George Willi

American judge, 1924-2016

George Willi

Senior Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims
In office
December 14, 1982 – December 4, 1985
Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims
In office
October 1, 1982 – December 14, 1982
Appointed by| operation of law
Preceded by| seat established
Succeeded by| seat abolished
Personal details
Born| (1924-05-01)May 1, 1924
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died| September 26, 2016(2016-09-26) (aged 92)
Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater| University of Wisconsin (BBA)
University of Wisconsin Law School (LL.B.)

George Willi III (May 1, 1924 – September 26, 2016) was a judge of the United States Court of Claims from 1965 to 1982, and of the United States Court of Federal Claims from 1982 to 1985.[1]

Born in New York, New York, Willi served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, from 1943 to 1946, achieving the rank of captain. He then received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin in 1950 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Wisconsin Law School the same year.[2] He was a Carriers' attorney for the National Railroad Adjustment Board from 1950 to 1951, and a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1951 to 1963, thereafter entering private practice in Washington, D.C., in 1964.[2]

In 1965, Willi became a trial judge of the U.S. Court of Claims.[2] On October 1, 1982, Willi was appointed by operation of the Federal Courts Improvement Act, 96 Stat. 27, to a new seat on the United States Court of Claims.[2] In 2003, Judge Alex Kozinski wrote in an article on his tenure as Chief Judge of the Court of Claims:

> George Willi was in the building finishing off an opinion – I think he was still there when I left more than three years later – and he would stop in my office every so often to offer me sage, though often cryptic, advice: "No point plucking two chickens with one hand tied behind your back." I wasn't always quite sure what he meant, but gave him a knowing nod and he'd go back to writing up his opinion, long-hand. For all I know, he's still at it.[3]

Willi assumed senior status on December 14, 1982, and then resigned from the court entirely on January 4, 1985.[2] Willi was one of several judges originally assigned to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for whom no successor was appointed.[4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Judge George Willi III, 92". Dailey News- Record. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
2. ^ a b c d e Federal Judicial Center page for George Willi.
3. ^ Alex Kozinski, "Proceedings of the 15th Judicial Conference Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the United States Court of Federal Claims Archived 2015-03-07 at the Wayback Machine", George Washington Law Review, September/October 2003, 71 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 529.
4. ^ Federal Judicial Center, History of the Federal Judiciary, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1982–present: Judge Succession Chart.

## External links[edit]

* George Willi at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.