In Memoriam: John Paul Stevens

John Paul Stevens, Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, passed away July 16. He was 99 years old. Justice Stevens was appointed to the Court by President Gerald Ford in 1975 and retired in 2010, after serving more than 34 years on the Court. He is the third longest serving justice in history.

Justice Stevens was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 20, 1920. He served in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945, and was a law clerk to Justice Wiley Rutledge of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1947 Term. He was admitted to law practice in Illinois in 1949. He was Associate Counsel to the Subcommittee on the Study of Monopoly Power of the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1951–1952, and a member of the Attorney General’s National Committee to Study Antitrust Law, 1953 to 1955. He was Second Vice President of the Chicago Bar Association in 1970. From 1970 to 1975, he served as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

In a statement released by the Public Information Office, Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr. said of Justice Stevens: “On behalf of the Court and retired Justices, I am saddened to report that our colleague Justice John Paul Stevens has passed away. A son of the Midwest heartland and a veteran of World War II, Justice Stevens devoted his long life to public service, including 35 years on the Supreme Court. He brought to our bench an inimitable blend of kindness, humility, wisdom, and independence. His unrelenting commitment to justice has left us a better nation. We extend our deepest condolences to his children Elizabeth and Susan, and to his extended family.”

Elected to ALI in 1971, Justice Stevens was a speaker at the 66th, 89th, and 93rd Annual Meetings. Read the transcripts of Justice Stevens' speeches from the 66th and 89th Annual Meetings. Below is a video of his conversation with his former clerk Carol F. Lee at the 93rd Annual Meeting.

This Law360 article[paywall] shares tales of what would be Justice Stevens’ final reunion with his former law clerks. Read more about the life and legacy of Justice Stevens in features by Fox News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal.