Allen Richard Derr (April 5, 1928 – June 10, 2013) was an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

who successfully argued '' Reed v. Reed'', a landmark

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

decision issued in 1971 that strengthened anti-discrimination protections for women.

Early life and education

Born in

Sandpoint, Idaho Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 9,777 as of the 2022 United States census, census. Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest pr ...

, Derr was the son of Idaho politicians. His father, Alfred M. Derr, served in the

Idaho Senate The Idaho State Senate is the upper chamber of the Idaho Legislature. It consists of 35 senators elected to two-year terms, each representing a district of the state. The Senate meets at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho. Composition of th ...

. His mother, Hattie Derr, became Idaho's first female state senator in 1937 when she was appointed to the Idaho Senate to fill in for her husband, who was suffering from appendicitis. He was raised in the

Idaho Panhandle The Idaho panhandle—locally known as North Idaho, Northern Idaho, or simply the Panhandle—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, ...

region. Derr worked as a page in the Idaho Legislature 1941. He graduated from Clark Fork High School in Clark Fork, Idaho, in 1947. Derr earned both his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

and Juris Doctor degrees from the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963. The un ...

Career

He ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Idaho Legislature during the 1960s. Derr later co-founded the Idaho Press Club and served on its

board of directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

. A resident of Boise, he continued to practice law until shortly before his death. Derr was best known for his role in '' Reed v. Reed''. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously for Derr's client, Sally Reed, who sued her estranged husband, Cecil, over who should administer the estate of their late son following his suicide. Derr argued before the Court that the 14th Amendment of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

forbid discrimination on the basis of gender. On November 22, 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor Derr's client, Sally Reed, in a decision written by Chief Justice Warren Burger.

Personal life

Derr died from leukemia in

Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

, on June 10, 2013, at the age of 85. He was survived by his second wife, former Ada County Commissioner Judy Peavey-Derr. His first wife, Helen Derr, preceded him in death.Allen Richard Derr obituary
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Derr, Allen 1928 births 2013 deaths Idaho Democrats University of Idaho alumni Lawyers from Boise, Idaho People from Sandpoint, Idaho Deaths from cancer in Idaho 20th-century American lawyers