About the Initiative
The John G. Heyburn II Initiative for Excellence in the Federal Judiciary is a non-partisan endeavor devoted to the preservation and study of federal judicial history, with a particular focus on Kentuckians' contributions to American legal discourse and the interaction of our three branches of government. Established in 2016 as a partnership between University of Kentucky Libraries and the Rosenberg College of Law, the Heyburn Initiative honors the late John G. Heyburn II, senior judge on the Western District Court of Kentucky from 1992 to 2015. The mission of the Heyburn Initiative is drawn from what inspired Judge Heyburn to leadership in the Federal Judiciary: "to ever improve the legal system considered the envy of the world."
What We Do
Conferences & Speakers
Organize conferences and other programs to enable study and exploration of federal court issues that are both about and for the Federal Judiciary.
Archives & Oral Histories
Document federal justices and judges with ties to Kentucky through oral histories and archival collections.
Student Awards
Provide opportunities for law students to learn from federal judges, court officials, and scholars of the Federal Judiciary.
Inspiration
Create small-group interactions between Initiative speakers and students in ways that speak to the higher aspirations of both groups.
Who We Are
Advisory Board
- Dr. Martha Heyburn, Founder; Chair, Advisory Board
- Mr. William Heyburn, CFO and Head of Corporate Development, Blade Urban Mobility, Inc. (BLDE); Son
- Mr. Jack Heyburn, Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Office of the Kentucky Attorney General; Appellate Attorney, Gibson Dunn; Law Clerk for Judge Midge Rendell, US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2019-2019; Son
- Mr. Eric Olson, Partner, Olson Grimsley; Solicitor General of Colorado; Attorney; Law Clerk for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and Judge John Heyburn II
- Mr. Jay Blanton, UK Executive Director of Public Relations; Designee of UK President Eli Capilouto to Advisory Board
- The Hon. Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute, University of California Berkeley, 2018- ; Director, Federal Judicial Center, 2011-2018; US District Judge, 1988-2018
- Mr. Jim Duff, Executive Director, US Supreme Court Historical Society; Director, Administrative Office of the US Courts, 2006-2011, 2014-2020.
Federal Judicial Advisory Panel
- The Hon. Amul Thapar, Judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- The Hon. David Hale, Judge on the US Western District Court of Kentucky
- Mr. John Cooke, Director, Federal Judicial Center
Ex Officio Members
- Mr. Paul Salamanca, Acting Dean, UK J. Rosenberg College of Law
- Mr. Doug Way, Dean, UK Libraries
University of Kentucky Support
- Ms. Anu Kasarabada, The Honorable John G. Heyburn II Initiative for Excellence in the Federal Judiciary Chair, UK Libraries
- Mr. Danny Murphy, Assistant Dean, Community Engagement & Operations, UK Rosenberg College of Law
