Edward Jurith (September 11, 1951 – November 9, 2013) served as acting director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
The director of the ONDCP, colloquially known as the drug czar, heads the office. "Drug czar" was a term first used ...
from January 20, 2001, to February 5, 2001.
["Lawyer's Addiction: Work Acting Drug Policy Chief pushes rehab over imprisonment ''New York Daily News'', Monday, February 12th 2001]
link
/ref> He was appointed for this term by President Clinton in 2001, and was then appointed to be the acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy again in 2009 by President Obama. Since 1994, he also served as ONDCP's General Counsel, Senior Counsel and Director of Legislative Affairs.
Background
Jurith was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School is a private, Roman Catholic, co-educational, college-preparatory high school located at 357 Clermont Avenue in the Ft. Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. The school serves students in grades 9 ...
in Brooklyn in New York City, graduated with honors from American University
The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...
in 1973, and then received a Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
degree from Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a Private university, private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and adjunct faculty.
...
in 1976. He joined Lyon & Erlbaum in Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1759, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...
, Queens, New York as an appellate trial attorney.
Career in government
His first government post was counsel for Congressman Leo Zeferreti, chairman of the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control, in 1982. According to the Daily News, "Studies his office initiated on narcotics enforcement, such as bail reform and mandatory sentencing, resulted in reams of legislation, including the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, one of the bedrocks of our national drug policy."[ He was named staff director of that agency in 1987, joining the drug control policy office as director of legislative affairs in 1993. '']The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' in 1993 called him "a widely respected drug expert." He was instrumental in developing the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988.
Teaching
In 2010, he became an adjunct professor at the American University Washington College of Law. He taught a seminar about the intersection of law and drug policy. From the first year that he taught to the second, his enrollment increased from seven students to capacity with a waiting list.
Family
He died of cancer in his home in North-West Washington
References
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jurith, Edward
1951 births
2013 deaths
Directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
American University alumni
Brooklyn Law School alumni
George W. Bush administration cabinet members