Leighton honored by John Marshall for his many accomplishments

On June 10, The John Marshall Law School honored retired U.S. District Court Judge George N. Leighton with the inaugural George N. Leighton Equal Justice Award for his commitment to securing equal justice under the law. Since joining the bar in 1946, Leighton often represented indigent criminal defendants in civil rights cases.

"Judge Leighton is really a role model for people who want to know how to persevere and succeed in tough times," said John E. Corkery, dean of The John Marshall Law School. "He shows that you can challenge adversity and succeed and still maintain a positive, even joyous, attitude toward life and living."
 

John Marshall also honored Leighton for his 40 years of service as an adjunct professor. He taught classes on criminal law and procedure and prisoners' rights from 1964 to 2004.

John R. Lee, president of The John Marshall Law School Foundation, studied criminal law under Leighton at John Marshall. Leighton also became a close friend of his uncle, Noble W. Lee, dean of the law school for more than 30 years, and worked with him in the 1960s and 1970s to persuade the American Bar Association to continue accrediting evening law school programs.

"The judge has commented to me several times about the large number of minority judges who were able to get their law degrees at John Marshall," Lee said. "By virtue of his example, he really led the way in encouraging the legal profession to be more diverse."

In addition to the award, John Marshall created the George N. Leighton Fellowship for the Study of Prisoners' Rights. The fellowship is the first part of a long-term initiative to establish the George N. Leighton Center for Unconstitutional Convictions.

"He was an inspiration to me," Lee said, "and this school is very excited about being able to help establish this fellowship and allow his vision to be an inspiration to future generations."