Congress has passed legislation to name a new federal courthouse in Buffalo after Warren County native and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson.
President Obama signed the measure last Friday, less than two weeks after it was approved by the Senate. The bill passed the House of Representatives in July.
"Justice Jackson had great regard for his native region of western New York and his legacy has become an illustrious example to the citizens of the area," James Johnson, executive director of the Robert H. Jackson Center, said in a press release on Monday. "We at the Jackson Center can think of no one more fitting to honor with this special and unique recognition."
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Appointed Chief prosecutor for the United States, Robert H. Jackson was the lead attorney in the Nuremberg trials, the international criminal tribunal established to prosecute Nazi war criminals after World War II.
According to the release, due to a growing workload in the Western District, federal judges William Skretny and Richard Arcara began making the case for a new federal courthouse in Buffalo well over 10 years before the approval for funding the structure passed Congress in 2007.
Skretny gave his endorsement on the name proposal, noting that Jackson was "the most distinguished jurist and most acclaimed legal mind to come out of the Western District."
"Robert H. Jackson is an inspiration to us all," said Greg Peterson, Jackson Center board member, who led the Jackson Center's effort to name the courthouse. "From his humble beginnings right here in Chautauqua County, to President Franklin Roosevelt's inner circle, to the U.S. Supreme Court and Nuremberg, his life is powerful evidence that one person from any background truly can accomplish great, world-defining things," Peterson said.
A film depicting the life and accomplishments of Jackson will debut at the Struthers Library Theatre in downtown Warren on Friday. The 7 p.m. panel discussion and the 8 p.m. film are free with tickets available at the door.