Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate a groundbreaking program in my home State, the John G. Heyburn II Initiative for Excellence in the Federal Judiciary at the University of Kentucky. As I will explain, the initiative, under the…
Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate a groundbreaking program in my home State, the John G. Heyburn II Initiative for Excellence in the Federal Judiciary at the University of Kentucky. As I will explain, the initiative, under the leadership of my dear friend, Dr. Martha Heyburn, is both a testament to its namesake and a powerful representation of its leader. Through its work, this program will benefit and educate our citizens, students, and members of the Federal judiciary.
Judge John G. Heyburn II served on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky for more than two decades. During his distinguished time on the bench, John excelled as a scholar, a jurist, and a public servant. He was a man of intellectual curiosity, which could be seen in his work and his relationships. In addition to his efforts in the Western District, Chief Justice William Rehnquist appointed John to serve on the Budget Committee of the U.S. Judicial Conference in 1994. John eventually became the committee's chairman in 1997, where he was responsible for working with Congress to set the budget for the Federal judiciary. In 2007, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him to chair the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, a body tasked with promoting efficiency and consistency in litigation across the Federal courts.
During his career on the Federal bench, Judge Heyburn lived out a vision, in his words, ``to ever improve the legal system considered the envy of the world.'' Through each of his roles, John sought to continue the development and improvement of the Federal judiciary, understanding that the quality of justice was inexorably tied to sound administration.
Throughout his life, I was proud to call John my friend. Like so many others who knew and cared for him, I was heartbroken by his passing in April of 2015.
After John's death, his wife, Martha, was left with what she called ``the unenviable task'' of organizing his judicial papers. She expected to find his books, his notes, and his memos from a lengthy career on the Federal bench. What Martha found, however, surpassed even her grandest expectations.
For many of his most important cases, John maintained meticulous records of his decisions. For one case in particular, Martha found a collection of 26 drafted opinions, news clippings, source citations, and even the biographies of the law clerks who had helped John reach his final decision. She recalled that, during his career, John would work tirelessly on his opinions, struggling over individual words or sentences to ensure he got each and every word just right.
As she examined the vast quantity of research, documentation, and papers, Martha reached a conclusion that would ultimately inspire the establishment of the Heyburn Initiative. She knew ``this doesn't belong in [her] basement.'' Martha recognized the historical importance of the documents she had found. She knew that these papers should be seen by wider audiences so future students of the law can learn from them and understand her husband's decisions and the decision-making of the broader Federal judiciary. Martha believed that if there were any chance that John's work could inspire a future student, it was her responsibility to help make that happen.
With this realization, Martha began to plan the future of the Heyburn Initiative. By organizing the papers and making them publically available, they would become the anchor of a national resource dedicated to understanding the Federal judiciary and its place in our democracy. Many of us are familiar with Presidential libraries and congressional centers throughout the country, but this project would be distinctive in its study of the Federal judiciary.
From an impressive career of service, John had accumulated a wealth of materials that would be of interest to many students and judicial researchers. However, Martha knew that, to make this new program attractive to a broad audience, she would need more papers than just those of her late husband.
Therefore, as is typical for a groundbreaker like Martha, she understood the best way to accomplish her goal would be to establish an archive with an ambitious mission. She wanted to create a repository for the papers of every article III judge in Kentucky's history that she could acquire. An undertaking of this size had never been attempted before in judicial archiving in any State, but Martha knew that, if she could pull it off, it would be an incredible resource for Kentuckians and those who study the courts for generations to come. From the initial planning stages through today, the Initiative has already obtained the papers of about a dozen Federal judges from Kentucky, and I expect that number to grow.
Next, Martha decided that, to be of greater benefit to future generations, the documents in an archive would need to be put in their proper context. One of the best ways to do that would be to record oral histories from policymakers, contemporaries, and the judges themselves. These interviews provide a personal account of the history of our Commonwealth and our Nation. They are an incredible resource for students and researchers now and in the future. To date, many of the Federal judges in Kentucky have agreed to provide their own accounts for the archive, discussing their opinions, their work, and the judiciary.
Martha chose to gather oral histories from other members of the Federal Government as well to show the interactions among the three branches at any particular moment in time, but to accomplish this feat, Martha would need resources and a staff to make her vision a reality.
She entered into an agreement with the University of Kentucky to host this portion of the Heyburn Initiative. Martha chose John's charge, ``to ever improve the legal system considered the envy of the world,'' to be the initiative's mission statement, and I was proud to stand with her in Lexington in October of 2016 as she publically unveiled her vision. The initiative became her effort to enshrine her husband's legacy and to inspire future generations into public service.
With a permanent home and a vision for the future, the Heyburn Initiative launched its second component. After the passing of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia in February of 2016, Martha recognized a new level of awareness about the importance of the Federal courts throughout our Nation. That attention sparked her interest in developing an approachable and programmatic feature to the Heyburn Initiative by hosting speakers and conferences for the benefit of students, current judges, and the public.
By hosting these events in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Martha sought to make our State a destination for scholars and jurists, and she has already found great success in her efforts. In its first year, Martha hosted Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch at the Heyburn Initiative in Lexington. Both of these renowned jurists presented their views on the judiciary's particular place in our system of government.
During each of these visits, Martha ensured that the distinguished speakers participated in both public events and in meetings with law students. Her aim for these carefully organized interactions with some of the most influential jurists in our country was to provide an opportunity for inspiration and learning. She hoped that the students would be inspired by the speakers and, in turn, the speakers might be inspired by the students.
Martha also views Heyburn Initiative events as opportunities to showcase
our home State. With a ``uniquely Kentucky'' event, she wanted the visitors to remember more than just a judicial conference. Martha wanted the judges and justices to remember the culture of Kentucky. That is why, for example, when Chief Justice Roberts came to Lexington, she organized a group to attend a University of Kentucky men's basketball game, a coveted experience in the Commonwealth.
In the Heyburn Initiative's first year, it has already achieved much success and has set itself on course for a bright future, and the credit for all the achievements belongs to Martha. Her vision and tenacity grew this program from an idea into a national resource for students, judges, and scholars. I know that the Heyburn Initiative will continue to be a fitting legacy for John because Martha is leading it.
After so many accomplishments in 1 year, Martha has her sights set on further growth and success. She sees the Heyburn Initiative as an example for other States--to develop a home for the judiciary's rich history and an inspiration for its future. I would like to congratulate my dear friend and her family on her many achievements, and I look forward to seeing the great things that Martha will continue to do.