Bringing Nuremberg Home: Justice Jackson’s Path Back to Buffalo, October 4, 1946

Justice Robert H. Jackson of the U.S. Supreme Court delivered three significant lectures at the University of Buffalo during a consequential decade in American history. This essay examines Jackson's October 4, 1946 lecture, which occurred when he had just completed his role as chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals. Jackson's lecture was untitled but powerfully addressed the historical significance of his prosecution work and its implications for postwar justice and international law. The article traces Jackson's biographical path from his Pennsylvania birthplace through his legal career in New York, documenting his arrival in Buffalo and his formative relationships with prominent judges and lawyers including Justice Charles B. Sears. Jackson's early practice in Jamestown exposed him to both trial work and appellate matters, establishing his reputation as a skilled litigator. The essay contextualizes Jackson's May 1951 lecture on "Wartime Security and Liberty Under Law," which inaugurated a distinguished lecture series at Buffalo. By examining Jackson's intellectual development and his pivotal role in establishing legal precedent for international criminal accountability, the article illuminates how his Nuremberg experience shaped postwar legal thought.

Topics: Legal History · International Law · Constitutional Law

Keywords: Justice Robert H. Jackson · Nuremberg trials · war crimes · international law · Buffalo Law School · judicial biography