His practice included complex litigation in federal and state courts, arbitration of disputes involving foreign governments and corporations, and appellate work in federal and state court
WASHINGTON, DC, March 27, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Howard P. Willens, Esq., with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Willens celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Willens was born in 1931 in Oak Park, Illinois. His parents – Joseph and Helen – were first generation American citizens who never had the chance to go to college. He had two older sisters: Louise and Joan.
Education was highly valued in the household. Mr. Willens was successful at Oak Park and River Forest High School, where he was valedictorian of his class and captain of the State champion tennis team in 1948. After a year at Stanford, he transferred to the University of Michigan, where he studied political science, qualified for Phi Beta Kappa, and served as president of the Student Legislature.
Clearly influenced by his mother's early work as a legal stenographer and two lawyer uncles, Mr. Willens went to the Yale Law School in 1953. He served on the Yale Law Journal and graduated in 1956. He served for two years in the U.S. Army during 1957 and 1958.
Mr. Willens began his legal career in 1959 at the Washington office of a major Chicago firm, Kirkland and Ellis, where he focused on antitrust law. In early 1961, however, he seized the opportunity to become one of two deputies to the newly-appointed assistant attorney general in charge of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. This was an extraordinary assignment during a period when the Criminal Division was deeply involved in challenging labor racketeering and organized crime under Robert Kennedy. It also provided Mr. Willens with the opportunity to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
While at the Department, Mr. Willens was asked by Deputy Attorney General Nicolas Katzenbach in mid-December 1963 to assist the newly-formed Warren Commission's investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy. Mr. Willens worked for the next nine months on this assignment under the leadership of Lee Rankin, the Commission's general Counsel. In 2013 Mr. Willens wrote a book about this assignment, "History Will Prove Us Right."
Mr. Willens left the Justice Department in August 1965 to become staff director of President Johnson's Commission on Crime in the District of Columbia. After sixteen months of investigation, the Commission issued its report in December 1966. Mr. Willens then returned to private practice in Washington.
Mr. Willens was a partner in the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering from 1967 through 1994. His practice included complex litigation in federal and state courts, arbitration of disputes involving foreign governments and corporations, and appellate work in federal and state courts. Mr. Willens was retained by the Northern Marianas people in 1972 to represent them in negotiations with the United States regarding the terms under which they became U.S. citizens and a commonwealth under U.S. sovereignty. This assignment led to a relationship that lasted for nearly four decades, concluding with his service as Special Legal Counsel to the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands during 2006-2009.
During his years of Washington practice, Mr. Willens was a member of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and served as chairman in the early seventies. He was also elected in May 1968 on a slate of delegates to the Democratic Convention committed to Robert Kennedy. He served on the Council for Court Excellence in Washington between 1982 and 1988. He is a longstanding member of the American Bar Association.
Mr. Willens married Deanne C. Siemer in 1978 – a second marriage for both. They have five children: Jonathan Willens, Peggy Willens, Sarah Kass, Patricia Willens, and Jason Kelly. Ms. Siemer is an accomplished lawyer who served as General Counsel in the U.S. Department of Defense in the Carter Administration and has published many books for lawyers.
After they left their respective firms in 1995, Mr. Willens and Ms. Siemer have provided legal and consulting services as co-directors of Wilsie Co. LLC. They co-authored two books about the Northern Marianas: "National Security and Self-Determination: United States Policy in Micronesia (1961-1972)" published by Praeger (June 2000); and "An Honorable Accord: The Covenant between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States (1972-1976)" published by the University of Hawaii Press (2001).
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Howard P. Willens, Esq., has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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