The annual ceremony honors the legacy and remarkable social justice advancements of Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black American to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Tonight, we have the honor and pleasure of recognizing two incredibly special individuals for their achievements and contributions toward the advancement of civil rights, equal opportunity, educational equity and justice,” said BLSA President Whitney McCaulley, JD ’25.

The Thurgood Marshall Award presented to Judge Jean-Louis recognized her as an outstanding law figure exemplifying Marshall’s dedication to improving society through the advancements of civil rights, civil liberties and human rights.

The Thurgood Marshall Community Service Award honored Highsmith as an individual who has made an outstanding commitment to community service and contributions to communities of color locally, regionally and nationwide.

On April 2, members of the Quinnipiac Law community, and those from Connecticut’s larger legal community and beyond, filled the Brooke A. Goff Ceremonial Courtroom on the North Haven Campus to honor Judge Jean-Louis and Highsmith. Together with McCaulley, BLSA members Minchailou M. Kanoute, JD ’25, Faith I. Simmons, JD ’25 and Taqwa J. Winstead, JD ’25, were recognized with certificates of graduation.

While the night celebrated the remarkable achievements of its award recipients, McCaulley said it was also imperative to acknowledge challenges that persist in American society. As a member of the Haitian community who aspires to become an immigration attorney, McCaulley asked attendees to take a moment to honor the resilience of a group which continues to face adversity.

“Historically, there has been a lot of misinformation spread about the Haitian people without consideration of its harmful consequences,” McCaulley said. “In recent months, specifically, the issue has only intensified. Notably, in January of this year when the U.S. paused all foreign aid under the America First policy, leading to severe impacts on Haitian children and families. Additionally, the policies surrounding unlawfully present individuals are constantly changing and it has enacted a new wave of fear.”

In his opening remarks, Quinnipiac School of Law Dean Brian Gallini thanked BLSA for its important work. Gallini said the greatest tribute that can be paid to Marshall’s memory and legacy is to continue his unfinished work.

 “The remarkable legacy of Justice Marshall lives on through the work of tonight’s honorees and through all of us here as we strive for a more just and equitable society," said Gallini. "I am truly grateful for your presence here tonight as we have the privilege of celebrating these exceptional individuals and recommitting ourselves to continuing the important work that lies ahead." 

Judge Jean-Louis was appointed a Connecticut Superior Court judge in Bridgeport in March 2024, prior to which she served as general counsel to Connecticut Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz. The talented Judge Jean-Louis also held the post of Connecticut Assistant Attorney General and practiced litigation law with Wiggin and Dana. As a Connecticut Bar Association member, she implemented its annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit. Earlier in her law career, she clerked in the Connecticut Appellate Court for Judge Lubbie Harper Jr. and at the U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, for then-Chief Justice Alvin W. Thompson.

From 2010 to 2011, she served as president of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association. While earning her Juris Doctorate at the University of Connecticut School of Law, she served on its BLSA executive board.

Judge Jean-Louis spoke to Quinnipiac BLSA members about embracing the challenge of finding their identities as lawyers.

“You’re probably trying to embark on your identity as lawyers and you want to understand, what does your mark look like? How do you define yourself without being considered a diversity mark, or somehow your achievements are because of that diversity?” she asked. “Those sentiments are everlasting and to this day I grapple with those same questions. What you are going through as law students is what my generation of law school classmates went through and those before us.”

To help them on their lifelong journey, Judge Jean-Louis shared her top three guiding rules: be forgiving of yourself, be serendipitous in your path as a lawyer and blame no one for your failures.

“When it comes to making your mark, what that looks like will evolve as you expose yourself to more parts of the legal community and grow into it," she said. "As your brand as a lawyer evolves, your mark and what that looks like, your purpose, will show itself." 

Part of the evolution includes allowing things to happen by chance and to be happy in pursuing openness and non-restriction.

“When you are rigid in your journey, you can lose out on some of the great moments and opportunities that will bring you to your mark and your purpose," she said. "Accept there are multiple ways to get to an outcome and embrace it. Keep your eye on the finish line and participate in the breadth of obstacles and paths to get there." 

