CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — A Harvard Law School professor who served as a top legal adviser to President Barack Obama has died. Daniel Meltzer was 63.

Harvard announced Wednesday that Meltzer died Sunday after a battle with cancer.

Meltzer had been on the Harvard Law faculty since 1982. He took a leave of absence in 2009 and 2010 to serve as the Principal Deputy Counsel to Obama.

Meltzer was a key player on nearly every major legal issue faced by the White House Counsel's Office, from domestic policy, including the Affordable Care Act, to national security matters to the selection and preparation of U.S. Supreme Court appointees.

At Harvard, he was a renowned legal scholar and expert on federal courts and criminal procedure.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

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This story has been corrected to remove the characterization of Meltzer's White House advisory role as brief.