William Rehnquist Early Years
William Rehnquist: Early Years
Introduction to William Rehnquist Early Years
William Hubbs Rehnquist was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II (1939-1945) and then completed his undergraduate studies and a master’s degree at Stanford University in 1948. After earning a master’s degree in government from Harvard University, Rehnquist returned to Stanford for law school, finishing first in his class in 1952.
During 1952 and 1953 Rehnquist clerked for Supreme Court Justice Robert Houghwout Jackson. After finishing his clerkship Rehnquist began private practice in Phoenix, Arizona, where he became active in the state’s conservative political movement. During this time he became known for his strong support for expanding police powers (such as wiretapping) and his opposition to civil rights legislation and other liberal movements.
In 1969 Rehnquist became an assistant attorney general and head of the Office of Legal Counsel of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. In this role he served as an important government spokesman on civil liberties issues. Rehnquist appeared before a Senate subcommittee to argue for greater government freedom to gather information about American citizens, arguing that political activism could not be tolerated if it interfered with government work. He questioned Supreme Court decisions prohibiting the use of evidence seized without a search warrant and of suspect identifications made in lineups without the presence of a lawyer. ” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about William Rehnquist Early Years in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia