Arlin M. Adams
Encyclopedia
Arlin Marvin Adams is a retired senior federal judge
on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
. He is currently of counsel to Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.
, a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
in 1947, and a master's degree from Temple in 1950. While at Penn, he served as editor-in-chief of the law review.
from 1952 until 1956. He was a secretary of public welfare for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1963 to 1966.
nominated Adams to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
that had been vacated by the decision by Judge Harry Ellis Kalodner
to take senior status. The United States Senate
confirmed Adams on October 1, 1969.
In 1975, Adams was considered by President Gerald Ford
as a nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States
. Adams was one of two finalists; Ford ultimately wound up successfully nominating the other finalist, John Paul Stevens
.
) on January 2, 1987. He returned to private practice, joining the firm Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP. Adams is well known for his post-judiciary roles in significant legal cases. In 1994, he conducted an investigation of the Pennsylvania attorney general for alleged criminal activity, and investigated allegations of improper medical research at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Soon after in 1995, he was appointed to serve as a trustee in the New Era
bankruptcy case, at that time the largest nonprofit bankruptcy in history. He also served as the Chapter 11 Trustee in the successful reorganization of the Coram Healthcare Corporation in the Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1996. From 1998 to 2002, Adams served as independent counsel in an investigation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that uncovered widespread corruption.
, the National Constitution Center, and Bryn Mawr College
. He is a former chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association and past president of both the American Judicature Society and American Philosophical Society. He also is the former chair of the U.S. Supreme Court Judicial Fellows Commission.
In 2001, Susquehanna University
created the Arlin M. Adams Center for Law and Society, and in 2005, with the support of the Annenberg Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania Law School established the Arlin M. Adams Professorship in Constitutional Law. The Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University established the Arlin M. Adams Professor of Legal Writing position in 2007 to recognize Adams' long career as a lawyer and judge.
Religion and the Public Good: A Bicentennial Forum , William Lee Miller, Martin E. Marty, Arlin M. Adams (Mercer University Press, March 1989)
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
. He is currently of counsel to Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.
Early life and education
Born in Philadelphia, Adams earned a bachelor's degree in 1941 from Temple UniversityTemple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
in 1947, and a master's degree from Temple in 1950. While at Penn, he served as editor-in-chief of the law review.
Early career
Adams worked in private legal practice in Philadelphia from 1947 until 1969. He also was a member of the faculty of the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
from 1952 until 1956. He was a secretary of public welfare for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1963 to 1966.
Federal judicial service
On September 22, 1969, President Richard NixonRichard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
nominated Adams to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
that had been vacated by the decision by Judge Harry Ellis Kalodner
Harry Ellis Kalodner
Harry Ellis Kalodner was a United States federal judge.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kalodner received an LL.B. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1917 and was in the U.S. Army, JAG Corps, World War I. He was in private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1917 to 1935...
to take senior status. The United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed Adams on October 1, 1969.
In 1975, Adams was considered by President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
as a nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Adams was one of two finalists; Ford ultimately wound up successfully nominating the other finalist, John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
.
Retirement from the bench and later career
Adams retired outright from the bench (rather than taking senior statusSenior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
) on January 2, 1987. He returned to private practice, joining the firm Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP. Adams is well known for his post-judiciary roles in significant legal cases. In 1994, he conducted an investigation of the Pennsylvania attorney general for alleged criminal activity, and investigated allegations of improper medical research at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Soon after in 1995, he was appointed to serve as a trustee in the New Era
Foundation for New Era Philanthropy
The Foundation for New Era Philanthropy was a notorious Ponzi scheme that operated from 1989 until its collapse in 1995 after having raised over $500 million from 1100 donors and embezzled $135 million of this. Most of the money was stolen from Christian religious organizations and charities in the...
bankruptcy case, at that time the largest nonprofit bankruptcy in history. He also served as the Chapter 11 Trustee in the successful reorganization of the Coram Healthcare Corporation in the Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1996. From 1998 to 2002, Adams served as independent counsel in an investigation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that uncovered widespread corruption.
Board positions, appointments and honors
Adams is a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, and has previously served as a trustee for the William Penn FoundationWilliam Penn Foundation
The William Penn Foundation is a grant-making foundation established in 1945 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by businessman Otto Haas and his wife Phoebe....
, the National Constitution Center, and Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
. He is a former chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association and past president of both the American Judicature Society and American Philosophical Society. He also is the former chair of the U.S. Supreme Court Judicial Fellows Commission.
In 2001, Susquehanna University
Susquehanna University
Susquehanna University is a liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, United States, north of the state capital, Harrisburg.-Academics:...
created the Arlin M. Adams Center for Law and Society, and in 2005, with the support of the Annenberg Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania Law School established the Arlin M. Adams Professorship in Constitutional Law. The Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University established the Arlin M. Adams Professor of Legal Writing position in 2007 to recognize Adams' long career as a lawyer and judge.
Books Authored
Nation Dedicated to Religious Liberty: The Constitutional Heritage of the Religion Clauses, Arlin M. Adams, Charles J. Emmerich, Warren E. Burger (University of Pennsylvania Press, August 1990)Religion and the Public Good: A Bicentennial Forum , William Lee Miller, Martin E. Marty, Arlin M. Adams (Mercer University Press, March 1989)