Jacob Tanzer, a Portland lawyer and judge known for his sense of humor, wise counsel and defense of civil liberties, died Monday. He was 83.

His daughter, Jessica Tanzer Conroy, said Tanzer fell and struck his head.

Tanzer may best be known for his time with the U.S. Department of Justice. He investigated the 1964 slayings of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner and helped secured indictments against Ku Klux Klan members. The case later inspired the movie “Mississippi Burning."

In 2014, Tanzer was named Legal Citizen of the Year by the Classroom Law Project. During the awards ceremony, then-U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder praised the lawyer's dedication to his ideals.

"He has charted a courageous course and inspired others to follow in his pursuit of a more fair, more equal, and more just society," Holder said.

Born in 1935 in Longview, Washington, Tanzer graduated from Grant High School in Portland and earned his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Oregon. He also attended Stanford University and Reed College.

Tanzer began his career in private practice, then joined the Justice Department under Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. He also was a deputy district attorney for Multnomah County, became the first solicitor general for the Oregon Department of Justice, and was the first director for what later became the Oregon Department of Human Services.

He served on the Oregon Court of Appeals and Oregon Supreme Court before finishing his career with Ball Janik, a Portland law firm.

Tanzer was known for mentoring the younger lawyers and helping them improve their writing, firm partner Steve Janik said.

"There was a great clarity and simplicity in Jake's analysis of complex problems," Janik said.

Tanzer would frequently talk to other people in the office and tell funny stories. Janik said he will miss Tanzer's laugh, which tended to start as a chuckle before becoming loud and full-throated.

Sally Landauer, another former law partner of Tanzer's, said the Yiddish language has the perfect word to describe Tanzer: mensch. It's a "gentleman who is outstanding in everything he does," she said.

The two became friends 50 years ago, Landauer said. They met during a group for Jewish young people and kept in touch over the years. They eventually began to work together around 1989.

"He was a lion of the legal profession and of humanity," Landauer said.

Tanzer could handle any case, and Landauer said she remembers the office would tease him about all his successes. Outside of work, they spent time in a book club; when it was Tanzer's turn to choose the book, it was always noticeably long, she recalled.

Though Tanzer was scholarly and rational, she said, he also was a warm person.

"I loved the fact that when I saw him, we would always hug," Landauer said.

Tanzer's wife of 44 years, Elaine, 75, said he truly felt for people. "He was probably the world's most kind person," she said. "He had a lot of feeling for the downtrodden."

Elaine said Tanzer did the chores she didn't want to. She said she's not used to doing laundry -- because that was always Tanzer's job -- or picking up food for his adored cats, Lucy and Simon.

Tanzer often pitched in on busy Saturdays at Elephants Delicatessen, the Portland-based deli and catering company founded by his wife. He would help sell cheeses and work the cash register.

He spent many mornings relaxing at Elephants. He would sit at a table, drink coffee and talk to almost everyone who came through the door.

"He had so many friends, you couldn't believe it," Elaine said.

After retirement, Tanzer took up photography, said his daughter, Jessica, who is a photographer in San Francisco. He loved to take pictures of his travels. India was his favorite spot.

Throughout his life, Tanzer continued to talk about issues that were important to him. Jessica noticed her father liked to share a similar message at the end of his interviews.

He'd often talk about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his power to unite white and black people toward a single cause.

"I don't believe in the 'us against them,'" he said in a 2014 YouTube interview. "I believe in the 'us together,' and I still do. I still do."

Tanzer is survived by his wife, Elaine Tanzer; children, Joshua Tanzer, Jessica Tanzer Conroy, Rachel Tanzer and Elan Tanzer; and one grandson.

--Lydia Gerike