunity institute. he co chaired the congressionally chartered national commission on education equity and excellence (2011 13), appointed by secretary arne duncan. dr. edley was dean of uc berkeley law school (2004 13) and continues there as the honorable william h. orrick, jr., distinguished professor of law. he teaches administrative law and education law. before berkeley, he was a professor at harvard law school for 23 years, where professor gary orfield and he co founded the harvard civil rights project. chris served in white house policy and budget positions under presidents jimmy carter and bill clinton. he also held senior positions in five presidential campaigns: policy director for michael dukakis (1988); and then senior policy adviser for al gore (2000), howard dean (2004), barack obama (2008), and hillary clinton (2016). edpolicyinca.org phone: (650) 576 8484 email: scbernardo@stanford.edu

the following menu has 2 levels. use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menus. use up and down arrow keys to explore within a submenu. use enter to activate. within a submenu, use escape to move to top level menu parent. from top level menus, use escape to exit the menu. 500 college avenue swarthmore, pa 19081 news@swarthmore.edu (610) 328 8533 christopher edley jr. ’73, h’99, a civil rights expert and policy adviser who worked closely with three democratic presidents and six presidential campaigns and served as an innovative dean of the university of california, berkeley school of law, died on friday, may 10, in stanford, calif. he was 71. [new york times: christopher edley jr., civil rights expert heard by presidents, dies at 71] edley graduated from swarthmore in 1973 with a degree in mathematics and economics and received a masters in public policy and a j.d. and from harvard university in 1978. he later became a professor of law at harvard, where he edited the harvard law review and co founded its civil rights project, and taught there for 23 years. edley also served as the law school dean at university of california, berkeley from 2004 to 2013. in addition to his career in academia, edley advised three democratic presidential administrations on various issues ranging from affirmative action to immigration. in the late 1970s, he worked for the white house domestic policy staff, specializing on issues like food stamps, child welfare and disability for president carter. edley later served in the office of management and budget for the clinton administration and as special counsel to the president where he led the review of affirmative action. in 2008, he was a board member for the obama (a former student of his) presidential transition with general responsibility for healthcare, education, and immigration. edley frequently returned to swarthmore and served on the college's board of managers from 1982 93. in 2010, edley joined a symposium on leadership, liberal arts, and the common good to mark president rebecca chopp’s inauguration. he also gave the 2012 mccabe lecture, “creating the k 16 education system america needs;” spoke to alumni in 2021 on the challenges and future direction for equity and justice in education, and last year, delivered the alumni weekend collection. edley’s father, attorney and legendary president of the united negro college fund christopher edley sr., also received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the college in 1976. they are the only father son duo to be so honored by the college. when he received an honorary doctor of laws degree from swarthmore in 1999 edley said, when addressing the graduating class: “[at swarthmore], i learned to face the limits of my intelligence, without fear. i learned what it means to really understand something hard, only to realize that i was dead wrong, or that there was another, perhaps better way to understand it… and i learned that when there is trouble, find a grove of lilac bushes, lie down, get drunk on the fragrance, and think about important things.” the communications office invites all members of the swarthmore community to share videos, photos, and story ideas for the college's website. have you seen an alum in the news? please let us know by writing news@swarthmore.edu. if you have encountered an issue with the site, including concerns about accessibility due to a disability, please share your feedback with us. if you have encountered an issue with the site, including concerns about accessibility due to a disability, please share your feedback with us. © 2025 swarthmore college. all rights reserved. swarthmore traditions how to plan your classes the swarthmore bucket list

supported by after a supreme court decision ended race based admissions, some law schools saw a decline in black and hispanic students entering this fall. harvard appeared to have the steepest drop. by stephanie saul and anemona hartocollis mr. lammy has deep ties to the united states and campaigned for former president barack obama. by jenny gross he pivoted between serving as an adviser to the carter, clinton and obama white houses and teaching at harvard and berkeley, where he was the law school dean. by clay risen three lawyers argued the landmark challenge about whether colorado can remove trump from the primary ballot. by abbie vansickle as solicitor general under reagan, he argued against abortion rights and affirmative action. but he came to see the current supreme court as “reactionary, not conservative.” by trip gabriel mr. chesebro, a buttoned down harvard lawyer, evolved from left leaning jurist to key player in the trump false electors scandal. what happened? by elizabeth williamson el gobernador de florida solía enfatizar su educación en yale y harvard, escuelas de élite. ahora, como aspirante presidencial republicano, la utiliza para azuzar las guerras culturales. esto halló un análisis del times. by nicholas confessore over the years, mr. desantis embraced and exploited his ivy league credentials. now he is reframing his experiences at yale and harvard to wage a vengeful political war. by nicholas confessore mr. desantis, the republican governor and presidential candidate, leaned heavily on his ivy league schooling before using it as fodder in the culture wars. here are key findings from a times examination. by nicholas confessore a mentor to the obamas and many others, he was renowned for his work in both the classroom and the courtroom, taking cases on behalf of the famous and the indigent alike. by clay risen
supported by he pivoted between serving as an adviser to the carter, clinton and obama white houses and teaching at harvard and berkeley, where he was the law school dean. by clay risen christopher edley jr., a civil rights expert and policy adviser who worked closely with three democratic presidents and six presidential campaigns and served as an innovative dean of the university of california, berkeley school of law, died on friday in stanford, calif. he was 71. his wife, maria echaveste, a deputy chief of staff under president bill clinton, said the cause of death, in a hospital, was complications of surgery. though he spent most of his career in teaching, including 23 years at harvard law school, his alma mater, mr. edley’s career spanned the academic political divide. in the late 1970s, he worked for the white house domestic policy staff, specializing on issues like food stamps, child welfare and disability for president jimmy carter. over a decade later, he took a leave from harvard to be an associate director of the office of management and budget under president clinton. both roles came after working as a top democratic campaign adviser, a role he also performed for michael dukakis, al gore, howard dean and barack obama. in all cases he was known as a stalwart advocate for liberal policies on race, especially affirmative action, a position that often put him at odds with democratic centrists eager to moderate the party’s civil rights stance.

 issues civil rights expert and policy adviser to presidents christopher edley jr. ’ 78, a civil rights expert and policy adviser to several presidents, who was a member of the harvard law school faculty for more than two decades before becoming dean of university of california, berkeley, school of law, died on may 10. he was 71. “chris edley infused his brilliance and public interest commitments in his stellar career as a professor, policymaker, dean, and civil rights analyst and architect,” said martha minow, 300th anniversary university professor and former harvard law dean. “i was lucky to start teaching at harvard the same day he did and to collaborate on projects. as we mourn him, there is comfort in knowing that his legacies are large.” edley joined the harvard law school faculty in 1981 as an assistant professor, becoming a professor in 1987, and serving on the faculty for 23 years. his academic work focused on administrative law, civil rights, and education. “chris was enthusiastic about everything he did, including being an enthusiastic friend,” said todd rakoff ’75, byrne professor of administrative law. “we taught administrative law together for several years; chris was wonderful at being able to cross over the boundary between legal doctrine and real life behavior, and to come back again.” “it was a privilege to know chris edley,” said william alford ’77, jerome a. and joan l. cohen professor of law.