Carl Otto Lenz (born 5 June 1930) is a German lawyer, member of the German
Bundestag (1965–1984) for the
CDU and
Advocate General at the
European Court of Justice
The European Court of Justice (ECJ, french: Cour de Justice européenne), formally just the Court of Justice, is the supreme court of the European Union in matters of European Union law. As a part of the Court of Justice of the European Un ...
(1984–1997).
Biography
Born in
Berlin, Carl Otto Lenz is the son of the lawyer Otto Lenz (Secretary of the Federal Chancellery 1951–1953, member of the German Bundestag 1953–1957) and Marie Liese Pohl. In 1948, he graduated from high school in
Munich. From 1949 to 1953, he studied
law and
political science at the
Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, the
Albert-Ludwigs University
The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württ ...
of
Freiburg, the
University of Geneva (Switzerland) and the
University of Bonn. In Freiburg, he was a member of the Catholic Student Fraternity KDSt.V. Arminia Freiburg im Breisgau im CV. Lenz later studied at
Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, the
College of Administrative Sciences Speyer
The German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer (German: ''Deutsche Universität für Verwaltungswissenschaften Speyer''; sometimes referred to as Speyer University), is a national graduate school for administrative sciences and public ma ...
and
Harvard University in Cambridge (Massachusetts). From 1961, he taught at the
University of Bonn.
In 1959, he became Secretary of the Christian Democratic Group of the
European Parliament in Luxembourg; From 1965 to 1984 he was a member of the German Bundestag, representing
Bergstraße. For many years he was a member of the Legal Affairs Committee, and he was its chairman from 1969 to 1980.
Lenz is especially committed to Franco-German friendship; he was a member of the Franco-German Parliamentary Group and its chairman from 1969 to 1983.
From 1984 to 1997, Lenz was
Advocate General at the European Court of Justice. During this time, he drafted about 400 submissions to the Court of Justice. Lenz is also editor of a handbook and the author of numerous works concerning EC law.
Since 1998, he has been a lawyer in
Frankfurt and
Brussels.
Awards and honors
* 1976:
Great Cross of Merit
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
of the Federal Republic of Germany
* 1980:
Officer of the Legion of Honor
* 1983: Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic
* 1987: Bearer of the Hans-Dahs Medal of the German Bar Association
* 1990: Honorary Professor of the Department of European Law at the University of the Saarland
* 1998: Bearer of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
See also
*
List of members of the European Court of Justice
References
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lenz, Carl Otto
1930 births
Living people
Jurists from Berlin
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni
Cornell University alumni
Harvard University alumni
Advocates General of the European Court of Justice
Academic staff of the University of Bonn
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Grand Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite
Officers of the Legion of Honour
Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
German officials of the European Union