Born in Chicago, Illinois to Polish Jewish immigrants,[1] Figa attended Northwestern University "through a scholarship caddie program at a nearby country club".
[2] He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Northwestern in 1973, and a Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School in 1976.
Figa was one of five people recommended by Senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Wayne Allard for a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado after Richard Paul Matsch entered senior status.
On June 9, 2003, he was nominated by President George W. Bush for the role.
He died on January 5, 2008, in his home in Greenwood Village, Colorado.