Richard G. Wilkins (December 12, 1952 – November 26, 2012) was an American lawyer and proponent of a socially conservative view of marriage and the family. He was the Robert W. Barker Professor of Law at the
J. Reuben Clark Law School
The J. Reuben Clark Law School (BYU Law or JRCLS) is the graduate law school of Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. Founded in 1973, the school is named after J. Reuben Clark, a former U.S. Ambassador, Undersecretary of State, and g ...
which is part of
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
(BYU) until his retirement. He also served as the director of the
World Family Policy Center at BYU which was affiliated with the Clark Law School and the
David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies. He was an assistant to the solicitor general of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in the 1980s.
Wilkins was a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
. He served a mission for the church in Italy in the 1970s.
Wilkins received a Joseph Fielding Smith scholarship to BYU. He graduated at the top of his class in the
BYU School of Fine Arts and Communication. He earned his bachelor's degree in journalism. As a student at
J. Reuben Clark Law School
The J. Reuben Clark Law School (BYU Law or JRCLS) is the graduate law school of Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. Founded in 1973, the school is named after J. Reuben Clark, a former U.S. Ambassador, Undersecretary of State, and g ...
he was the top of his class and was the editor-in-chief of the Brigham Young University law review. He then worked as a law clerk for
Robert A. Ainsworth Jr.
Robert Andrew Ainsworth Jr. (May 10, 1910 – December 22, 1981) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and previously was a United States district judge of the United States District Court fo ...
Wilkins was the Assistant Solicitor General under
Rex E. Lee
Rex Edwin Lee (February 27, 1935 – March 11, 1996) was an American lawyer and academic who served as the 37th Solicitor General of the United States from 1981 until 1985. He was responsible for bringing the solicitor general's office to the cent ...
. While in this position he argued eight cases before the Supreme Court. He wrote the brief that Lee used to argue the government case in
Akron Center for Reproductive Health v. The State of Ohio. He also drafted the legislation regulating abortion passed by the Utah legislature in the early 1990s.
As early as 1978 Wilkins wrote a paper on marriage law in Italy. However Prior to the mid-1990s Wilkins focused much of his work on land issues, such as public domain.
In 1996 Wilkins went to an international conference on the family at Istanbul, where he delivered a paper on the importance of language in UN policy statements. Wilkins has written a book with Esther Rasband about his work at the Istanbul Conference.
Wilkins was the director of the World Family Policy Center at BYU. He was also the founder of Defend Marriage, a group with the goal of opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage. He was a member of the organizing committee for the UN conference on the family held in
Doha, Qatar
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
.
Wilkins participated in several World Policy Center Forums held in
Provo, Utah
Provo ( ) is the fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County and is home to Brigham Young University (BYU).
Provo lies between the ...
.
Wilkins wrote several articles and books on international law, the definition of the family, laws on abortion and other related topics. He also wrote a piece for ''Marriage and Same Sex Unions a Debate'' by
Lynn D. Wardle
Lynn D. Wardle is Bruce C. Hafen Professor of Law at the J. Reuben Clark Law School of Brigham Young University (BYU). He specializes in family law, constitutional law, and bioethics.
Wardle holds the Bruce C. Hafen Professorship at the J. Reub ...
.
At the time he went to Istanbul Wilkins was serving as an LDS Bishop in a ward in Provo.
Wilkins was attacked by
Jack Huberman for being willing to work with fundamentalist Muslims against same-sex marriage and women's rights.
Wilkins was also a stage actor. From 1984 until 2011 he played Ebenezer Scrooge in the annual
Hale Center Theatre production of Dickens "A Christmas Carol".
Nov. 27, 2012 ''Deseret News'' report on Wilkins death
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After his retirement from BYU Wilkins became the Managing Director of the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development.
Wilkins was survived by his wife Melany and four children.
References
External links
BYU devotional on defending the traditional family
Bibliography of works by Wilkins
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Richard
1952 births
2012 deaths
J. Reuben Clark Law School alumni
Brigham Young University faculty
American lawyers
American male stage actors
American Mormon missionaries in Italy
20th-century Mormon missionaries
American activists
American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Male actors from Utah