born June 19, 1910, Memphis, Tenn., U.S.
died April 6, 1982, Washington, D.C.
U.S. jurist.
He graduated from Yale University Law School (1933), where he studied under William O. Douglas before following him to the Securities and Exchange Commission . As cofounder of a major Washington, D.C., law firm (1946), he represented some of the largest U.S. corporations. In 1963 he successfully argued the case of Gideon v. Wainwright , which established the right of the accused to counsel in criminal trials, regardless of ability to pay. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson , a close friend, nominated Fortas to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1965. Johnson attempted to elevate him to chief justice in 1968, but his nomination faced a filibuster in the Senate, and Fortas requested that his name be withdrawn from consideration. In 1969 Fortas resigned from the Court following a threat of impeachment over his dealings with a financier who was subsequently imprisoned for securities violations.