Phillip S. Figa Explained

Phillip Figa
Office:Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Term Start:October 6, 2003
Term End:January 5, 2008
Appointer:George W. Bush
Predecessor:Richard Paul Matsch
Successor:R. Brooke Jackson
Birth Name:Phillip Sam Figa
Birth Date:27 July 1951
Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Death Place:Greenwood Village, Colorado, U.S.
Education:Northwestern University (BA)
Cornell University (JD)

Phillip Sam Figa (July 27, 1951 – January 5, 2008) was an American attorney and jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

Early life and education

Born in Chicago, Illinois to Polish Jewish immigrants,[1] Figa attended Northwestern University "through a scholarship caddie program at a nearby country club".[2] He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Northwestern in 1973, and a Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School in 1976.[2]

Career

Figa was in private practice in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 2003.

Figa was one of five people recommended by Senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Wayne Allard for a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado after Richard Paul Matsch entered senior status. On June 9, 2003, he was nominated by President George W. Bush for the role.[3] Figa was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 2, 2003, and received his judicial commission on October 6, 2003.

Illness and death

In March 2007, Figa was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.[4] He continued to serve until his death. He died on January 5, 2008, in his home in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Notes and References

  1. https://commons.stmarytx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1072&context=facarticles
  2. Michael L. O’Donnell and Julie M. Walker, "Honorable Phillip S. Figa", Faculty of Federal Advocates Newsletter (December 2003), Vol. 6, No. 4. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  3. Manny Gonzales, "Judge Figa mourned as fair role model", The Denver Post (January 7, 2008). Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  4. Hector Gutierrez, "Federal Judge Figa's family receives 'bad news' about fight with brain cancer, Rocky Mountain News (March 23, 2007). Retrieved 2008-01-11.