The Robert H. Jackson Center will present a free public lecture on Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m. featuring Professor G. Edward White.

White will discuss his acclaimed new biography, Robert H. Jackson: A Life in Judgment, tracing Jackson’s journey from a self-taught country lawyer in upstate New York to Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and Chief U.S. Prosecutor at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. The book will be available for purchase at the event.

The lecture is the latest program in the center’s ’25 Years of Asking Questions’ series, marking the organization’s 25th anniversary with monthly events exploring the enduring relevance of Jackson’s life and legacy. The series is sponsored by Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union.

White’s lecture will center on the questions that animate his new work: Why do we continue to study Robert H. Jackson today? What makes a life worthy of remembrance? And how does one person’s commitment to principle shape institutions and ideas long after they are gone?

Drawing from Jackson’s personal papers, oral histories and decades of scholarship, White presents a portrait of the justice who defended New Deal policies, authored landmark opinions including West Virginia v. Barnette, dissented in Korematsu v. United States, and delivered the opening statement for the prosecution at Nuremberg in 1945.

About the speaker

G. Edward White is the David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law. A former clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren, White has authored 20 books and received honors from the American Historical Association, the American Bar Association, and the Association of American Law Schools. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Society of American Historians. His scholarship ranges from constitutional law to the cultural history of American sports.

The Robert H. Jackson Center launched its 25th anniversary year on December 13, 2025, with a year-long theme and monthly lecture series: ’25 Years of Asking Questions.’ The series brings nationally recognized scholars and legal experts to Jamestown to discuss questions facing American democracy, the rule of law, and the enduring relevance of Jackson’s ideas. For a full schedule, visit www.roberthjackson.org/25yaq/