Judge Hogan Wins Devitt Award for Distinguished Service

Judge Thomas F. Hogan, Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, has received the prestigious Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Named for a longtime federal judge in Minnesota, the award honors Article III judges who have made significant contributions to the administration of justice, the advancement of the rule of law, and the improvement of society as a whole.

"I am incredibly honored and humbled to be selected as this year's recipient of the Devitt Award," Judge Hogan said in a news release. "In my 30 years in the federal judiciary – as a U.S. District Judge and as Director of the Administrative Office – I have been surrounded by outstanding and dedicated men and women who have been instrumental to my success. I am pleased to share this recognition with them."

Judge Hogan is the 30th recipient of the Devitt Award. He was selected by a three-member panel that included Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Judge Joel F. Dubina of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

"Judge Hogan is a prime example of what it takes to help make ours a just society," said Julie Chrystyn Opperman, president of the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation, which sponsors and administers the award. "By receiving this year's Devitt Award, he joins a proud and distinguished group of noble men and women indeed."

Appointed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. as director of the AO in 2011, Judge Hogan continues to serve as a senior judge in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and as a member of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Judge Hogan was appointed to the district court in 1982 and became chief judge in 2001, according to his official biography. He became a senior judge in 2008.

The release noted that "Judge Hogan has presided over numerous significant and historical cases, including one of the largest antitrust cases in history, the historic multi-billion-dollar settlement of Native American Indians' claims against the federal government, large-scale criminal conspiracies, and several complex national and international multi-district cases. In 2010, Chief Justice Roberts presented Judge Hogan with the American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the District of Columbia Circuit, which 'honors a senior practicing judge or lawyer whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the legal profession.'"