Walter E. Dellinger III
Encyclopedia
Walter Estes Dellinger III (born May 15, 1941 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is the Douglas B. Maggs Professor of Law at Duke University
and head of the appellate practice at O’Melveny & Myers in Washington, D.C.
He also currently leads Harvard Law School
's Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation Clinic. He served as the acting United States Solicitor General
for the 1996-1997 Term of the Supreme Court
. Prior to his appointment as acting Solicitor General, Dellinger was an Assistant Attorney General
and head of the Office of Legal Counsel
under President Bill Clinton
. He has also appeared as a commentator on This Week, the ABC News Sunday morning program hosted by George Stephanopoulos
. Dellinger is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
and Yale Law School
.
He is the father of lawyer and political candidate Hampton Dellinger
.
On March 18, 2008, he unsuccessfully represented the District of Columbia before the United States Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller
. The District argued that its Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975
should not be restricted by the Second Amendment
. The ban was overturned by the Supreme Court.
In February 2008, Dellinger represented Exxon Mobil Corporation in the Supreme Court in Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker
, which addressed whether certain punitive damages are available under federal maritime law. This case relates to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
of 1989.
On March 5, 2010, the Washington Post published an op-ed by Dellinger defending Karl Thompson, a former subordinate of his.
Nine lawyers who had been appointed to positions within the Presidency, including Thompson, became the focus of criticism, because they had all worked on behalf of Guantanamo captives.
In the op-ed Delligner said that Thompson had added assisting Lieutenant Commander
William Keubler in his defense of Omar Khadr
at his request. He said Thompson had helped assist Keubler for several months, in addition to his previous duties.
In 2010, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue
inducted Dellinger into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine
, calling him "North Carolina’s best friend, legally, that we’ve ever had."
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and head of the appellate practice at O’Melveny & Myers in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He also currently leads 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...
's Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation Clinic. He served as the acting United States Solicitor General
United States Solicitor General
The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...
for the 1996-1997 Term of the Supreme Court
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...
. Prior to his appointment as acting Solicitor General, Dellinger was an Assistant Attorney General
United States Assistant Attorney General
Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an Assistant Attorney General.The President of the United States appoints individuals to the position of Assistant Attorney General with the advice and consent of the Senate...
and head of the Office of Legal Counsel
Office of Legal Counsel
The Office of Legal Counsel is an office in the United States Department of Justice that assists the Attorney General in his function as legal adviser to the President and all executive branch agencies.-History:...
under President Bill Clinton
Bill 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...
. He has also appeared as a commentator on This Week, the ABC News Sunday morning program hosted by George Stephanopoulos
George Stephanopoulos
George Robert Stephanopoulos is an American television journalist and a former political advisor.Stephanopoulos is most well known as the chief political correspondent for ABC News – the news division of the broadcast television network ABC – and a co-anchor of ABC News's morning news...
. Dellinger is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and 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...
.
He is the father of lawyer and political candidate Hampton Dellinger
Hampton Dellinger
Hampton Dellinger is a North Carolina lawyer in the Triangle office of Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson who was a candidate for the 2008 Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. In his first run for elective office, he lost the Democratic primary on May 6, 2008 to Walter H...
.
On March 18, 2008, he unsuccessfully represented the District of Columbia before the United States Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes in federal enclaves, such as...
. The District argued that its Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975
Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975
The Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 was passed by the District of Columbia city council on September 24, 1976. On June 26, 2008, in the historic case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court of the United States determined that the ban and trigger lock provision violate the...
should not be restricted by the Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
. The ban was overturned by the Supreme Court.
In February 2008, Dellinger represented Exxon Mobil Corporation in the Supreme Court in Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker
Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker
Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker, 554 U.S. 471 , was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court ruled in a 5-3 decision that the punitive damages awarded to the victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill should be reduced from US$2.5 billion to US$500 million.The case was appealed...
, which addressed whether certain punitive damages are available under federal maritime law. This case relates to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused...
of 1989.
On March 5, 2010, the Washington Post published an op-ed by Dellinger defending Karl Thompson, a former subordinate of his.
Nine lawyers who had been appointed to positions within the Presidency, including Thompson, became the focus of criticism, because they had all worked on behalf of Guantanamo captives.
In the op-ed Delligner said that Thompson had added assisting Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
William Keubler in his defense of Omar Khadr
Omar Khadr
Omar Ahmed Khadr is a Canadian child soldier and one of the juveniles held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He was convicted of five charges under the United States Military Commissions Act of 2009 including murder in violation of the law of war and providing material support for terrorism,...
at his request. He said Thompson had helped assist Keubler for several months, in addition to his previous duties.
In 2010, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue
Bev Perdue
Beverly Eaves "Bev" Perdue is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. She is the first female governor of North Carolina....
inducted Dellinger into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine
Order of the Long Leaf Pine
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, created in 1965, is an honor that can be granted in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The Longleaf Pine is the official state tree of North Carolina. As of Dec 31, 2006, the Order has been awarded to 6,672 individuals....
, calling him "North Carolina’s best friend, legally, that we’ve ever had."