Obituary: Gilbert K. Davis

Northern Virginia general practice attorney Gilbert K. Davis died Feb. 13. He was 79.

Born in Waterloo, Iowa, Mr. Davis earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and subsequently became a school teacher and basketball coach in Iowa City, Iowa.

Mr. Davis began his law career after graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1969. He was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he prosecuted a wide range of federal crimes, including the first aircraft hijacking in America, the first case under the Clean Air Act and the first case under the 1968 Gun Control Act. Additionally, Mr. Davis authored the Criminal Procedure Manual for the Eastern District of Virginia.

In 1973, Mr. Davis started private practice in Washington, D.C., with the law firm of Duvall, Tate, Bywater and Davis. He represented clients including Paula Corbin Jones, who sued then President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment in the 1990s. His argument that no man, including a sitting president, is above the law led to the precedent that a sitting U.S. president is not exempt from civil litigation for acts committed outside of the office.

Mr. Davis served as parliamentarian of the Ronald Reagan White House Conference on Small Business and was a longtime member of the Fairfax County Republican Committee. Throughout his career, Mr. Davis served leadership roles for federal and state Republican political candidates.

Mr. Davis is survived by his children, Luanne and Heidi; his brother, Trevor; and several grandchildren.