- James Lopez Watson
James Lopez Watson (
May 21 ,1922 -September 2 ,2001 ) was a judge of theUnited States Customs Court and of its successor, theUnited States Court of International Trade .Judge Watson was born in
Harlem, New York to parents who had immigrated fromJamaica . DuringWorld War II he fought inItaly with the Army, and was awarded thePurple Heart . He received a B.A. fromNew York University in 1947 and anLL.B. fromBrooklyn Law School in 1951.In 1954 he was elected to the
New York State Senate . In 1963 he was elected to theNew York City Civil Court .On
March 7 ,1966 , PresidentLyndon Johnson appointed him to the United States Customs Court (which became the United States Court of International Trade in 1980). Because judges of that court are periodically assigned to federal courts around the country, Watson became the firstAfrican-American judge to head a federal court in theSouth since Reconstruction. He tooksenior status in 1991, but continued to serve on the court until his death fromcancer in 2001.In 2003 the courthouse at 1 Federal Plaza in
Manhattan was renamed theJames L. Watson United States Court of International Trade Building in his honor.
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