Judge Rya Zobel To Receive The 2020 Devitt Award, American Judiciary's Highest Honor

News provided by

Oct 16, 2020, 15:50 ET

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Judge Rya W. Zobel, Senior United States District Court Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, is the recipient of the 38th annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. The 89-year-old Judge was selected by Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Chairman of the 2020-21 Devitt Award committee, and his committee members, The Hon. Thomas M. Hardiman, United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and The Hon. Christine M. Arguello, United States District Court Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., appointed Justice Gorsuch to serve as the two-term chair, and Justice Gorsuch selected his committee members.

The Devitt Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an Article III federal judge in the United States. The award was created by Dwight D. Opperman, while he was Chairman and CEO of West Publishing Company — creators of WestLaw, with the encouragement of then Chief Justice Warren Burger. True to his distinguished nature, Mr. Opperman, the most noted philanthropist of his time in the legal/judicial community, did not name the award after himself but rather after his friend Judge Edward J. Devitt, whom he believed epitomized the highest standard of the federal bench.

The judges of the United States District Court of Massachusetts joined forces this year to nominate their colleague, Judge Rya Zobel for this award. In unison, they wrote that, "Judge Zobel exemplifies the criteria ideal for a Devitt honoree — an Article III judge of national stature who has a distinguished life-long career characterized by decisions that his/her wisdom, humanity and commitment to the rule of law make clear that bench, bar and community alike would willingly entrust that judge with the most complex cases of the most far-reaching importance."

Judge Zobel was born in Germany in 1931. In June of 1945, shortly following the end of World War II in Europe, Soviet troops arrested her parents. Judge Zobel later learned that someone in town had falsely informed the Russians that her parents were American spies. Judge Zobel would never see her father again. It was a decade before she would see her mother. With her younger brother, Judge Zobel emigrated to America to be with relatives. She has memories of seeing and saluting the Statue of Liberty as their ship entered New York harbor in 1946. Though she spoke little English at the time of her arrival, within three years, Judge Zobel entered Radcliffe College. In 1956, at age 25, she graduated from Harvard Law School, one of only a few women in her class and a member of one of the first co-educational classes. Later, Judge Zobel was the first woman partner at a major Boston law firm and the first woman nominated to the federal bench in Massachusetts.

During her more than 40 years of service as a federal judge, Judge Zobel has written nearly 2,000 decisions and served repeatedly in prominent roles of special trust. In 1990, Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Judge Zobel as the first Chair of the Judicial Conference on Automation and Technology, a committee that led the Judiciary into the digital age. Later, the Chief Justice appointed Judge Zobel to lead the Federal Judicial Center, charged with enhancing the effective administration of justice in federal courts across the country. Judge Zobel has also served on the Committee of Financial Disclosure, and as the Chair of the Advisory Board of the independent judiciary enforcing the rule of law with colleagues overseas. Judge Zobel said, "Judicial temperament is a lack of arrogance born of self-confidence, of a sense of self; it is an intuitive respect for all who appear before you. It is both measured restraint and measured intervention. It is fairness. It is equal treatment and open consideration of all participants in the process."

"For weeks, Justice Gorsuch and his dedicated committee poured over more than 700 pages of highly esteemed nominees," said Julie Opperman, Chair of the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation, the Devitt Award's sponsor and administrator. "I commend them on their decision to recognize and pay tribute to a most inspirational and aspirational vanguard. I am honored to have the opportunity to know Judge Zobel and am proud to bestow upon her this most distinguished judicial award."

Regretfully, due to the pandemic, the 2020 Devitt Award will not be held at its usual home — the Supreme Court of the United States, where the ceremony is opened by the Chief Justice and attended by the Associate Justices and 100 invited guests for the reception, ceremony and dinner. Since the award's inception, every Supreme Court Chief Justice and Associate Justice has participated in the Devitt Award. In a Covid-era modified effort, early next year, a special dinner will be held at the Supreme Court in honor of Judge Zobel.

"Although the award has only my name on it," said Judge Zobel, "I fully understand that it reflects the contributions of many to my professional and personal being. They include, without limitation, my judicial colleagues in the District of Massachusetts, as well as my chambers staff and all other supporting personnel, my colleagues at the Federal Judicial Center, the lawyers who have appeared before me over the years and , of course, my family and many friends who were always encouraging even when critical. I thank them all."

Justice Gorsuch said, "Judge Zobel's life and service are inspirational. It is an honor and a joy to recognize her trailblazing career and countless contributions. As one of her nominators explained, Judge Zobel's life demonstrates 'just what it means to be a true guardian of the Rule of Law.'"

SOURCE The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation