George Neves Leitão was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts to Ana Silva Garcia and António Neves Leitão, both originally immigrants from Brava, Cape Verde. Leitão learned Cape Verdean Creole and English as a child. His surname was anglicised to "Leighton" by a teacher who claimed she could not pronounce his last name "Leitão". His parents agreed. He grew up in New Bedford and Cape Cod, leaving high school before graduation in order to work on oil tankers. He continued his studies independently and through night school classes until he could enter Howard University. Leighton married Virginia Berry Quivers; the couple had two daughters, Virginia Anne and Barbara Elaine. After her death in 1992, he did not remarry. At the time of his death in June 2018, Leighton had five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was a tournament chess player.
Education and military service
Leighton graduated in 1940 from Howard University, a historically black college, with an Artium Baccalaureus degree. In April 1940, Leighton received a hand written note from then Dean of Harvard Law School, James McCauley Landis to visit the law school. The following next weekend, he took a bus to Cambridge and called the dean's office and was allowed to see him. It was there, that Leighton advocated for himself to be admitted by telling Dean Landis his life story. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Dean Landis told him that he would see him in September. He started law school at Harvard University in September 1940 but was interrupted by the United States' entry into World War II. From 1942 to 1945, during World War II, Leighton had served in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Captain and being awarded the Asiatic Pacific Service Metal, Bronze Star. After the war he returned to Harvard Law School and earned a Bachelor of Laws in 1946.
In 1964, Cook County voters elected Leighton as a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and he would served from 1964 to 1969. He was appointed as a judge with the First District Appellate Court of Illinois, serving from 1969 to 1976. Leighton became the first African American to hold this position in the State of Illinois.
Federal judicial service
On December 19, 1975, President Gerald Ford nominated Leighton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. This was a seat being vacated by Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz. Leighton was confirmed on February 2, 1976, and received his commission on February 4, 1976. He served until November 30, 1987. After his retirement from federal service, he returned to the practice of law with the firm of Earl L. Neal & Associates. He retired from the law firm of Neal & Leroy at age 99.
Other service
Leighton was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago from 1964 to 2004, teaching Criminal Procedure and Prisoners' Rights. He served as a Trustee of Notre Dame University from 1979 to 1983 when he became Trustee Emeritus. Leighton also served as an Overseer of Harvard College from 1983 to 1989.
In 2005 the United States Postal Service located at 695 Pleasant Street in his hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was renamed as the "Honorable Judge George N. Leighton Post Office Building" in his honor.
In 2009, the Illinois Supreme Court established "The Honorable George N. Leighton Justice Award." The award recognizes one who has given exceptional service to the legal community and exhibits the qualities that personified Judge Leighton's character, service and legal career.
In 2012, the Cook County Criminal Courthouse at 2600 South California Avenue, in Chicago, was renamed in his honor as "The Hon. George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building."
