Quinnipiac University’s Black Law Students Association Honors Two

Press release

Quinnipiac University’s Black Law Students Association to honor Judge Christine Jean-Louis with Thurgood Marshall Award; Carlton Highsmith to receive Community Service Award

NORTH HAVEN, Connecticut – Connecticut Superior Court Judge Christine Jean-Louis will receive the Quinnipiac University Black Law Students Association's Thurgood Marshall Award on Wednesday, April 2.

In addition, Carlton Highsmith, retired chairman, president and CEO of Specialized Packaging Group, will receive the Community Service Award. The awards ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will start with a reception at 6 p.m. at the School of Law on the North Haven Campus, 370 Bassett Road. Click here to register.

In its 36th year, the Thurgood Marshall Award is given in honor of the first African American to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Marshall epitomized individual commitment, in word and action, to civil rights. Each year, QU’s BLSA recognizes an outstanding person in law, education or politics who exemplifies Marshall's dedication to improving society through the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties and human rights.
“It is our pleasure and absolute honor to recognize and award these two outstanding individuals for their exceptional contributions,” said Whitney McCaulley, president of the Black Law Students Association. “I am deeply inspired by Judge Jean-Louis and Carlton Highsmith. Their dedication, expertise and commitment to excellence have set a remarkable standard. They truly deserve this prestigious recognition, and we are delighted to celebrate their achievements.”
Before her appointment, Judge Jean-Louis served as the general counsel to the Lieutenant Governor. Prior to that, Judge Jean-Louis served as an assistant attorney general for the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General (OAG), where she defended the state in construction-related matters and enforcement of motor vehicle statutes while also chairing the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Before joining the OAG, Judge Jean-Louis served as a law clerk at the Connecticut Appellate Court and at the United States District Court. She then was a litigation associate at the law firm Wiggin and Dana.
Highsmith, vice chairman of Quinnipiac’s Board of Trustees, founded Specialized Packaging Group, a package design, marketing and engineering firm in New Haven in 1983. By 2009, SPG, with revenues of more than $180 million, had grown to become one of the largest manufacturers of consumer paperboard packaging in North America.
The company was recognized as the largest minority-owned company in Connecticut. Highsmith currently serves on the board of directors of Key Bank and chairs the board of directors of the Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology (CONNCAT), a nonprofit organization that provides world-class, market-relevant job training and financial literacy training to underemployed and unemployed adults in the New Haven area. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and was awarded an honorary degree from Quinnipiac in 2008.