Warren Christopher

Warren Minor Christopher was an American lawyer and diplomat whose career spanned the legal profession, federal government service, and academia. Born in 1925, he rose from a modest upbringing in North Dakota to become the United States Secretary of State during the first half of the 1990s, serving under President Bill Clinton. His tenure was marked by efforts to broaden NATO, mediate conflicts in the Middle East and the former Yugoslavia, and address human‑rights concerns abroad. After leaving public office he returned to private practice at O’Melveny & Myers and taught law at the University of California, Los Angeles until his death in 2011.

Early life and career

Warren Christopher entered the world on October 27, 1925, in Scranton, North Dakota, to Catherine Anne (née Lemen) and Ernest William Christopher, a bank manager. His heritage included Norwegian ancestry. He completed his secondary education at Hollywood High School in Los Angeles before attending the University of Redlands; he later transferred to the University of Southern California (USC). While an undergraduate, he joined the fraternity Kappa Sigma Sigma and graduated magna cum laude from USC in February 1945.

From July 1943 until September 1946, Christopher served in the United States Naval Reserve. During this period he held active duty as an ensign in the Pacific Theater. After his naval service, he entered Stanford Law School in September 1946, where he became the founding editor of the newly established Stanford Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Christopher’s legal career began with a clerkship for United States Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas from October 1949 to September 1950, making him the first graduate of Stanford Law School to serve as a Supreme Court law clerk. He joined the Los Angeles‑based firm O’Melveny & Myers in October 1950 and became a partner there in 1958. During his time at the firm he also served as special counsel to California Governor Pat Brown.

In June 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Christopher as United States Deputy Attorney General, a position he held until January 20, 1969. While serving in this role, he was tasked with assisting federal efforts to address urban unrest, notably the riots in Detroit in July 1967 and Chicago in April 1968. After leaving the Department of Justice, Christopher returned to O’Melveny & Myers.

Christopher’s professional involvement extended beyond private practice. He served as president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association from 1974 to 1975, chaired the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary of the American Bar Association in 1975–76, and was a member of the board of governors of the State Bar of California during the same period. In 1959 he acted as special counsel to Governor Edmund G. Brown.

Cabinet tenure

Christopher’s entry into executive‑branch diplomacy began with his appointment as Deputy Secretary of State on February 26, 1977, a post he held until January 20, 1981, under President Jimmy Carter. In this capacity he played a key role in negotiating the release of American hostages during the Iran hostage crisis, culminating in the Algiers Accords that secured the safe return of 52 hostages. He also advanced U.S.–China relations, contributed to the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, and led the first interagency group focused on human rights issues. For his service, President Carter awarded Christopher the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 16, 1981.

In 1980, Christopher briefly served as acting United States Secretary of State following the departure of his predecessor; this interim period was short‑lived and he returned to private life until reentering public office in the early 1990s.

During the 1992 presidential campaign, Christopher headed Bill Clinton’s search for a running mate, ultimately selecting Senator Al Gore. After Clinton’s electoral victory, Christopher oversaw the transition process into the new administration and was appointed Secretary of State on January 20, 1993. He was confirmed by the Senate in that role and served until January 17, 1997.

As Secretary of State, Christopher pursued several foreign‑policy initiatives. He worked to expand NATO’s membership, sought diplomatic solutions to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and engaged with China on human‑rights concerns. Notably, he negotiated the Dayton Agreement, which brought an end to the Bosnian War. His tenure also included oversight of the U.S. response to the 2000 presidential election dispute, specifically directing the Gore campaign’s Florida recount effort.

Christopher left office in January 1997 and was succeeded by Madeleine Albright. After his departure from government service he returned to O’Melveny & Myers as a senior partner at the firm’s Century City, California, office. He also served as a professor of law at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Legacy

Christopher’s career reflects a sustained commitment to public service across multiple branches of government and sectors of civil society. His legal expertise, honed through early clerkship experience and partnership in a major law firm, underpinned his effectiveness in high‑level diplomatic negotiations. As Deputy Secretary of State he contributed to resolving one of the most protracted hostage crises of the Cold War era and to shaping U.S. relations with both China and Panama.

In the 1990s, as Secretary of State, he played a central role in redefining European security architecture through NATO expansion and in mediating conflicts that had long destabilized the former Yugoslavia. His involvement in human‑rights advocacy—both domestically, through his leadership of the first interagency human‑rights group, and internationally, by pressuring China on similar issues—demonstrated a consistent focus on moral dimensions within foreign policy.

Beyond government service, Christopher’s civic engagement was extensive. He held leadership positions with the Carnegie Corporation, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, among others. His participation in reform efforts following the Rodney King incident—chairing the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department—led to significant departmental changes that were later ratified by voters.

Christopher’s contributions were recognized through numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service. His death on March 18, 2011 marked the end of a career characterized by legal acumen, diplomatic skill, and a dedication to public service that spanned more than five decades.