born Oct. 1, 1924, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.
U.S. jurist.
He received his law degree from Stanford University and served as clerk to Richard Nixon in 1972. During the 1970s and into the '80s Rehnquist formed the anchor of the court's conservative minority bloc. His polished legal opinions and consistently conservative stance on almost all legal issues led Pres. Ronald Reagan to appoint him chief justice in 1986. Rehnquist dramatically reduced the court's caseload and improved its efficiency. With the support of other conservatives, he led the court in curbing the ability of Congress to expand federal authority and in curtailing affirmative action programs. He presided over the U.S. Senate during the impeachment trial of Pres. {{link=Clinton, Bill">Bill Clinton (1999).