Christopher Fairchild Edley, Jr. was the Dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law from 2004 to 2013. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College, he attended Harvard Law School, where he later served as a professor. He is married to Maria Echaveste, former deputy chief of staff for U.S. President Bill Clinton. On August 16, 2013, he announced his intention to resign as dean, effective December 31, 2013. He served as an advisor to President Clinton's One America Initiative, was a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and chaired President Clinton's 1998 Affirmative Action Review. In the 2008 presidential election, he supported and advised candidate Barack Obama, one of his former students at Harvard Law School. On November 5, 2008, Edley was named to the advisory board of the Obama-Biden Transition Project. According to legal journalist Emily Bazelon, Edley "has written thoughtfully and moderately about affirmative action." 

January 13th, 1953 in Boston  /  Died:   May 10th, 2024