Bork, Robert Heron

Bork, Robert Heron, 1927–, American jurist, b. Pittsburgh. He received his law degree from the Univ. of Chicago in 1953, and served as professor of law at Yale Univ. (1962–73, 1977–81), U.S. Solicitor General (1973–77; see Watergate affair.), and judge for federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (1982–88). In 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court. An outspoken conservative, Bork was widely reviled for his apparent opposition to advancement in civil liberties. After lengthy and acrimonious confirmation hearings, he was ultimately voted down by the Senate, 58–42. Bork resigned from the federal court in Feb., 1988, and became a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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