Eulogy: LEON HIGGINBOTHAM

LEON HIGGINBOTHAM earned a national reputation as lawyer, jurist, teacher, scholar and activist. His achievements are especially meaningful to me, a friend of 40 years, because Leon spoke out strongly on racial issues. His admonishments to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are well known, but few are aware he appointed more minority clerks than any other judge.

On the bench, he defied racial stereotypes. When officials of a white union defending a job-discrimination case claimed a black civil rights advocate could not objectively preside over it, Higginbotham issued an opinion condemning the subconscious but widely held view that only white judges...

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