Charles A. Reich
Encyclopedia
Charles A. Reich is an American legal
and social
scholar as well as writer who was a Professor at Yale Law School
when he wrote the 1970 paean to the 1960s counterculture
and youth movement, The Greening of America
. Excerpts of the book first appeared in The New Yorker
, and its reception there helped it to leading the New York Times Best Seller list
. As a law student, he was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal
(1951–1952), and he clerked for Justice Hugo L. Black during the 1953-1954 term. Prior to his academic career he was a lawyer
for major Washington, D.C. area firms.
and Hillary Rodham Clinton
were students of Professor Reich at Yale Law School when he was writing The Greening of America and he is mentioned in their biographies. Reich left Yale in 1974 to move to San Francisco. He returned to teach at Yale from 1991-1995 and in February 2011.
, and came to terms with this in San Francisco during the period of rapidly advancing gay rights and liberation in the 1970s. He eventually became actively out
during this early period of the modern LGBT rights movement
, and in his autobiography details his activism
and the process of coming to terms with his then long-repressed
homosexuality
.
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and social
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
scholar as well as writer who was a Professor at Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
when he wrote the 1970 paean to the 1960s counterculture
Counterculture of the 1960s
The counterculture of the 1960s refers to a cultural movement that mainly developed in the United States and spread throughout much of the western world between 1960 and 1973. The movement gained momentum during the U.S. government's extensive military intervention in Vietnam...
and youth movement, The Greening of America
The Greening of America
The Greening of America was a book published in 1970 by Charles A. Reich. It was a paean to the counterculture of the 1960s and its values. Excerpts first appeared as an essay in the September 26, 1970 issue of The New Yorker. The book was originally published by Random House.The book's argument...
. Excerpts of the book first appeared in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, and its reception there helped it to leading the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
. As a law student, he was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal
Yale Law Journal
The Yale Law Journal is a student-run law review affiliated with the Yale Law School. Published continuously since 1891, it is the most widely known of the eight law reviews published by students at Yale Law School...
(1951–1952), and he clerked for Justice Hugo L. Black during the 1953-1954 term. Prior to his academic career he was a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
for major Washington, D.C. area firms.
Life
Both Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
were students of Professor Reich at Yale Law School when he was writing The Greening of America and he is mentioned in their biographies. Reich left Yale in 1974 to move to San Francisco. He returned to teach at Yale from 1991-1995 and in February 2011.
Sexual orientation
Reich is gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, and came to terms with this in San Francisco during the period of rapidly advancing gay rights and liberation in the 1970s. He eventually became actively out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
during this early period of the modern LGBT rights movement
LGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
, and in his autobiography details his activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
and the process of coming to terms with his then long-repressed
Psychological repression
Psychological repression, also psychic repression or simply repression, is the psychological attempt by an individual to repel one's own desires and impulses towards pleasurable instincts by excluding the desire from one's consciousness and holding or subduing it in the unconscious...
homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
Articles
Reich has written numerous articles. The following is a selection:- 1962: "Bureaucracy and the forests: An occasional paper on the role of the political process in the free society" (Center for the Study of Democratic InstitutionsCenter for the Study of Democratic InstitutionsThe Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara, California was an important think tank from 1959 to 1977, declining in influence thereafter. The Center held discussions in a variety of areas that it hoped would influence public deliberation...
) - 1964: "The New Property" (Yale Law JournalYale Law JournalThe Yale Law Journal is a student-run law review affiliated with the Yale Law School. Published continuously since 1891, it is the most widely known of the eight law reviews published by students at Yale Law School...
) - 1965: "Individual Rights and Social Welfare: The Emerging Legal Issues" (Yale Law Journal)
- 1987: "The Liberals' Mistake" (adapted from RegentsBoard of RegentsIn the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
' Lecture at the University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraThe University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/reich-charles_liberals-mistake-discussion.html) - 1990: "Symposium: The Legacy of Goldberg v. Kelly: A Twenty Year Perspective: Beyond the New Property: An Ecological View of Due Process" (Brooklyn Law Review)
Books
Reich has also authored and co-authored a number of books. The following is a selection:- 1970: The Greening of AmericaThe Greening of AmericaThe Greening of America was a book published in 1970 by Charles A. Reich. It was a paean to the counterculture of the 1960s and its values. Excerpts first appeared as an essay in the September 26, 1970 issue of The New Yorker. The book was originally published by Random House.The book's argument...
: How the Youth Revolution is Trying to Make America Livable - 1972: Garcia: A Signpost to New Space (co-authored with Jerry GarciaJerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
and Jann WennerJann WennerJann Simon Wenner is the co-founder and publisher of the music and politics biweekly Rolling Stone, as well as the owner of Men's Journal and Us Weekly magazines.-Childhood:...
, Straight Arrow PressStraight Arrow PressStraight Arrow Press is a publishing company that publishes the periodicals Us Weekly and Rolling Stone....
; re-issued, Da Capo Press, 2003 http://www.amazon.com/dp/0306812533/) - 1976: The Sorcerer of Bolinas ReefReefIn nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
(autobiography) - 1995: Opposing the System