Chief Justice Roberts to Receive ALI's Friendly Medal
Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr. to Receive The American Law Institute’s Friendly Medal
PHILADELPHIA – Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr., will receive the Henry J. Friendly Medal at the Institute’s Annual Meeting, in May 2023. Associate Justice Elena Kagan will present the award at the annual dinner on Tuesday, May 23.
The medal was established in memory of Judge Henry J. Friendly, who was a member of the Council of The American Law Institute and a distinguished judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The Medal recognizes contributions to the law in the tradition of Judge Friendly and the Institute. It is not limited to ALI members or those associated with its projects. The Friendly Medal is awarded on a periodic basis as appropriate.
“I am delighted that the Chief Justice will receive the Friendly Medal this special year that marks the ALI’s 100th anniversary,” said David F. Levi, President of The American Law Institute. “This medal was established to honor the legacy of one of this nation’s greatest judges and legal thinkers, Judge Friendly, who was known for his devotion to the rule of law, careful deliberation and keen judgment, and consummate intellect and integrity. The Chief Justice, who served as a law clerk for Judge Friendly, embodies all of these qualities. He has had an extraordinary career in the law first as an exceptional appellate advocate and then as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States. He is a life member of the ALI; indeed, I first recall meeting him at an ALI annual meeting in the 1980s. The Chief Justice has often and so graciously been the one to present the Friendly Medal to others, including most recently to Justices Ginsburg and Kennedy, and Judges Boudin and Leval. Now it is particularly fitting that in this special anniversary year, we recognize his many contributions to the law in the tradition of Judge Friendly and the Institute. We are so fortunate that another much admired Justice, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, will make the presentation of the medal to the Chief Justice.”
John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States, was born in Buffalo, New York, January 27, 1955. He married Jane Sullivan in 1996 and they have two children - Josephine and Jack. He received an A.B. from Harvard College in 1976 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1979. He served as a law clerk for Judge Henry J. Friendly of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1979–1980, and as a law clerk for then-Associate Justice William H. Rehnquist of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1980 Term. He served as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General of the United States from 1981–1982, Associate Counsel to President Ronald Reagan, White House Counsel’s Office from 1982–1986, and as Principal Deputy Solicitor General from 1989–1993. From 1986–1989 and 1993–2003, he practiced law in Washington, D.C. He served as a Judge on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2003-2005. Nominated as Chief Justice of the United States by President George W. Bush, he assumed that office on September 29, 2005.
Elena Kagan, Associate Justice, was born in New York, New York, on April 28, 1960. She received an A.B. from Princeton in 1981, an M. Phil. from Oxford in 1983, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1986. She clerked for Judge Abner Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1986-1987 and for Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1987 Term. After briefly practicing law at a Washington, D.C. law firm, she became a law professor, first at the University of Chicago Law School and later at Harvard Law School. She also served for four years in the Clinton Administration, as Associate Counsel to the President and then as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. Between 2003 and 2009, she served as the Dean of Harvard Law School. In 2009, President Obama nominated her as the Solicitor General of the United States. A year later, the President nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 10, 2010. She took her seat on August 7, 2010.
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