[1] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1963 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1966.

[1] Because of his advocacy for liberal causes, his nomination was filibustered by the two conservative senators from his home state of North Carolina, Jesse Helms and Lauch Faircloth, but Dellinger was ultimately confirmed.

[2] He also appeared as a commentator on This Week, the ABC News Sunday morning program hosted by George Stephanopoulos.

In February 2008, Dellinger represented ExxonMobil in the Supreme Court in Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker, which addressed whether certain punitive damages are available under federal maritime law.

Dellinger died from pulmonary fibrosis at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on February 16, 2022, at the age of 80.