Vol. 37, Number 6—June 2005

23rd Annual Devitt Award
Winner Named

	Judge William W Schwarzer (N.D. Calif.)

Judge William W Schwarzer (N.D. Calif.) will receive the 23rd Annual Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award.

Schwarzer was chosen by a three-member panel chaired by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, with Judge Julia Smith Gibbons (6th Cir.) and Judge Peter Messitte (D. Md.).

The award panel called Schwarzer "a brilliant, distinguished, compassionate servant of the law," citing his nearly three decades as a federal judge, the more than 75 books, monographs, and manuals on legal subjects he has written; and the role he played in improving state-federal cooperation, promoting Rule of Law initiatives through assistance to foreign judiciaries, and serving as the innovative Director of the Federal Judicial Center.

"These achievements were all in tandem with exceptional performance of his judicial duties," the panel said in a statement, "not only as a trial judge but also as an effective, respected member of judicial panels on Courts of Appeal throughout the country.

The Devitt Award is named for the late Judge Edward J. Devitt, long-time chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. The award, given annually, honors Article III judges whose careers have been exemplary, measured by their significant contributions to the administration of justice, the advancement of the rule of law, and the improvement of society as a whole. It is administered by the American Judicative Society (AJS) with funding provided by the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation, Minneapolis. The award will be presented at a ceremony this fall.

For a list of past winners, visit the website of the AJS at http://www.ajs.org/ajs/awards/Devitt%20Award/ajs_awards-recipients.asp.