Private funeral services were held today for Shad Polier, vice-president of the American Jewish Congress and leading civil rights lawyer, who died at his home here yesterday at the age of 70. His long career in civil rights causes was encouraged by his wife. Justine Wise Polier, a former New York City Family Court Judge who is the daughter of the late Rabbi Stephen S. Wise.
At the time of his death, Polier was also a member of the executive committee of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and a member of the executive committee of the NAACP Legal and Educational Defense Fund.
As chairman for more than 10 years of the AJCongress Commission on Law and Social Action. Polier helped originate concepts of law that have become landmarks in American jurisprudence. Mr. Luce a member of the World Jewish Congress executive committee and of the board of the World Conference of Jewish Organizations.
Born in Aiken, S.C., Polier was a graduate of the University of South Carolina and of Harvard Law School. Soon after becoming an attorney he was one of the many lawyers who joined in the long legal battle in the Scottsboro case.
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