Christopher Edley Jr., a law professor and former dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law who held senior positions during five presidential campaigns, including those of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, has died. He was 71 years old.
His death was announced Friday morning by current Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky in a written message to staff.
“Chris and I were law school buddies,” Chemerinsky wrote. “He has been a dear friend and has provided me with invaluable wisdom and support in my years as dean. “I know I speak for all of us in saying how much he will be missed.”
Many of those who admired Edley's work or had worked alongside him took to social media to express their reaction to his death.
“Chris was a man of extraordinary gifts” wrote Gary Orfield, co-founder of the Harvard Civil Rights Project with Edley. “We tended to approach problems from different angles working toward the same destination and I learned a lot and really enjoyed the seven years we were working continuously on launching important research. [and] policy center. “He left too soon and will be missed on many fronts.”
“The passing of Christopher Edley is a great loss to the Social Justice communities. “So many Giants are leaving us,” he wrote. Stephen G. Halla historian
Edley had a long and successful career in academia and public service. She graduated in mathematics from Swarthmore College in 1973. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1978 and her master's degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, according to her profile. He also served as a professor at Harvard Law School for 23 years, where in 1996 he co-founded the Harvard Civil Rights Project, a think tank aimed at promoting racial and ethnic justice.
He served as an economic policy and budget official for President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton. Edley also helped lead the Clinton administration's review of affirmative action programs.
In a written statement, Clinton described Edley as having a “brilliant mind and a good heart that he put to work to build a better, fairer and more equitable America.”
“From his groundbreaking academic career to his service in multiple key roles in my administration, he always believed that law and policy are ultimately about people,” Clinton wrote. “She mastered the minute details but never lost sight of the big picture: giving more people the opportunity to live their best lives. He left too soon, but his legacy will live on.”
Edley held senior positions in five presidential campaigns, including those of Michael Dukkakis in 1988, Al Gore in 2000, Howard Dean in 2004, Obama in 2008 and Hilary Clinton in 2016.
In 2004, Edley became dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, a position he held until 2013.
“As dean, he made an enormous positive difference in every aspect of the law school, from hiring many fantastic faculty…” Chemerinsky wrote, “to dramatically increasing support for student public interest grants and creating from many centers. “
Edley also co-chaired the National Commission on Equity and Excellence in Education created by Congress from 2011 to 2013. The commission advises the Secretary of Education on ways to address equity issues in education.
After stepping down as dean, Edley continued teaching at UC Berkeley as the Honorable William H. Orrick Jr. Distinguished Professor. He served as president of the Opportunity Institute, an organization he co-founded in 2015 with Ann O'Leary, a former adviser to Hillary Clinton. The institute's mission is to increase social and economic mobility and promote racial equity.
Edley is survived by his wife, Maria Echaveste, who was also an advisor and former deputy chief of staff to President Clinton.
