Last week, President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to seven individuals, including two prominent legal minds: the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page.

The prestigious award is the highest civilian honor bestowed in the nation. At Thomson Reuters, we’re honored to have had long-standing relationships with both Justices Scalia and Page.

Justice Scalia

We had the privilege of working with Justice Scalia to publish Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts, his influential book with Bryan A. Garner on deriving the meaning of authoritative texts, as well as Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges, his first book with Mr. Garner. Shortly before Justice Scalia’s death, Thomson Reuters Vice President of Legal Editorial Operations Tom Leighton was among those traveling with him in Asia as part of a lecture series and book tour focused on the rule of law and its application in a democratic society. We paid tribute to Justice Scalia after his passing by sharing some of his “greatest hits” from Westlaw to celebrate his wit, sense of humor, and most memorable dissents and opinions during his nearly 30-year tenure on the bench.

Justice Page

We’re also fortunate to have long known Justice Page, considered a hometown hero to those of us on the Minneapolis-St. Paul campus of Thomson Reuters. He is Minnesota’s first African-American Supreme Court Justice as well as an All-Pro defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Justice Page has visited the Minneapolis-St. Paul campus to talk about his career in both in the NFL and legal professions, as well as his Page Education Foundation, which assists students of color with post‑secondary education. Earlier this week during a celebration ceremony in his honor at Justice Page Middle School in Minneapolis, he received a proclamation on behalf of Minnesota’s governor declaring Nov. 19 “Justice Page Day.”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom could not have been awarded to two more deserving individuals. Their distinguished careers and profound impact on the law are indeed medal worthy.

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