Judge Joel M. Flaum Honored at U.S. Supreme Court with Nation’s Highest Judicial Award

PHOENIX, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation presented the 2024 Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award to the Honorable Joel M. Flaum of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit at the Devitt Award’s 40th anniversary celebration on November 13, 2024, at the Supreme Court of the United States.

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Julie Opperman, Chairman of the Dwight Opperman Foundation, 2024 Devitt Award honoree, Judge Joel Flaum, and Devitt Award Chairman, Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the Supreme Court of the United States on November 13, 2024.

Julie Opperman, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., 2024 Devitt Award honoree, Judge Joel Flaum, and Devitt Award Chairman, Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the Supreme Court of the United States on November 13, 2024.

The ceremony was opened by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and followed by the Devitt Award’s 2024-2025 Chairman, Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Justice Barrett said, “Judge Flaum has given more than half of his life to the judiciary. He has served the justice system with a grace and collegiality that has earned him the unanimous respect and admiration of his colleagues, and he is altogether deserving of the highest honor bestowed upon an Article III federal judge.”

Appointed to Chair the Devitt Award by Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Barrett chose the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the Honorable John Z. Lee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit for her selection committee. Judge Flaum was nominated by his judicial colleagues in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, who wrote in their extensive submission, “Judge Flaum’s straightforward legal reasoning and writing, grounded in statutory text, always commands respect.” His colleagues characterized Judge Flaum as a person of “grace, wisdom, humanity, courage, and a sense of decency and fair play.”

Born in Hudson, New York, in 1936, Judge Flaum has dedicated his life to public service. He started his legal career as a government lawyer, serving at the county, state, and federal levels. He then embarked on a five-decade career on the federal bench, where he authored more than 2,000 published opinions, and served as Chief Judge of the Seventh Circuit from 2000 to 2006. Despite his prolific writing, Judge Flaum confessed, “Words fail in the face of an honor like this. I am grateful to the Opperman Foundation and to the selection committee to be among the storied recipients of this esteemed award.”

On this 40th anniversary of the Devitt Award’s inception by Dwight D. Opperman, described by Judge Anthony M. Kennedy as “the most iconic figure in the American judiciary for half a century,” when he eulogized the iconic legal pioneer in 2013, Julie Opperman asked the Justice to pay a special tribute to her late husband, whom Justice Kennedy had known since he was a lawyer in Sacramento. She said, “Dwight was committed to the rule of law and a civil society, no matter the sacrifice. He was a tireless, decent, and generous person who had dedicated his entire life to justice and the betterment of mankind.” The Foundation’s President, Matthew Umhofer, said, “The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation will continue to build on Dwight’s exemplary legacy by encouraging and celebrating the spirit of excellence in entrepreneurial leadership wherever it exists.”

A dinner in the Great Hall for 100 invited guests followed the courtroom ceremony. Guests often comment that it is a rare privilege and unique inspiration to witness the commitment and humanity of those exemplifying the finest of the American judiciary at the nation’s highest court in the land. Judge Flaum was surprised by a massive cupcake tower, as his 88th birthday is just around the corner.

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SOURCE The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation