The 13th Annual John Paul Stevens Lecture was held in the Wittemyer Courtroom on Thursday, October 24th. The Honorable Stephen A. Higginson joined the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law to offer 鈥淭he Nuremberg Trials: Lessons for Law Students, Lawyers, & Judges鈥� to the Colorado Law community. Judge Higginson has served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit since 2011 and is currently serving as the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review.
In 1988, Judge Higginson clerked for Justice Byron White and is the first former clerk to Justice Byron White to offer the Annual Stevens Lecture. The courtroom was packed with over 100 in-person attendees while nearly 200 attendees watched virtually.听听
In conversation with White Center Director, Professor Deep Gulasekaram, Judge Higginson analyzed the histories and decisions made by attorneys, judges, and medical professionals throughout the rise of the Nazi party, World War II, and the resulting Nuremberg Trials. Judge Higginson used his extensive research of the Nuremberg Trials to show how organizational affiliation can affect one鈥檚 legal career. Ambition and community dedication led early 20th century judges, doctors, and lawyers to support the rise of the Nazi Regime during a difficult time in Germany. The lesson here: even field experts and studied scholars can fall victim to group-think and the unfortunate subjugation of others.听 Judge Higginson warned the Colorado Law community to be wary of the organizations that can gain your loyalty and membership. These things can follow your career and affect your better judgment.听听
Second year law student McKenzie Porter attended the lecture and noted, 鈥淛udge Higginson鈥檚 lecture was an important reminder, especially as students in the day-to-day grind of law school, to look beyond our own goals and ambition when building our professional value systems and careers. Regardless of the role that affiliation in different groups might play in one鈥檚 life, it is definitely a danger when that leads to putting down others. It was interesting to hear about pockets of humanity in history: from those acquitted in the Nuremberg trials to the judges in Louisiana who resisted the external pressures and desegregated schools.鈥澨�
Despite the risks that are associated with strong affiliations, Judge Higginson encouraged those with ambitions to become public servants and field experts. He instructed attendees to trust public servants and experts but never be afraid to question them; never be afraid to criticize judicial opinions and extrajudicial activities.; and make a point to participate in judicial selection and ethics. Porter added, 鈥淣evertheless, accountability and open discourse is critical, so I definitely feel more confident to challenge assumptions or practices across the board after Judge Higginson so strongly encouraged it.鈥澨�
After the lecture, several attendees accompanied Judge Higginson and several other Colorado jurists and attorneys for dinner. Students were able to connect with legal practitioners informally and share common experiences. Judge Higginson shared more intriguing stories throughout the evening. Porter expressed, 鈥淚 really enjoyed the dinner afterward, particularly the chance to converse with a wide variety of people: from professors I haven鈥檛 taken yet, Colorado Law staff I had yet to meet, and Colorado Supreme Court justices that I had only ever seen from afar. It was wonderful!鈥澨�
If you missed this event, take a moment to and take in Judge Higginson鈥檚 lessons for yourself. Join the Byron White Center in 2025 for more exciting events with distinguished speakers covering emerging developments in constitutional law.听听听
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