Christopher Edley, Jr. has spent 40 years influencing public policy and teaching law. On July 1, 2021, Edley began his term as Interim Dean of the Berkeley Graduate School of Education. At Berkeley since 2004, Edley has continued as the Honorable William H. Orrick, Jr. Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus (2004-13) at the Law School. Before Berkeley, he was a professor at Harvard Law School for 23 years, where he co-founded the Harvard Civil Rights Project. Edley co-chaired the congressionally chartered U.S. Department of Education's national Equity and Excellence Commission (2011-13). He served in White House policy and budget positions under presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. In 2008, he was a board member for the Obama Presidential Transition, with general responsibility for White House priorities in health care, education, and immigration. He is co-founder (2015) and president emeritus of The Opportunity Institute, which focuses primarily on education equity issues. Edley is a graduate of Swarthmore College (mathematics); Harvard Kennedy School (public policy); and Harvard Law School.