2024 ABA Morris I. Leibman Award honors Judge Royce C. Lamberth
Judge Royce C. Lamberth (center) with Lala Qadir, Standing Committee on Law and National Security advisory chair and chair Stephen Preston on June 6.
American Bar Association photo
Royce C. Lamberth, a senior judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, was presented with the Morris I. Leibman Award in Law and National Security at a June 6 dinner and ceremony at the University Club in Washington, D.C.
The award, which recognizes lawyers who have demonstrated a sustained commitment and made exceptional contributions to the field of national security law, honors the memory of Morris I. Leibman, a distinguished lawyer and co-founder of the Standing Committee on Law and National Security and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, who died in 1992.
“Royce Lamberth has spent a professional lifetime as a bulwark in the face of national security threats while also using his powers to protect the integrity of our democratic institutions and advance the rule of law,” said Stephen Preston, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security. “It is most fitting to present the Morris I. Leibman Award in Law and National Security to Judge Lamberth at this time.”
Lamberth thanked the committee for the award, and said he appreciates the “strong connection” he has to such a “top-notch” group of people.
Lamberth was appointed United States District Judge for the District of Columbia in 1987. He served as chief judge from 2008 until 2013, when he became a senior judge. He has the distinction of being the longest-serving district judge on the federal bench in Washington, D.C.
As a judge, Lamberth has made unique and enduring contributions in several areas of national security law. He shaped the contours of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, laying the groundwork for the Flatow Amendment that holds state sponsors of terrorism liable for their actions. He was the first judge to preside over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a full seven-year appointment. His opinions concerning the Classified Information Procedures Act have been formative in how courts apply that law to protect both defendants’ rights and national security.
According to the citation submitted with his nomination for the Leibman Award, he has remained connected to his roots in military justice, being designated to sit several times on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
The award, which recognizes lawyers who have demonstrated a sustained commitment and made exceptional contributions to the field of national security law, honors the memory of Morris I. Leibman, a distinguished lawyer and co-founder of the Standing Committee on Law and National Security and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, who died in 1992.
“Royce Lamberth has spent a professional lifetime as a bulwark in the face of national security threats while also using his powers to protect the integrity of our democratic institutions and advance the rule of law,” said Stephen Preston, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security. “It is most fitting to present the Morris I. Leibman Award in Law and National Security to Judge Lamberth at this time.”
Lamberth thanked the committee for the award, and said he appreciates the “strong connection” he has to such a “top-notch” group of people.
Lamberth was appointed United States District Judge for the District of Columbia in 1987. He served as chief judge from 2008 until 2013, when he became a senior judge. He has the distinction of being the longest-serving district judge on the federal bench in Washington, D.C.
As a judge, Lamberth has made unique and enduring contributions in several areas of national security law. He shaped the contours of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, laying the groundwork for the Flatow Amendment that holds state sponsors of terrorism liable for their actions. He was the first judge to preside over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a full seven-year appointment. His opinions concerning the Classified Information Procedures Act have been formative in how courts apply that law to protect both defendants’ rights and national security.
According to the citation submitted with his nomination for the Leibman Award, he has remained connected to his roots in military justice, being designated to sit several times on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
National Judicial College to receive 2024 ABA Justice and Rule of Law Award
The American Bar Association Judicial Division announced today that the National Judicial College will receive the 2024 ABA Justice and Rule of Law Award.
The award recognizes individuals and organizations that make a national impact on the justice system and preserving the rule of law in the categories of judicial independence, justice system reform or public awareness of the justice system. Past recipients include former U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Sandra Day O’Connor, 10 state court judges and justices, a governor and a U.S. senator.
The National Judicial College was founded in 1963 and is based at the University of Nevada, Reno. It trains judges nationwide, improving the delivery of justice and advancing the rule of law through a process of professional study and collegial dialogue. The college offers an average of 100 courses and programs annually with more than 8,000 judges attending from all 50 states and more than 150 countries. In addition, more than 10,000 judicial officers access 30 to 50 online events at the college each year.
Recently, the college has added several important events to improve public confidence in the judiciary and reinforce the importance of judges and the rule of law.
In March 2024, the college presented “Democracy’s Last Line of Defense,” a symposium in Boston to reinforce the role of judges in ensuring the rule of law. In October 2023, the college sponsored a program in Reno highlighting the importance of judicial training as a core component of ensuring fair and equitable courts. Earlier in 2023, the college presented a program in New York City on “Being Heard and Ensuring Fairness” and in Seattle on “Justice for All – Healing and Restoring Our Community.”
The Justice and Rule of Law Award will be presented July 31 at the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. ABA President Mary Smith will present the award during a judicial reception at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The event is free and open to all Annual Meeting registrants.
The award recognizes individuals and organizations that make a national impact on the justice system and preserving the rule of law in the categories of judicial independence, justice system reform or public awareness of the justice system. Past recipients include former U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Sandra Day O’Connor, 10 state court judges and justices, a governor and a U.S. senator.
The National Judicial College was founded in 1963 and is based at the University of Nevada, Reno. It trains judges nationwide, improving the delivery of justice and advancing the rule of law through a process of professional study and collegial dialogue. The college offers an average of 100 courses and programs annually with more than 8,000 judges attending from all 50 states and more than 150 countries. In addition, more than 10,000 judicial officers access 30 to 50 online events at the college each year.
Recently, the college has added several important events to improve public confidence in the judiciary and reinforce the importance of judges and the rule of law.
In March 2024, the college presented “Democracy’s Last Line of Defense,” a symposium in Boston to reinforce the role of judges in ensuring the rule of law. In October 2023, the college sponsored a program in Reno highlighting the importance of judicial training as a core component of ensuring fair and equitable courts. Earlier in 2023, the college presented a program in New York City on “Being Heard and Ensuring Fairness” and in Seattle on “Justice for All – Healing and Restoring Our Community.”
The Justice and Rule of Law Award will be presented July 31 at the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. ABA President Mary Smith will present the award during a judicial reception at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The event is free and open to all Annual Meeting registrants.
