Background
Shestack, Jerome Joseph was born on February 11, 1925 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. Son of Isidore and Olga (Shankman) Shestack.
Shestack, Jerome Joseph was born on February 11, 1925 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. Son of Isidore and Olga (Shankman) Shestack.
Bachelor of Arts Pennsylvania, 1944. Bachelor of Laws, Harvard University, 1949. Doctor of Laws (honorary), Dickinson College Law, 1997.
Doctor of Laws (honorary), Stetson School of Law, 1998. Doctor of Laws (honorary), Whittier College Law, 1998.
Teaching fellow Northwestern University Law School, Chicago, 1949—1950. Assistant professor law, faculty editor Louisiana State Law School, Baton Rouge, 1950—1952. Deputy city solicitor City of Philadelphia, 1952, 1st deputy solicitor, 1952—1955.
Partner Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, Philadelphia and Washington Civil Defense, 1956—1991, since 2009, Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen, Philadelphia, 1991—2008. Adjunct professor law University Pennsylvania, 1956. United States ambassador to United Nations Human Rights Commission, 1979—1980.
United States delegate to Economic and Social Council, United Nations, 1980. Senior United States delegate to Helsinki Accords Conference, 1979—1980. Member United States Commission on Improving Effectiveness of United Nations, since 1989.
Chairman International League Human Rights, 1973—1994, honorary chairman, since 1994. United States delegate to Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Conference, Moscow, 1991. Founder, chairman Lawyers Committee International Human Rights, 1978—1980, Jacob Blaustein Institute Human Rights, 1988—1992.
Member national advisory committee legal services Office of Economic Opportunity, 1965—1972. Board directors, executive committee Lawyers Committee Civil Rights. Member council Holocaust Museum, 1999—2004, executive committee, chair committee on conscience.
With United States Naval Reserve, 1943-1946.
Member executive committee National Legal Aid and Defender Association, 1970—1980. Trustee Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt Institute, since 1986. Board governors Tel Aviv University, since 1983, Hebrew University, since 1969.
Chairman board directors American Poetry Center, 1976—1991. Trustee Free Library. Philadelphia, vice chairman, 1989—1996.
Vice president American Jewish Committee, 1984—1989. Member of American Bar Association (house of deals 1971-1973, since 1977, judicial committee 1985-1990, board governors 1992-1995, executive committee 1994-1995, president-elect 1996, president 1997-1998, president American Law Institute-American Bar Association 1997-1998, board directors 1999—2003, chair Center Human Rights 2003-2005, co-chair, Gold medal), Gruber Foundation (Justice award), National Conference Bar Foundation (board directors since 1998, president 2004), International Association Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (American Society president 2000-2002), American Academy Appellate Lawyers, American College Trial Lawyers, American Arbitration Association (Highest American Bar Association medal 2006), American Law Institute, American Society International Law (executive committee since 1993, international committee jurists executive committee 1998—2001, commissioner since 1999), International Academy Trial Lawyers, International Bar Association (chairman committee on human rights 1990-1994, chairman committee professional ethics 2000-2004), Order of Coif.
Married Marciarose Schleifer, January 28, 1951. Children: Jonathan Michael, Jennifer.