Norbert A. Schlei

Nobert Anthony Schlei (1929–2003) was an American lawyer who served as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice from 1962 to 1966. In this role, he helped draft major legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1950, he graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in English literature and international relations.

In August 1962, President John F. Kennedy appointed Schlei as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice. He succeeded Nicholas Katzenbach, who was appointed Deputy Attorney General.

Shortly after his appointment at the Office of Legal Counsel, he was sent to Mississippi to help the administration's response to the University of Mississippi's refusal to enroll James Meredith. As Assistant Attorney General, Schlei drafted several proposed bills for the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, including the bills that would eventually become the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Schlei left the Department of Justice in 1966 to run for Secretary of State of California. He defeated six other candidates in the Democratic primary but lost to incumbent Republican Frank M. Jordan. He was acquitted of some of the charges but convicted of conspiracy and securities fraud. The conviction was vacated by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and although Schlei maintained his innocence, he agreed to a negotiated settlement and plead guilty to a misdemeanor instead of facing retrial.

Personal life In March 2002, Schlei was jogging in Santa Monica, California, where he suffered a heart attack, which left him "virtually unconscious" for over a year until his death on April 17, 2003.

He was married three times and is survived by his third wife, Joan, and his three daughters and three sons.