Fonds - Personal Papers of Lester Nurick

Ghana - Volta River Project - Volta and Ghana documents China - 1950 to 1979 - Correspondence - Lester Nurick Peoples Republic of China [PRC] - 1980 - Correspondence - Lester Nurick Guinea - Boke Project - General Expropriation - 1965 to 1969 - Correspondence - Lester Nurick Guinea - Boke - Economic Reports and Letters - 1965 to 1966 - Lester Nurick Tunisia Conciliation - 1968 China - Membership - 1980 Shashe Project - Botswana - World Bank Documents Valuation of the Bank's capital - US, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank - 1... US Bond Issues - Taxes - 1964 to 1975 Interest Equalization Tax (US) - 1963-1965 Expropriation study - 1972 Immunities and Powers of the Bank and its members, Articles of Agreement - Volume 2 - 1953 to 1974 Opinions of General Counsel and other opinions - 1964 to 1977 IBRD Agreements - Arbitration, force majeure, security, de facto governments - 1963 to 1970 Human Rights - Basic Documents (Reference Material) - 1948 to 1969 American Society of International Law (ASIL) - Bellagio Meeting papers, 1967 American Society of International Law (ASIL) - Bellagio Meeting background papers - August 1967 Legal Memoranda - Articles of Agreement and Powers of the Bank - 1947 to 1974 - Lester Nurick General legal memoranda - 1951 to 1968

Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA NURICK

Title

Personal Papers of Lester Nurick

Date(s)

  • 1946 - 2004 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

24.07 linear feet of textual records; 8 photographs

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Lester Nurick was born in New York City on December 2, 1914. He graduated from City College of New York in 1934 and later Brooklyn Law School in 1937. After graduation, Nurick practiced law at the firm of Evans, Rees, and Orr in New York City from 1938 to 1941. In 1941, Nurick moved to Washington D.C., and served in the position of Senior Attorney for the Public Utilities Division of the U.S. Government Securities and Exchange Commission from 1941 to 1943.

In 1943, Nurick was drafted into the United States Army tank corps. He later joined the Judge Advocate General's Department Officer Candidate School (JAG OCS), and eventually served as the Chief of the International Law Branch from 1943 to 1946.

In 1946, Nurick joined the legal department of the World Bank. He first served as Counsel from 1946 to 1968, and later as the Associate General Counsel from 1968 to 1979. From 1979 to 1980, he took over the roles of Vice President and General Counsel. In his time at the World Bank, Nurick helped establish the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in 1956, the International Development Association (IDA) in 1960, and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in 1966. He specialized in the questions of privileges and immunities of international organizations, taxation and finance (Bond issuances), and staff compensation issues. Nurick retired from the World Bank in 1980, but continued to work as a legal consultant afterwards.

After retiring from the World Bank, Nurick became a partner at the law firm Wilmer, Cutler, and Pickering. He also taught international law courses at George Washington University Law School, and served as guest lecturer at various law schools and universities.

Nurick passed away on 9 October 2014 in Potomac, Maryland.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

This material was accumulated by Lester Nurick during his tenure at the World Bank. He took the files with him when he retired, and subsequently donated them to the World Bank Group Archives in the form of three separate accruals.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The topics to which the records relate reflect issues of personal interest to Nurick or issues which he handled on behalf of his clients. Records relate to the legal structure of the World Bank as an institution and of its lending operations. Records relate to litigation and specific World Bank lending projects, such as the Volta River power projects in Ghana, the Shashe project in Botswana, the Falconbridge ferronickel project in the Dominican Republic, and the Boke project in Guinea. Records also relate to administrative and personnel issues in the World Bank. A small amount of materials collected, such as publications and invitations, that relate to Nurick's time at the World Bank Group are also included.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

Accruals are not expected.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records are subject to conditions in the donor's instrument of gift and to the World Bank Policy on Access to Information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright is donated to the World Bank and the records are subject to the Copyright Policy of the World Bank Group.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

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Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Internal World Bank Group Archives rules based on ISAD(G).

Disclosure status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

10 August 2004, 9 October 2008, 1 February 2011, 26 July 2016

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Sources

Accession area