Robert MacCrate
Encyclopedia
Robert MacCrate is a New York lawyer who served as Counsel to New York
Governor
Nelson D. Rockefeller and as Special Counsel to the Department of the Army for its investigation of the My Lai Massacre
. In the late 1980s MacCrate served as president of both the New York State Bar Association
and the American Bar Association
("ABA"). MacCrate later chaired the ABA Task Force on Law Schools and the Profession. The Task Force's Report, widely known as the MacCrate Report, was issued in July 1992. MacCrate was a partner and vice chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell
LLP. Although retired from active practice, MacCrate continues to serve on many boards and is active as a Senior Counsel of Sullivan & Cromwell.
Robert MacCrate's father, John MacCrate
, served in the U.S. House of Representatives before serving as a justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
and called for a practice
-oriented, rather than theory-oriented, approach to legal education. Specifically, the MacCrate Report suggested mandatory externships with government agencies, judges, and pro bono
legal assistance clinics. It also encouraged state Bar association
s to alter Bar examination
s to focus more on practice-oriented skills rather than rhetoric and legal maxims, "to ensure that applicants are ready to assume their responsibilities in practice." While the MacCrate Report is widely viewed as the template for modern legal education in the United States, many traditional and high-ranking law schools have yet to adopt many of its recommendations. Because of this resistance to practice-oriented legal education, many have called into question the existing law school ranking system
, generated entirely by U.S. News and World Reports, and criticized it as being outdated and reflecting American upper class
paradigms rather than an ability to produce competent attorneys. This resistance has only added to the continually increasing criticism and mistrust of the law school ranking system
.
, and a 1948 graduate of the Harvard Law School
. He received honorary doctorates from Union College
in 1986, Haverford College in 1987, Dickinson College in 1987, William Mitchell in 1994, Quinnipiac Law School in 1995, C.U.N.Y. Law School, and University of South Carolina in 2004.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Nelson D. Rockefeller and as Special Counsel to the Department of the Army for its investigation of the My Lai Massacre
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347–504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Most of the victims were women, children , and...
. In the late 1980s MacCrate served as president of both the New York State Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association , with 77,000 members, is the largest voluntary bar association in the United States.-History:The State Bar was founded with a constitution that dates to 1877...
and the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
("ABA"). MacCrate later chaired the ABA Task Force on Law Schools and the Profession. The Task Force's Report, widely known as the MacCrate Report, was issued in July 1992. MacCrate was a partner and vice chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell
Sullivan & Cromwell
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is an international law firm headquartered in New York. The firm has approximately 800 lawyers in 12 offices, located in financial centers in the United States, Asia, Australia and Europe. Sullivan & Cromwell was founded by Algernon Sydney Sullivan and William Nelson...
LLP. Although retired from active practice, MacCrate continues to serve on many boards and is active as a Senior Counsel of Sullivan & Cromwell.
Robert MacCrate's father, John MacCrate
John MacCrate
John MacCrate was a lawyer, a politician, serving as a Representative from New York, and a justice of the New York Supreme Court....
, served in the U.S. House of Representatives before serving as a justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
The MacCrate Report
With the backing of the ABA Task Force on Law Schools and the Profession, the MacCrate Report criticized the state of American legal educationLegal education in the United States
Legal education in the United States generally refers to the education of lawyers before entry into practice. - The first law...
and called for a practice
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
-oriented, rather than theory-oriented, approach to legal education. Specifically, the MacCrate Report suggested mandatory externships with government agencies, judges, and pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
legal assistance clinics. It also encouraged state Bar association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
s to alter Bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
s to focus more on practice-oriented skills rather than rhetoric and legal maxims, "to ensure that applicants are ready to assume their responsibilities in practice." While the MacCrate Report is widely viewed as the template for modern legal education in the United States, many traditional and high-ranking law schools have yet to adopt many of its recommendations. Because of this resistance to practice-oriented legal education, many have called into question the existing law school ranking system
Law School Rankings
Law school rankings are a specific subset of college and university rankings dealing specifically with law schools. Like college and university rankings, law school rankings can be based on empirical data, subjectively-perceived qualitative data , or some combination of these.Such rankings are...
, generated entirely by U.S. News and World Reports, and criticized it as being outdated and reflecting American upper class
American upper class
See: millionaire for more details-Millionaires:See also: MillionairesHouseholds with net worths of $1 million or more may be identified as members of the upper-most socio-economic demographic, depending on the class model used...
paradigms rather than an ability to produce competent attorneys. This resistance has only added to the continually increasing criticism and mistrust of the law school ranking system
Law School Rankings
Law school rankings are a specific subset of college and university rankings dealing specifically with law schools. Like college and university rankings, law school rankings can be based on empirical data, subjectively-perceived qualitative data , or some combination of these.Such rankings are...
.
Education
Robert MacCrate is a 1939 graduate of Brooklyn Friends School, a 1943 graduate of Haverford CollegeHaverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
, and a 1948 graduate of the Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. He received honorary doctorates from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
in 1986, Haverford College in 1987, Dickinson College in 1987, William Mitchell in 1994, Quinnipiac Law School in 1995, C.U.N.Y. Law School, and University of South Carolina in 2004.