Arlin Marvin Adams

Arlin Marvin Adams was a United States circuit judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit from 1969 to 1987. Born in Philadelphia in 1921, he had a distinguished career that spanned private practice, public service, and the federal judiciary. Appointed to the Third Circuit by President Richard M. Nixon, a Republican, Adams served for nearly two decades before retiring from the bench to return to private practice. He was considered multiple times as a potential nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States and remained active in the legal profession and public service until late in his life, passing away in 2015 at the age of 94.

Early life and legal career

Arlin Marvin Adams was born on April 16, 1921, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a Jewish family. He pursued his undergraduate education at Temple University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1941. Following his undergraduate studies, Adams attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School, receiving his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1947. During his time at Penn Law, he distinguished himself academically by serving as editor-in-chief of the law review, a prestigious position that reflected his scholarly abilities and leadership among his peers. He later returned to Temple University to complete a Master of Arts degree in 1950, further deepening his academic credentials.

Upon graduating from law school in 1947, Adams entered private legal practice in Philadelphia, where he would remain for more than two decades. His practice in Philadelphia established him as a respected member of the legal community in Pennsylvania's largest city. Concurrent with his private practice, Adams joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, serving as a member of the law school faculty from 1952 until 1956. This academic appointment allowed him to contribute to legal education while maintaining his practice, demonstrating his commitment to both the practical and theoretical dimensions of the law.

Adams's career took a turn toward public service when he was appointed secretary of public welfare for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a position he held from 1963 to 1966. In this role, he gained experience in state government administration and public policy, particularly in matters affecting social welfare programs. This experience in the executive branch of state government provided him with a perspective on the intersection of law and public administration that would inform his later judicial work. By the time he left this position, Adams had established himself as both a skilled practitioner and a public servant with experience across multiple sectors of the legal profession.

Federal appellate service

On September 22, 1969, President Richard M. Nixon nominated Adams to serve as a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The vacancy had been created when Judge Harry Ellis Kalodner elected to take senior status. The United States Senate confirmed Adams's nomination on October 1, 1969, and he received his commission the following day, on October 2, 1969. At the time of his appointment, Adams was 48 years old and brought to the bench his extensive experience in private practice, legal education, and state government service.

Adams's tenure on the Third Circuit was marked by significant recognition beyond his judicial duties. In 1971, President Nixon came close to nominating Adams to the Supreme Court of the United States. However, the president ultimately selected William Rehnquist instead. This decision followed a Third Circuit ruling in which Adams authored an opinion reversing the convictions of several nuns who had participated in an anti-Vietnam War protest, a decision that reportedly influenced the administration's calculus regarding Adams's potential nomination. The episode illustrated both the independence of Adams's judicial decision-making and the political considerations that inevitably surround Supreme Court appointments.

Adams was again considered for elevation to the nation's highest court in 1975, when President Gerald Ford, a Republican, evaluated potential nominees to fill a vacancy. Adams was among the finalists for the position, ultimately coming down to a choice between Adams and John Paul Stevens. Ford selected Stevens, who went on to serve on the Supreme Court for more than three decades. Years later, in 1987, Adams's name was once more mentioned in connection with a Supreme Court vacancy, this time the seat vacated by Justice Lewis Powell. That vacancy eventually went to Anthony Kennedy after the failed nominations of Robert Bork and Douglas Ginsburg. The repeated consideration of Adams for the Supreme Court across multiple administrations and over a span of more than fifteen years reflected the high regard in which he was held within the legal community and among those responsible for judicial selection.

Adams served on the Third Circuit until January 2, 1987, when he retired from the bench. Notably, he chose to retire outright rather than take senior status, a decision that allowed him to return fully to private practice rather than maintain a reduced judicial caseload. His nearly eighteen years of service on the federal appellate bench represented a significant contribution to the development of federal law within the Third Circuit's jurisdiction, which encompasses Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Following his retirement from the federal bench in 1987, Adams returned to private practice, joining the Philadelphia law firm Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP. His post-judicial career proved to be remarkably active and consequential, spanning nearly three decades and involving some of the most significant legal matters in Pennsylvania and beyond. He took on roles that drew upon his reputation for integrity and his extensive legal expertise, serving in investigative and fiduciary capacities that required the highest levels of trust and competence.

In 1994, Adams conducted an investigation into allegations of criminal activity involving the Pennsylvania attorney general, a sensitive assignment that required both legal acumen and discretion. That same period, he investigated allegations of improper medical research at Fox Chase Cancer Center, demonstrating his willingness to engage with complex matters at the intersection of law, ethics, and science. In 1995, he was appointed to serve as a trustee in the New Era bankruptcy case, which at that time represented the largest nonprofit bankruptcy in American history. This appointment reflected confidence in his ability to navigate extraordinarily complex financial and legal terrain. He also served as the Chapter 11 Trustee in the reorganization of Coram Healthcare Corporation in bankruptcy proceedings in Delaware, successfully guiding that reorganization to completion.

From 1998 to 2002, Adams served as independent counsel in an investigation of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. This investigation uncovered widespread corruption within the agency, representing a significant contribution to governmental accountability. His work as independent counsel demonstrated his continued commitment to public service even decades after leaving the bench.

Adams's scholarly interests included constitutional law and religious liberty. He co-authored books on these subjects, including works examining the constitutional heritage of the religion clauses and exploring the relationship between religion and the public good. These publications reflected his deep engagement with fundamental questions of American constitutional law.

The legal and academic communities recognized Adams's contributions through various honors and institutional namings. In 2001, Susquehanna University established the Arlin M. Adams Center for Law and Society. In 2005, with support from the Annenberg Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania Law School created the Arlin M. Adams Professorship in Constitutional Law. In 2007, Drexel University School of Law established the Arlin M. Adams Professor of Legal Writing position. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1996.

Adams maintained extensive involvement in civic and professional organizations throughout his life. He served on the board of the Einstein Healthcare Network, including as chairman, and as a trustee for the William Penn Foundation, the National Constitution Center, the Lincoln Charitable Trust, and Bryn Mawr College. He served as president of the congregation for Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Philadelphia. Within the legal profession, he was a former chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association and past president of both the American Judicature Society and the American Philosophical Society. He also chaired the United States Supreme Court Judicial Fellows Commission. As late as 2013, at the age of 92, Adams continued to serve as counsel to Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP and was listed as a NAFTA adjudicator. Adams died on December 22, 2015, having maintained an active professional life well into his tenth decade.