Harry T. Edwards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry T. Edwards
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Official portrait, 2013
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| Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | |
| Assumed office November 3, 2005 |
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| Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | |
| In office September 19, 1994 – July 16, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Abner Mikva |
| Succeeded by | Douglas H. Ginsburg |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | |
| In office February 20, 1980 – November 3, 2005 |
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| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | David L. Bazelon |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harry Thomas Edwards
November 3, 1940 New York City, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Pamela Carrington
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Cornell University (BS) University of Michigan (JD) |
Harry Thomas Edwards (born November 3, 1940) is an American lawyer and judge. He serves as a senior United States circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. This court is very important because it handles many cases involving the U.S. government.
Judge Edwards is also a law professor at the New York University School of Law. President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the D.C. Circuit in 1980. He was the chief judge of this court from 1994 to 2001. In 2005, he became a senior judge, which means he can work a reduced schedule.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Harry Edwards was born in New York City on November 3, 1940. He was the oldest of three children. His mother raised him and his two sisters after his parents divorced. For a short time, he lived with his grandparents in Harlem, New York.
Later, his family moved to Long Island. Harry attended Uniondale High School and was the president of his graduating class.
He went to Cornell University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1962. Then, he studied law at the University of Michigan Law School, graduating in 1965. He was a top student and was part of the Michigan Law Review. At that time, he was the only African American law student or faculty member at the school.
While in Michigan, he spent time with his father, George H. Edwards, who was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. His stepmother, Esther Gordy Edwards, was a senior leader at Motown Record Company. He also knew Berry Gordy, Jr., who founded Motown.
Becoming a Lawyer and Professor
Even with his excellent grades, Harry Edwards found it hard to get a job as a lawyer. Many big law firms rejected him because he was black. Finally, with help from a professor, he got a job at a law firm in Chicago in 1965. He worked there until 1970, focusing on labor law and collective bargaining. This means he helped solve problems between companies and their workers' unions.
In 1970, Edwards became the first African American professor at the University of Michigan Law School. He taught about labor law, solving disputes, and discrimination in jobs. He also taught at Harvard Law School for a few years. By 1980, he had co-written four different law textbooks.
From 1970 to 1980, Edwards also worked as a neutral labor arbitrator. This means he helped unions and companies agree on solutions to their disagreements. He was also a Vice President of the National Academy of Arbitrators.
Serving as a Federal Judge
When President Carter became president in 1977, there were very few women or Black judges in federal courts. To change this, President Carter created special groups to find talented women and minority lawyers. In 1979, Harry Edwards was one of three people nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The others were Patricia Wald and Abner Mikva. Later, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was also nominated to this court.
President Carter nominated Edwards on December 6, 1979. The United States Senate approved his nomination on February 20, 1980. He became a judge at 39 years old, making him one of the youngest federal appeals court judges at the time.
Edwards served as the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit from 1994 to 2001. As chief judge, he worked to make the court more efficient. He helped reduce the number of old cases and made sure cases were handled faster. He also helped get support for a new building for the courthouse. He was praised for helping judges on the court work well together. On November 3, 2005, he became a senior judge.
Teaching and Writing About Law
Since 1980, Judge Edwards has taught at many law schools. These include Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, and Michigan. He is currently a professor at NYU School of Law, where he has taught since 1990. He has also taught in China.
He has co-written five books about law. One of his most famous writings is "The Growing Disjunction Between Legal Education and the Legal Profession" from 1992. This article discussed how law schools might not be preparing students well enough for real-world legal jobs. It has been talked about a lot by legal experts.
Judge Edwards has also written about how appeals court judges make decisions. He argues that judges' personal beliefs are not the main reason for their decisions. He points out that most decisions made by the U.S. Courts of Appeals are unanimous, meaning all judges agree. This is different from the U.S. Supreme Court, where judges often disagree.
In 2004, he wrote about the history of racial equality in America. He looked at the journey from Brown v. Board of Education, which ended segregation in schools, to later cases. He shared his own experiences to show how racial equality has changed over time.
Improving Forensic Science
In 2006, Judge Edwards was asked to help lead a committee by the National Academy of Sciences. This committee studied the needs of the forensic science community. Forensic science is about using scientific methods to solve crimes, like analyzing fingerprints or DNA.
In 2009, the committee released an important report. It said that the nation's forensic science system had serious problems. It found that there were not enough strict rules for training scientists or for analyzing evidence. The report also said that many labs did not have enough money or staff. This report led to many efforts to improve forensic science.
Judge Edwards continued to work on improving forensic science. He served on other committees and wrote papers about the need for reform. In 2019, he received the Innocence Network Champion of Justice Award. This award honors people who help reform the justice system and prevent innocent people from being wrongly convicted.
Awards and Activities
Judge Edwards is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received many awards for his work in law and education. In 2004, he received the Robert J. Kutak Award. This award recognizes someone who shows high standards in law and helps connect legal education with legal practice.
In 2011, he received the first Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Michigan Law School. He has also received awards from William & Mary School of Law and Cornell University. These awards celebrate his great achievements in law and his service to the public.
Personal Life
Harry Edwards married Pamela Carrington-Edwards in 2000. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg performed their wedding ceremony. He has a son named Brent, who is a professor at Columbia University. He also has a daughter, Michelle, and four grandchildren.
See also
- List of African-American federal judges
- List of African-American jurists
- List of United States federal judges by longevity of service