Judge Jean-Louis advised accepting every hardship and difficulty, and to learn from those experiences.

“It is easy to blame someone or something for why you are not where you want to be, but ultimately the buck stops with you,” she said. “And part of that is learning who you are — staying authentic to that core person and allowing yourself to be that person. As long as you hold yourself with that knowledge and maintain a level of accountability, the outside perceptions that people have of you will match. The external forces will have no choice but to see you.”

Quinnipiac Professor of Law and BLSA Faculty Advisor Marilyn Ford rose to introduce her good friend, Highsmith. She shared several letters of congratulations for Highsmith, including those from Connecticut U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Carl W. Turnipseed, former Executive Vice President of the Financial Services Group of Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Additionally, Ford shared letters congratulations from those sharing gratitude for Highsmith’s impactful work on a national level, including protecting and preserving the Harriet Tubman National Historic Park and as a founding member of Chicago-based Black Director’s Health Equity Agenda for which Highsmith currently serves as treasurer.

In addition to serving as Vice Chairman for the Quinnipiac Board of Trustees, Highsmith is the retired founder and chairman of Specialized Packaging Group, a company he grew into Connecticut’s largest Black-owned business. He is founder and board chairman of the Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology and for the Connecticut Community Outreach & Revitalization Program.

Highsmith serves on the Yale New Haven Health System Board of Trustees. He is also Board Chairman of Promising Scholars Fund, a minority college scholarship fund of New Haven’s Beta Tau Boule, Sigma Pi Phi fraternity. Highsmith is also a member of Cleveland-Ohio based KeyCorp board of directors and served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston New England Community Advisory Committee.

Ford personally thanked Highsmith and his wife, Letamarie, for their unwavering support in helping her to produce many impactful programs throughout her many years of tenure with Quinnipiac School of Law.

“Carlton Highsmith has done so much for so many over the years that we could not have had another celebration without recognizing him for the all the things that he has done locally, regionally and now nationally,” said Ford.  

Highsmith said he was profoundly grateful, on many levels, to receive a community service award that honors the legacy of Thurgood Marshall.  

“I grew up in the segregated south in the 1950s and 1960s, a world where, if you look like me, opportunity was rationed. Dreams were intentionally suppressed. A place where any expression of hope was deemed an act of defiance,” said Highsmith.  “And I knew that those in power had no interest, no desire, nor any intention of changing any of those things for me.”

Highsmith said he was supported by the power of education, the resilience and encouragement of his family and community, the inspiration of his church, teachers’ lessons and guidance from the people who shaped him.

He said he also knew the power of hope because of courageous men like Thurgood Marshall.

“To me, this award is not just an honor. It is an affirmation of a journey for me that began at a time and place where lawyers like Thurgood Marshall were not just icons, they were lifelines,” Highsmith said. “Lawyers who tore down on the systems and barriers of that era, proving that justice was not just some abstract ideal but an achievable reality.”

Highsmith said Marshall’s vision to believe in an America that did not yet exist, where the color of child’s skin would not determine the depth of their dreams, made his own journey possible.

“I am a direct beneficiary of Thurgood Marshall’s courageous work. Receiving this award in his name is deeply meaningful to me,” said Highsmith.

Although great progress has been made, much work still needs to be done to receive true justice and equality in America, Highsmith said.

“For the Black law students here at Quinnipiac University, you and your generation of lawyers are our next best hope to argue and to courageously continue to make the case for the America that Marshall envisioned. You stand on Marshall’s shoulders but remember you are also laying a foundation for those yet to come,” said Highsmith. “Never underestimate the power of your voice, the strength of your convictions or the impact of your engagement in service. Because the work that you will do, the cases that you will argue, the priorities of your service, will shape the world of tomorrow.”

Highsmith thanked Quinnipiac Law, BLSA and all who believe in justice for all as a fundamental pillar of the American promise.

“Tonight, let us celebrate the legacy of Thurgood Marshall. But tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves and we continue to work. Because that is what Thurgood Marshall would demand of us, that is what this defining moment in our nation’s history demands of us, and requires of us,” Highsmith said.