[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 354 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 354

 Commending Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia 
               Court of Appeals, for her public service.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2005

 Ms. Norton submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Commending Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia 
               Court of Appeals, for her public service.

Whereas Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of 
        Appeals, entered Federal Government service in 1973 as the first woman 
        to be appointed General Counsel of the National Capital Housing 
        Authority, then a Federal agency;
Whereas from 1975 to 1977, the Honorable Annice M. Wagner served as People's 
        Counsel for the District of Columbia, an office created by Congress to 
        represent the interests of utility consumers before the District of 
        Columbia Public Service Commission and the District of Columbia Court of 
        Appeals;
Whereas in 1977, the Honorable Annice M. Wagner was appointed by President 
        Carter and confirmed by the Senate to serve as an Associate Judge of the 
        Superior Court of the District of Columbia;
Whereas while serving as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, the Honorable 
        Annice M. Wagner served in the civil, criminal, family, probate, and tax 
        divisions and served for 2 years as presiding judge of the probate and 
        tax divisions;
Whereas while serving as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, Annice M. 
        Wagner served on various commissions and committees to improve the 
        District of Columbia judicial system, including serving as chairperson 
        of the Committee on Selection and Tenure of Hearing Commissioners, and 
        as a member of the Superior Court Rules Committee and the Sentencing 
        Guidelines Commission;
Whereas as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, Annice M. Wagner served as 
        chairperson of the Court's Advisory Committee on Probate and Fiduciary 
        Rules and was largely responsible for the implementation of new rules 
        intended to streamline and clarify procedures regarding missing, 
        protected, and incapacitated individuals;
Whereas as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, the Honorable Annice M. 
        Wagner served as chairperson of the Task Force on Gender Bias in the 
        Courts, which conducted a comprehensive study of bias in the courts;
Whereas under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District of Columbia courts 
        established the Standing Committee on Fairness and Access to the Courts 
        to ensure racial, gender, and ethnic fairness;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner was appointed by President George H.W. Bush and 
        confirmed by the Senate in 1990 to be an Associate Judge of the District 
        of Columbia Court of Appeals;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner was appointed in 1994 to serve as Chief Judge of the 
        District Court of Appeals;
Whereas while an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 
        Annice M. Wagner served as Chair of the Joint Committee on Judicial 
        Administration in the District of Columbia;
Whereas under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District of Columbia courts 
        initiated the renovation of the Old District of Columbia Courthouse (Old 
        City Hall) in Judiciary Square, a National Historic Landmark, for future 
        use by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals;
Whereas under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District of Columbia courts 
        initiated the master planning process for the renovation and use of 
        court properties, which will lead to the revitalization of the Judiciary 
        Square area in the Nation's Capital;
Whereas under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District of Columbia Court of 
        Appeals, along with the District of Columbia Bar, the District of 
        Columbia Bar Foundation, and the District of Columbia Consortium of 
        Legal Service Providers, established the District of Columbia Access to 
        Justice Commission, a commission that will propose ways to make lawyers 
        and the legal system more available for poor individuals in the District 
        of Columbia;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner served as President of the Conference of Chief 
        Justices, an organization of Chief Justices and Chief Judges of the 
        highest court of each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 
        the territories;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the 
        National Center for State Courts;
Whereas the Honorable Annice M. Wagner commands wide respect within the legal 
        profession nationally, having been selected to serve as one of 11 
        members of the American Bar Association's Section on Dispute 
        Resolution's Drafting Committee on the Uniform Mediation Act, which 
        collaborated with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform 
        State Laws in promulgating the Uniform Mediation Act, which, in 2001, 
        was approved and recommended for enactment in all of the States, to 
        foster prompt, economical, and amicable resolution of disputes through 
        mediation processes which promote public confidence and uniformity 
        across State lines;
Whereas since 1979, Annice M. Wagner has been involved with the United Planning 
        Organization, which was established in 1962 to conduct initiatives 
        designed to provide human services in the District of Columbia and she 
        has served as Interim President of the Organization's Board of Trustees;
Whereas since 1986, Annice M. Wagner has served as a member of a teaching team 
        for the Trial Advocacy Workshop at Harvard Law School;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of 
        Appeals, was born in the District of Columbia and attended District of 
        Columbia Public Schools and received her Bachelor's and law degree from 
        Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan; and
Whereas Annice M. Wagner's dedication to public service and the citizens of the 
        District of Columbia has contributed to the improvement of the judicial 
        system, increased equal access to justice, and advanced public 
        confidence in the court system: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives commends the Honorable 
Annice M. Wagner for her commitment and dedication to public service, 
the judicial system, equal access to justice, and the community.
                                 <all>