Nobert Anthony Schlei (1929-2003[1]) was an American lawyer who served as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice from 1962 to 1966.[2][3][4] He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the California state legislature in 1962 and for Secretary of State of California in 1966.[2]
Norbert A. Schlei | |
|---|---|
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel | |
| In office 1962–1966 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Nicholas Katzenbach |
| Succeeded by | Frank M. Wozencraft |
| Personal details | |
| Died | April 17, 2003 (aged 73–74)[1] |
| Political party | Democratic |
Early life
editSchlei was born in Dayton, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University and graduated with a degree in English literature and international relations in 1950.[3] During the Korean War, he served as a naval officer. He later graduated from Yale Law School in 1956.[3]
Career
editAfter graduating from law school, Schlei served as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan from 1956 to 1957.[3] He then practiced law in Los Angeles, and became the Democratic nominee for the 57th district in the California State Assembly in the 1962 election.[2]
In August 1962, Schlei was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to serve as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice.[3][1] He succeeded Nicholas Katzenbach, who had been appointed as Deputy Attorney General.[1] He had to abandon his bid for the California State Assembly in order to take office.[2][1]
Shortly after his appointment at the Office of Legal Counsel, he was sent to Mississippi to help the administration's response to the University of Mississippi's refusal to enroll James Meredith.[4] During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Schlei developed the legal justification for Kennedy's naval "quarantine" of military equipment being shipped to Cuba.[2] As Assistant Attorney General, Schlei drafted several proposed bills for the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, including the bills that would eventually become the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[3][4]
Schlei left the Department of Justice in 1966 to run for Secretary of State of California. He defeated six other candidates in the Democratic primary, but lost to incumbent Republican Frank M. Jordan.[2] In the 1968 presidential election, he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. He was yards away from Robert F. Kennedy on the night of his assassination.[2]
After his 1966 election defeat, Schlei returned to private practice as a trial and securities lawyer. In 1995, Schlei was charged with fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering for his role in allegedly helping the sale of fake Japanese government bonds worth $16 million.[2] He was acquitted of some charges but convicted of conspiracy and securities fraud.[2] The judgement was vacated in appeal by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Schlei agreed to a negotiated settlement and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in 1998 rather than face retrial, although he maintained his innocence.[2][4]
Further reading
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Schlei, Norbert A.: Oral History Interview - JFK #1, 2/20-21/1968". JFK Library. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Oliver, Myrna (2003-04-21). "Norbert Schlei, 73; Principal Author of Civil Rights Act, Other Landmark Laws". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ a b c d e f Saxon, Wolfgang (April 23, 2003). "Norbert A. Schlei, 73, Legal Adviser in Kennedy-Johnson Era". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Norbert Anthony Schlei 1929-2003". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (40): 124. Summer 2003 – via ProQuest.