TRIBUTE TO PHILLIP S. FIGA

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

 HON. DIANA DeGETTE

OF COLORADO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ms. DeGETTE.  Madame Speaker.  I rise to honor the extraordinary life and exceptional accomplishments of United States District Court Judge Phillip S. Figa.  This exceptional jurist merits both our recognition and esteem as his impressive record of civic leadership and invaluable service has improved the lives of many Coloradoans.

Sadly, Judge Figa was taken from us by a brain tumor at the young age of fifty-six and he will be greatly missed.  His passion for the law and justice and his capacity for community service were beyond measure.   He molded a life of genuine accomplishment and served our nation with distinction.  His passing is a great loss to the federal bench and our entire community. 

Judge Figa was born in 1951 in Skokie, Illinois, the son of Holocaust survivors from Poland.   He earned a scholarship to Northwestern University and graduated with a degree in economics.  While at Northwestern, he met and married Candace Cole Figa.  He went on to graduate from Cornell Law School and started his law practice in Colorado at Sherman & Howard in 1976.  Four years later, Judge Figa became a founding partner of Burns, Figa & Will, P.C. and became the firm’s President.  For over twenty-six years, Judge Figa maintained a broad litigation-oriented practice and established a national reputation as an expert in the field of legal ethics.  He was actively involved in the Colorado legal community and served as President of the Colorado Bar Association and as Chair of the Ethics Committee.  He served on the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee and on the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline.  He served as an instructor at the University of Denver College of Law and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.  Judge Figa was also one of the founding members of the Faculty of Federal Advocates and is credited with the development of the very successful Pro Bono Mentoring Program.  As a former Chair of the Mountain States Region of the Anti-Defamation League, Judge Figa was deeply committed to fighting bigotry, extremism, anti-Semitism and supporting Holocaust awareness.  

President Bush nominated Judge Figa to the United States District Court and he was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 2, 2003.  During the confirmation process, Senators of both parties viewed him as highly intelligent and a fair prospective jurist.  Many friends, family and associates have praised  Judge Figa as “even handed” . . . “smart, caring and authentic” . . . “a great jurist” . . . “a true humanitarian” . . . “one who brought passion and integrity to the field of law “ . . .  “ a humble and gracious man who genuinely cared about helping other people.”  I was honored to give the highest recommendation to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  On a personal note, Judge Figa was a good friend of both me and my husband.  He was loved and respected across the legal community.  Judge Figa was a mensch – an upright, honorable and decent human being.

Judge Figa has been recognized with several accolades and honors including nomination to the International Society of Barristers, the American Bar Foundation and the Colorado Bar Foundation.  He was honored by the Colorado Supreme Court for “outstanding leadership of the Coalition for the Independence of the Colorado Judiciary” and in January of 2006, he was named one of the Leading Judges in America by The Lawdragon. On February 4th, 2008, the Anti-Defamation League will present the late Judge Figa with the Distinguished Community Service Award “for his commitment to human rights and dignity, and his dedicated service to his community, state and nation.” Judge Figa lived a life that is rich in consequence and our country is a better place because of his labors.   Truly, we are all diminished by the all too early passing of this remarkable gentleman and our thoughts are with Candace Figa and their two children, Ben and Elizabeth.  Please join me in paying tribute to the life of United States District Court Judge Phillip S. Figa, a distinguished jurist.  It is the values, leadership and dedication he exhibited during his life that serves to build a better future for all of us.

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