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Sofaer (Abraham D.) papers
96040  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
The Abraham D. Sofaer papers document Sofaer's work as a former United States District Judge (1980-1985) and Legal Adviser to the State Department of the United States (1985-1990), along with his tenure as a professor of law at Columbia Law School (1969-1979) and as the George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy and National Security Affairs at the Hoover Institution (1994-current). Subjects of note represented in the collection include the War Powers Study conducted at Columbia Law School (1971-1979), Ariel Sharon v. Time, Inc. libel case (1984), and the reinterpretation of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (1985-1987). Other topics reflected in the collection include interpretation of international law and policy, Middle East policy, preventative force, and the use of force. Also represented are subjects related to ADS's work in the practice of private law, both for the law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed (1991-1994) and independently, involving issues including regulation of the airline industry in the United States, water use law, and representing Libya following the bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103. Materials include speeches and writings, handwritten notes, correspondence, memoranda, legal records,audiovisual recordings, and printed materials.
Background
Abraham Sofaer served as Legal Adviser to the United States Department of State from 1985 to 1990. He was then-Secretary of State George P. Shultz's principal negotiator for interstate matters including the dispute between Egypt and Israel over the Taba border and he was responsible for the reinterpretation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. He received the Distinguished Service Award in 1989, the highest state department award given to a non-civil servant. Following his resignation from the State Department in 1990, Sofaer went into private practice with the law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed. In 1994 he became George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy and National Security Affairs at the Hoover Institution.
Extent
203 manuscript boxes, 12 oversize boxes (87.12 Linear Feet)
Restrictions
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Availability
Box 202 closed during the lifetime of Abraham D. Sofaer. Boxes 207 and 208 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. The remainder of the collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.