Rex E. Lee

Rex E. Lee. Rex Edwin Lee was an influential American attorney, legal scholar, and academic administrator who served as the United States government's chief advocate before the Supreme Court of the United States. A prominent figure in the Reagan Administration, he later led a major private university while continuing his impactful legal practice. His career was marked by a deep commitment to constitutional principles and legal education, leaving a lasting legacy in both the federal judiciary and higher education.

Early life and education

Born in Quincy, Illinois, Lee was raised in a family active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University, graduating as valedictorian in 1960. He then attended the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as an editor of the prestigious University of Chicago Law Review and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1963. Following law school, he clerked for Judge J. Edward Lumbard of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and then for Supreme Court Justice Byron White, experiences that profoundly shaped his understanding of federal appellate practice.

Legal career

After his clerkships, Lee joined the prominent Washington, D.C., law firm now known as Sidley Austin, where he specialized in appellate litigation. In 1972, he returned to Provo, Utah, to become a founding faculty member of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, quickly rising to become its first dean. During this period, he argued several significant cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and developed a national reputation as a formidable appellate advocate. His scholarship and practice focused heavily on issues of federal jurisdiction, constitutional law, and the separation of powers.

Solicitor General of the United States

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee as the Solicitor General of the United States, the federal government's top lawyer before the Supreme Court of the United States. During his tenure, which lasted until 1985, he argued numerous high-profile cases for the Reagan Administration, including defense of the Independent Counsel statute in *Morrison v. Olson* and advocating positions on civil rights, antitrust law, and federalism. He frequently squared off against notable attorneys like Alan Dershowitz and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. His office also oversaw the successful defense of the Gramm–Rudman–Hollings Act before the high court.

Brigham Young University presidency

Lee returned to private practice for several years before being named the tenth president of Brigham Young University in 1989. His presidency emphasized strengthening the university's academic reputation and global outreach, overseeing the creation of new programs and facilities. He navigated complex issues regarding academic freedom, religious identity, and the institution's relationship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns and operates the university. Despite his administrative duties, he remained active in the law, successfully arguing the landmark religious freedom case *Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah* before the Supreme Court of the United States in 1993.

Later life and death

Diagnosed with cancer during his presidency, Lee continued to serve as president of Brigham Young University until 1995. He subsequently returned to teaching constitutional law at the J. Reuben Clark Law School. He passed away on March 11, 1996, in Salt Lake City, Utah. His legacy includes the establishment of the annual Rex E. Lee Law Conference and the endowed Rex E. Lee Chair in Constitutional Law at Brigham Young University. His son, Mike Lee, later became a United States Senator from Utah, and his wife, Janet Griffin Lee, was a noted community advocate.

Category:American lawyers Category:Solicitors General of the United States Category:Brigham Young University alumni Category:Brigham Young University faculty