Leon Jaworski

Leon Jaworski
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Name	Leon Jaworski
Birth date	September 19, 1905
Birth place	Waco, Texas
Death date	December 9, 1982
Death place	Waco, Texas
Alma mater	Baylor University, George Washington University Law School
Occupation	Lawyer, prosecutor
Known for	Watergate Special Prosecutor

Leon Jaworski. He was a prominent American lawyer who gained national prominence as the second Watergate Special Prosecutor, a role in which he successfully pursued the investigation that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Prior to this, he had a distinguished legal career, including serving as a prosecutor for the United States Army during the Nuremberg trials and as president of the American Bar Association. His work on the Watergate scandal cemented his reputation as a figure of formidable integrity within the United States legal system.

Early life and education

Born in Waco, Texas, he was the son of Austro-Hungarian immigrants. He demonstrated academic prowess early, graduating from high school at age fifteen. He then attended Baylor University, where he earned both his undergraduate degree and a Bachelor of Laws by the age of nineteen. To meet the American Bar Association's age requirement for bar admission, he pursued further studies at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., earning a second law degree. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1925.

Legal career

He built a formidable reputation as a trial lawyer in Houston, co-founding the influential firm now known as Fulbright & Jaworski. During World War II, he served in the United States Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps, rising to the rank of colonel. He was appointed as a prosecutor for the United States in the Nuremberg trials, specifically working on the Einsatzgruppen trial. His professional stature was recognized with his election as president of the American Bar Association in 1971. He also served on the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Watergate investigation

In November 1973, following the Saturday Night Massacre and the dismissal of the first special prosecutor Archibald Cox, he was appointed as the new Watergate Special Prosecutor by the United States Department of Justice. He took a methodical and aggressive approach, securing the conviction of several former Nixon administration officials, including John Ehrlichman and H. R. Haldeman. His office fought crucial legal battles, most notably before the Supreme Court of the United States in United States v. Nixon, which compelled the release of the Nixon White House tapes. This evidence was pivotal in the United States House of Representatives moving toward impeachment, leading directly to Nixon's resignation in August 1974.

Later life and death

After concluding the Watergate investigation, he returned to his private law practice in Texas. He remained an active voice on legal ethics and wrote several books, including his memoir *Confession and Avoidance* and *The Right and the Power*, detailing his experiences during the Watergate scandal. He also served on various corporate boards and continued to lecture on law. He died of a heart attack in his hometown of Waco, Texas in 1982 and was interred at Oakwood Cemetery.

Legacy and honors

He is widely remembered as a paragon of prosecutorial independence and integrity, whose steadfast work was crucial to resolving the Watergate scandal. His portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. The State Bar of Texas created the **Leon Jaworski Award** for professional excellence, and the American Bar Association presents the **Leon Jaworski Public Service Award**. The law library at his alma mater, Baylor University's Baylor Law School, is named in his honor. His role affirmed the principle that the President of the United States is not above the law.

Category:American lawyers Category:Watergate scandal Category:American Bar Association