In 1945, President Harry S. Truman appointed Robert H. Jackson as Chief U.S. Prosecutor at the International Military Tribunal. Jackson took a leave of absence from the Supreme Court to lead the unprecedented effort to bring Nazi leaders to justice after World War II.

Jackson played a central role in shaping the legal framework for the trials, insisting that the rule of law, not vengeance, must guide the proceedings. He helped draft the London Agreement and Charter, which defined crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes against peace, establishing the foundation for modern international criminal law.

On November 21, 1945, Jackson delivered his powerful opening statement, a historic address that set the tone for the entire tribunal. In clear, unwavering language, he laid out the evidence against the Nazi regime and declared that civilization itself demanded accountability.

The Nuremberg Trials marked a turning point in global justice, and Jackson’s leadership, rooted in fairness, due process, and moral clarity, remains a model for international law. As he famously said, "We must never forget that the record on which we judge these defendants is the record on which history will judge us tomorrow."