Judge Esther Salas to Receive Colby’s Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award
The award honors a judge who embodies qualities of integrity, compassion, humanity, and judicial craftsmanship
In recognition of outstanding judicial craftsmanship, integrity, and leadership as a federal judge, Colby College is pleased to announce that it will honor Esther Salas with this year’s Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award.
The Honorable Judge Salas, whose jurisdiction is the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, is the first Hispanic woman to serve as a federal district judge in the state. She is the past president of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, has served as a member of the governor’s Hispanic Advisory Council Committee for Policy Development, and is a member of two U.S. Supreme Court committees: Minority Concerns and Women in the Courts.
Since 2000 Colby’s biannual Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award has honored an outstanding federal or state judge who embodies the qualities of integrity, compassion, humanity, and judicial craftsmanship exemplified by Judge Brody during his lifetime. The award was created and named for the late Judge Morton A. Brody, a longtime resident of Waterville, Maine, who had an extraordinary career as a judge and was a dedicated civic leader and family man.
While Judge Salas’s work on the bench is exemplary, one of her most important accomplishments is her advocacy for judicial security. This has been driven by a tragic event in 2020 when a lawyer who was upset with Judge Salas came to her home with a plan to assassinate her. Judge Salas’s only child, Daniel, died trying to protect his family, and her husband, Mark, was shot and nearly killed in the attack.
Judge Lance E. Walker, chief United States district judge for the District of Maine and chair of the Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award Selection Committee, noted that “Judge Salas’s grit and grace in the face of unspeakable personal loss makes more real the promise of an independent judiciary and the cause of justice. Her resolute courage and self-sacrifice in response to such malevolence sets the standard for judges everywhere and reminds us what devotion to public service looks like.”
According to Judge David J. Barron, chief circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, “While many would understandably retreat from public life after such a tragedy, Judge Salas instead remained on the bench and became—and continues to be—a tireless and outspoken advocate for the increased protection of federal judges and their families. Her efforts gained the attention of Congress and played a pivotal role in the passage of the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act. Her advocacy in this area and overall dedication to the bench demonstrates her commitment to safeguarding judicial independence and the constitutional principles on which the federal judiciary rests.”
A graduate of Rutgers College and Rutgers Law School (Newark), Judge Salas is the recipient of the Hispanic National Bar Association 2016 Latina Judges of the Year Award and the 2023 William J. Brennan Jr. Award.
Throughout Judge Salas’s tenure as a judge, she has been a role model for and mentor to other Latinas pursuing law careers, and she has a deep commitment to mentoring and empowering the next generation of legal professionals.
“I am truly humbled and honored to be receiving this prestigious award named after Judge Morton A. Brody,” commented Judge Salas. “Having spent time with His Honor’s daughter, Elizabeth Brody Gluck, I know that Judge Brody’s greatest gift was not only his intellect, integrity, and judicial temperament, but also his commitment to upholding justice, his humility, and his immense love and dedication to his family and his community. This award serves not only as a recognition of my efforts and achievements but also pays tribute to the values and principles that the esteemed Judge Brody embodied. I extend my sincerest gratitude to Colby College for this incredible honor.”
To help recognize Judge Salas’s significant achievements, Colby’s Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs will host Resilience in the Judiciary: Judge Salas’s Path from Tragedy to Purpose on Nov. 14. The event is open to the public, and reservations are suggested. There will also be a private event at the District of Maine Judicial Conference, where Judge Salas will receive the Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award.
