[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 183 (Friday, November 17, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2204-E2205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO RETIRED ASSOCIATE JUSTICE ROSALIE WAHL

                                 ______


                            HON. JIM RAMSTAD

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 17, 1995

  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to retired Associate 
Justice Rosalie Wahl of the Minnesota Supreme Court, an outstanding 
jurist and an exceptional human being.
  When Justice Rosalie Wahl was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme 
Court in 1977, she was the first woman to serve on Minnesota's highest 
court. Years later, she saw the court become the first in the Nation 
with a majority of women justices. And in the surest sign of progress, 
she retired last year in an era when a woman's appointment to the bench 
was no longer a big news story.
  From the moment Rosalie Wahl became an associate justice, she hit the 
ground running and quickly earned a reputation as a tireless worker and 
a thoughtful, compassionate jurist. Justice Wahl faced a tough election 
battle less than a year after she took her seat, and Chief Justice 
Sheran offered to reduce her caseload. However, she declined because of 
her 

[[Page E 2205]]
desire not to burden the other justices with extra cases.
  Justice Wahl developed a strong work ethic long before she joined the 
supreme court. She was already the mother of four children upon 
entering law school at age 38. Justice Wahl had her fifth child during 
her second year of night classes. Following graduation, she served 6 
years in the State public defender's office, then 4 years as a law 
professor at the William Mitchell College of Law. Her ability to juggle 
the competing demands of family, academics, and career prepared her 
well for challenges on the bench.
  Rosalie Wahl's tenure as associate justice was important for women, 
and not just because her appointment ended the all-male history of the 
Minnesota Supreme Court. One of her most enduring legacies of Justice 
Wahl's work as chair of a task force on gender fairness in the legal 
system.
  As a coauthor of the Violence Against Women Act, which Congress 
passed in 1994, I have a special appreciation for Rosalie Wahl's 
pioneering efforts. Her 1989 task force recommendations provided the 
basis for the Minnesota law to assist sexual assault and domestic abuse 
victims. In turn, the Minnesota statute helped shape the Federal law.
  Justice Wahl also chaired a racial bias task force, which published 
recommendations in 1993. Her commitment to equal justice for all 
Americans is another lasting legacy.
  Shortly before her retirement, Justice Wahl remarked, ``I think the 
law should have a human face. Everything we do affects people; it 
doesn't become a dry bunch of words in books on the shelf.''
  Rosalie Wahl had a special affinity for the underprivileged and 
people in need, and she was always mindful of the human impact of court 
decisions. But Justice Wahl also tried to apply the law as it was 
written, even when she would have preferred a different result.
  It has been said that the best judges have both a heart and a head 
for justice. The Minnesota Supreme Court was well served by Associate 
Justice Rosalie Wahl, who used her heart and her head on behalf of 
those who came seeking justice.
  The State of Minnesota will always be grateful for Rosalie Wahl's 
years of service and sacrifice.

                          ____________________