February 2,
2009
FREDERICK A.O. SCHWARZ, JR.
RECEIVES STATE BAR’S GOLD MEDAL
New
York attorney honored with State
Bar’s highest tribute
ALBANY—The New York State Bar Association has
presented its highest honor – the Gold Medal – to Frederick
“Fritz” A.O. Schwarz, Jr. in recognition of lifelong
excellence in the legal profession and his unparalleled civic
contributions. The award was presented by President Bernice K. Leber
of New York(Arent
Fox LLP) at the President’s Dinner held on Saturday,
January 31, 2009 , as part of the
Association’s Annual Meeting.
Throughout his career, Schwarz has combined private
practice with vital public service. In addition to his current
position as senior counsel at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, he also
serves as senior counsel and interim director of the democracy program
at New
York University Law School ’s Brennan Centerfor Justice.
“Spanning more than four decades, Fritz
Schwarz’s career has truly been remarkable and has exemplified the
very best of the legal profession. From
his work in civil rights in the 1960s to campaign finance reform today,
and from his efforts at the Natural Resources Defense Council to his
work on the Hill, Fritz has tackled the tough issues and made
significant contributions to our way of life as Americans,” said
President Bernice K. Leber of New
York. “I can think
of no one more deserving of our Association’s highest honor than
Mr. Schwarz.”
“Legislation seldom comes unless the public is
convinced of the need for change,” said
Schwarz, in his acceptance speech addressing the harm caused by
excessive government secrecy. “Change needs
teachers. And what needs to be taught
is that good policy is more likely when derived through
transparency.”
Widely recognized for his skilled leadership, grace
and keen insights over the course of his career, Schwarz served as chair
of New York’s
Campaign Finance Board, the Board of the Natural Resources Defense
Council and the Board of the Vera Institute of
Justice. He previously served as chief
counsel to the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations
with Respect to Intelligence Activity in 1975-1976; as Corporation
Counsel under former New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch in 1982-1986;
and as chair of the 1989 New York City Charter Revision
Commission.
Schwarz received his undergraduate
degree magma cum laude from Harvard University in 1957 and his law degree magma cum laude from Harvard Law Schoolin 1960, where he was an editor of the Law
Review. American Lawyer Magazine honored him with a Lifetime
Achievement award in 2004.
The author of Nigeria the Tribes, the Nation, or the
Race -The Politics of Independence,
Schwarz helped the then-newly independent nation restructure its
laws. Along with Aziz Z. Huq, he
co-authored Unchecked and Unbalanced: Presidential
Power in a Time of Terror.
First awarded in 1952, the prestigious Gold Medal is
presented annually to a distinguished member of the bench or bar whose
qualifications include outstanding legal ability, as well as leadership
in the legal profession and the community. The recipient also is someone
actively involved in civic and community activities and with significant
interest in the work of the State Bar.
The 76,000-member New York State Bar Association is
the official statewide organization of lawyers in New
Yorkand the largest
voluntary state bar association in the nation. Founded in 1876, State Bar programs and activities have
continuously served the public and improved the justice system for more
than 130 years.
###
| 
News Center
