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Bar News - December 18, 2009

Supreme Court Society Presents Life & Liberty Award

Annette Lantos, far left, comes forward to accept Life & Liberty Award on behalf of her late husband, Tom Lantos. Loretta Kenison, background, Susan Leahy, founders of the Supreme Court Society, are with former President Clinton. Credit: Geoff Forester, SC Society

Former President Bill Clinton, on behalf of the NH Supreme Court Society, presented its Life & Liberty Award posthumously to human rights activist and former US Congress member Tom Lantos, now deceased.

A Hungarian emigrant to the United States, Lantos was the first and only Holocaust survivor to serve in the United States Legislature. Throughout his time in office, Lantos fought to preserve and defend human rights around the globe. Lantos died in 2008.

Citing his decision to intervene in the Bosnian conflict in the mid-90s, Clinton said that his plan succeeded because of Tom Lantos. "Tom supported it. He didn’t believe that people deserved to be slaughtered," said Clinton. "They [US House] knew it was the right thing to do because Tom Lantos said it was the right thing to do."

Lantos’ wife, Annette, accepted the award on his behalf. "He was a great and good man," she said of her husband.

The Supreme Court Society’s Life & Liberty Award is given annually. Last year, the award was presented to Chief Justice of Iraq, Madhat Al-Mahmood.

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