In a recent post on Executive Functions, Jack Goldsmith reflects on the legacy of Edward H. Levi, marking the anniversary of Levi’s nomination by President Gerald Ford to serve as Attorney General of the United States.
Goldsmith’s essay, “Edward Levi’s Department of Justice: What a Difference a Half Century Makes,” discusses the historical context in which Levi took office following Watergate and highlights Levi’s role in restoring confidence in the Department of Justice through reforms and institutional norms focused on fairness and impartiality.
Edward H. Levi was elected as a member of The American Law Institute in 1951 and later to its Council in 1965, on which he served for more than 20 years. During his tenure on ALI’s Council, the Institute completed nearly 20 projects.
After serving as a special assistant to the Attorney General and in the antitrust division of the Department of Justice during World War II. He returned to the University of Chicago Law School in 1945, where he quickly became recognized as one of the top law scholars in the nation. He was one of the leading scholars of jurisprudence and he was one of the founders of the law and economics movement that has been so influential, particularly in fields like antitrust. He eventually became the school's dean, serving from 1950 until 1962, when he took the position of university provost. In 1968, he became President of the University during the tumultuous years of the Vietnam War.
After his death in 2000, President Ford, who appointed him the 71st Attorney General in 1975, reflected on his service. "With each passing year,” Ford said, “it becomes more and more self-evident--Ed Levi is the Attorney General against whom all others are measured."