Peter Irons facts for kids

Peter H. Irons, born on August 11, 1940, is an American who has worked hard for civil rights. He is a lawyer, a legal expert, and a retired professor of political science. He has written many books about the U.S. Supreme Court and important legal cases.

Early Life and Education

Peter Irons went to Antioch College. In 1963, he faced legal issues related to his beliefs about fairness and equality. During this time, he learned a lot about civil liberties and American politics. Later, a judge cleared his name, and President Gerald Ford officially forgave him for the past events. This experience helped him decide to work for justice.

He earned his PhD from Boston University in 1973. After that, he worked at a law firm. This work inspired him to study law even more. He then earned his law degree (a J.D.) from Harvard Law School in 1978.

A Career in Law and Teaching

After finishing law school, Peter Irons taught at different universities. These included Boston College Law School and the University of Massachusetts. In 1982, he moved to the University of California, San Diego. There, he started a special project called the Earl Warren Bill of Rights Project. He is still the director of this project.

In 1988, he became the first Raoul Wallenberg Distinguished Visiting Professor of Human Rights at Rutgers University. He has given talks about constitutional law and civil liberties at many top law schools. These include Harvard, Yale, Berkeley, and Stanford.

He was also chosen to be on the national board of the American Civil Liberties Union for two terms. This group works to protect the rights of people in the United States.

Important Legal Work

Besides teaching and writing books, Peter Irons has helped with very important legal cases. He helped reopen the wartime cases of Fred Korematsu, Minoru Yasui, and Gordon Hirabayashi. These cases were about Japanese Americans who were unfairly held in camps during World War II. His work helped correct these historical injustices.

He is now a retired professor of Political Science at the University of California, San Diego. He retired in 2004. Now, he spends his time working on causes that he cares about. He has done legal work on issues about the separation of church and state. He has also written articles for the Montana Law Review.

From 1989 to 1998, Irons worked on the Mount Soledad case in San Diego. He did this work for free. He stopped his involvement in 1998 because he was worried about the safety of his daughters.

Awards and Recognition

Peter Irons has received several awards for his important work:

• 1984 – Durfee Award
• 1986 – UCSD certificate of excellence
• 1989 – Ceil Podoloff Award by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
• 1989 – American Bar Association Certificate of Merit award for his book The Courage of Their Convictions: Sixteen Americans Who Fought Their Way to the U.S. Supreme Court

Books and Articles

Peter Irons has written many books and articles. Some of his works have won awards:

• 2000 Silver Gavel Award Honorable Mention
• 2003 Silver Gavel Award Winner