Robert MacCrate (July 18, 1921 – April 6, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as Counsel to

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Nelson D. Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

and as Special Counsel to the

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for its investigation of the

My Lai Massacre My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon Business * Market ...

. In the late 1980s, MacCrate served as president of both the

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and the

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("ABA"). MacCrate later chaired the ABA Task Force on Law Schools and the Profession. The Task Force's Report, widely known as the MacCrate Report, was issued in July 1992. MacCrate was a partner and vice chairman of

Sullivan & Cromwell Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in New York City. Known as a white-shoe firm, Sullivan & Cromwell is recognized as a leader in business law, and is known for its impact on international affairs, such a ...

LLP. Although retired from active practice, MacCrate continued to serve on many boards and was active as a Senior Counsel of Sullivan & Cromwell until his death in 2016. Robert MacCrate's father,

John MacCrate John MacCrate (March 29, 1885 in Dumbarton, Scotland – June 9, 1976 in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York) was a lawyer, a politician, serving as a United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from New York (state), New York, ...

, served in the

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before serving as a justice of the

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.http://www.brooklynfriends.org/RelId/607530/ISvars/default/Alumni_Profile%253a_Robert_MacCrate_'39.htm Alumni Profile of Robert MacCrate, Brooklyn Friends School.

The MacCrate Report

With the backing of the ABA Task Force on Law Schools and the Profession, the MacCrate Report criticized the state of American legal education and called for a practice-oriented, rather than theory-oriented, approach to legal education. Specifically, the MacCrate Report suggested mandatory externships with government agencies, judges, and

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legal assistance clinics. It also encouraged state

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s to alter

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s to focus more on practice-oriented skills rather than rhetoric and legal maxims, "to ensure that applicants are ready to assume their responsibilities in practice." While the MacCrate Report is widely viewed as the template for modern legal education in the United States, many traditional and high-ranking law schools have yet to adopt many of its recommendations. Because of this resistance to practice-oriented legal education, many have called into question the existing law school ranking system, generated entirely by '' U.S. News & World Report'', and criticized it as being outdated and reflecting

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paradigms rather than an ability to produce competent attorneys. This resistance has only added to the continually increasing criticism and mistrust of the law school ranking system.

Education

MacCrate was a 1939 graduate of Brooklyn Friends School, a 1943 graduate of

Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducational ...

, and a 1948 graduate of the

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

. He received honorary doctorates from

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

in 1986, Haverford College in 1987, Dickinson College in 1987, William Mitchell in 1994, Quinnipiac Law School in 1995,

CUNY School of Law The City University of New York School of Law (CUNY School of Law) is a public law school in New York City. It was founded in 1983 as part of the City University of New York. CUNY School of Law was established as a public interest law school wi ...

, and University of South Carolina in 2004.

Death

MacCrate died aged 94 on 6 April 2016 at his home in

Plandome, New York Plandome is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered part of the Greater Manhasset area, which is anchored by Manhasset. The population was 1,349 at ...

.''New York Times'' Robert MacCrate, lawyer in My Lai inquiry, dies at 94
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maccrate, Robert 1921 births 2016 deaths New York (state) lawyers Presidents of the American Bar Association Harvard Law School alumni Haverford College alumni 20th-century American lawyers