Peter Kinzler papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968

Summary

Extent:
10.5 Linear Feet 27 archival boxes
Creator:
Kinzler, Peter
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Professional papers related to Peter Kinzler's work on no-fault auto insurance legislation, product liablility, and files about the drafting of vaccine compensation legislation that led to the National Childhood Vaccine Act of 1986. There is a folder with Kinzler's comments and recollections on each part of the collection.

Biographical / historical:

Peter Kinzler earned his bachelor's degree from Trinity College (Hartford, CT) in 1964, and his legal degree from Columbia Law School in 1967. After a short stint at the National Labor Relations Board, he spent 25 of the next 26 years working for the House and Senate of the United States.

As Counsel to the Consumer Protection and Finance Subcommittee of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee in the 1970s, he had the lead staff responsibility for federal, no-fault insurance legislation. While working for Senator Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) on the Senate Banking Committee in the 1980s and 1990s, he played a major role in the development of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and two iterations of product liability legislation.

After retiring from the Congress in 1995, he became President of the Coalition for Auto-Insurance Reform, where he led the private sector effort on behalf of federal and state efforts to enact the Auto Choice Reform Act. He retired in 2010.

Acquisition information:
Peter Kinzler donated these papers to the Arthur J. Morris Law Library, in five installments, between 2015 and 2016.
Arrangement:

The collection is divided in 6 series:

No-Fault Auto Insurance Files

Auto Choice Files

Product Liability Files

Punitive Damages

Vaccine Files

Electronic (Born Digital) Computer Files re No-Fault Insurance [Available Upon Request]

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard