Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
Position
Associate Justice
Seat
2
Nominated By
Nixon
Commissioned on
Wednesday, December 8, 1971
Sworn In
Thursday, January 6, 1972
Left Office
Thursday, June 25, 1987
Reason For Leaving
Retired
Length of Service
15 years, 5 months, 19 days
Home
Virginia
The Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States (Artist: George Augusta)
Biography
A Virginian by birth, Lewis Powell spent most of his life in the Tidewater State. He rose to the top of his profession when he was elected president of the American Bar Association in 1964.
Powell was a moderate before he joined the Court. He served on local and state boards of education at a time when there were strong demands to resist racial desegregation. With a Supreme Court in balance ideologically, Powell was cast in the middle of several important issues during his tenure. His vote decided the Court's first confrontation with abortion and affirmative action.
Clerkships
| Clerk | Law School | Terms Clerked |
|---|---|---|
| Mark David Harris | Harvard (1992) | 1995 |
| James J. Benjamin | Virginia (1990) | 1994 |
| Deanne E. Maynard | Harvard (1991) | 1993 |
| Rebecca A. Womeldorf | Washington & Lee (1991) | 1992 |
| Jeffrey S. Sutton | Ohio State (1990) | 1991 |
| George C. Freeman, III | Yale (1989) | 1990 |
| Michael N. Levy | Harvard (1988) | 1989 |
| R. Hewitt Pate | Virginia (1987) | 1988 |
| Robert W. Werner | NYU | 1987 |
| Robert Allen Long | Yale (1985) | 1986 |
| Leslie Gielow | Michigan (1985) | 1986 |
| Andrew D. Leipold | Virginia (1985) | 1986 |
| Ronald J. Mann | Texas (1985) | 1986 |
| C. Cabell Chinnis | Yale (1984) | 1985 |
| Anne M. Coughlin | NYU (1984) | 1985 |
Which player's contribution to baseball best matches Lewis F. Powell, Jr.'s contribution to law?
Cite this Page
Lewis F. Powell, Jr.. The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. 09 February 2012. <http://www.oyez.org/justices/lewis_f_powell_jr/>.
Lewis F. Powell, Jr., The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, http://www.oyez.org/justices/lewis_f_powell_jr/ (last visited February 9, 2012).
"Lewis F. Powell, Jr.," The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, accessed February 9, 2012, http://www.oyez.org/justices/lewis_f_powell_jr/.