Judge Thomas D. Lambros served on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio for more than twenty-eight years. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 and served as Chief Judge from 1990 until his retirement in 1995. In 1960, he was elected to the Court of Common Pleas for the State of Ohio in Ashtabula County where he served until his appointment to the federal bench. Of all his federal court duties, Judge Lambros most cherished naturalizing new American citizens. He administered the oath of citizenship to more than 40,000 immigrants from all over the world in ceremonies not only in the courtroom, but also at schools, public squares, and even in the living rooms of the disabled and elderly. For this, he earned the Ellis Island Medal of Honor awarded to outstanding sons and daughters of immigrants. In 1985, Judge Lambros was commended for the creation and development of the Summary Jury Trial by U.S. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger; the procedure received formal statutory recognition by Congress in the Civil Judicial Reform Act. Judge Lambros received numerous awards for his professional accomplishments including the American Judicature Society’s Herbert Harley Award and the Center for Public Resources’ award for the Most Outstanding Achievement in Alternative Dispute Resolution.