[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 130 (Friday, September 25, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1807-E1808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SALUTE TO JOHN M. LANGSTON BAR ASSOCIATION AFRICAN AMERICAN HALL OF 
                             FAME HONOREES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JULIAN C. DIXON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 25, 1998

  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to five 
outstanding and distinguished African American legal legends who on 
Saturday, October 17, 1998, will be inducted into the John M. Langston 
Bar Association's Hall of Fame. The celebrated honorees are retired Los 
Angeles Superior Court Judges Gilbert C. Alston and Dion Morrow; former 
Congresswoman and currently a member of the Los Angeles County Board of 
Supervisors Yvonne

[[Page E1808]]

Brathwaite-Burke; and famed attorneys Charles Earl Lloyd, and the late 
Thomas G. Neusom.
  All of the honorees have made exemplary contributions to the legal 
profession as well as to the citizens of Los Angeles and this nation. 
That is why I am especially proud to publicly commend and recognize 
each of them before the House today.
  Judge Gilbert C. Alston, a graduate of the University of Southern 
California (USC) Law School, spent his early career working in the Los 
Angeles District Attorney's office, and in private practice with his 
law partner H. Ronald Hauptman. He was appointed the first Commissioner 
of the Pasadena Municipal Court in 1971, and six months later was 
appointed by then-Governor Ronald Reagan to the Los Angeles Municipal 
Court. In 1977 Governor Jerry Brown, Jr. agreed to transfer Judge 
Alston to the Pasadena Judicial District, where he became Pasadena's 
first African American judge. Judge Alston is perhaps best known in 
judicial circles for his ruling allowing the use of cameras in the 
courtroom. Judge Alston was elevated to the Pasadena Superior Court in 
1980, a position he held until his retirement.
  Judge Dion Morrow, a native Angeleno, graduated from Loyola Law 
School on June 1, 1957, and was admitted to the California State Bar on 
December 18, 1957. His early career was spent in private practice with 
fellow distinguished Los Angeles attorneys Xenophan F. Lang, Robert 
Hall, James Gordon, and David Cunningham. Judge Morrow joined the Los 
Angeles City Attorney's office in 1975, serving as Assistant City 
Attorney and Senior Special Counsel to City Attorney Burton Pines. He 
was the first African American to hold such a position. He was 
appointed to the Compton Municipal Court by Governor Brown on October 
17, 1975. A little over two years later, he was elevated to the Los 
Angeles Superior Court, where he spent the next 18 years presiding over 
complex criminal and civil cases. Dion retired from the bench on 
October 23, 1995, but continues to serve the legal community as a 
private arbitrator, mediator, settlement judge and discovery referee. 
Judge Morrow is past president of the Langston Bar Association.
  Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke certainly 
requires little introduction. She has been recognized by Time magazine 
as one of ``America's 200 Future Leaders,'' and was selected ``Woman of 
the Year'' by both the Los Angeles Times and her alma mater UCLA, which 
two years ago awarded her its ``1996 Alumni of the Year'' award. As my 
predecessor in the California State Assembly and the United States 
Congress, she is a distinguished public official who has received 
numerous honors and commendations for an illustrious career spanning 
more than three decades. Yvonne represented California's then-28th 
Congressional District from 1972-1976. She is a former member of the 
University of California Board of Regents, and is currently a member of 
several boards, including the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission and the 
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where she has been a forceful 
and influential advocate for an improved transportation system for Los 
Angeles residents. Yvonne received her Juris Doctor degree from USC and 
was admitted to the California State Bar in 1956. She has championed 
equal opportunity for displaced homemakers, and authored legislation 
benefitting California's disadvantaged youth, nursing home residents, 
and orphanages. Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke has earned her place in the 
Hall of Fame.
  Attorney Charles Earl Lloyd received his Juris Doctor degree from USC 
in 1961 and was admitted to the California State Bar in January 1962. 
After serving two years as a prosecuting attorney in the Los Angeles 
City Attorney's office, in 1964 he entered private practice under the 
firm of Berman, Lloyd and Goldstein. A year later, he became the senior 
partner in the firm of Lloyd, Bradley (Tom Bradley would go on to serve 
five consecutive terms as the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles) 
Burrell, and Nelson. He is recognized as one of the premier criminal 
attorneys in the nation, and has also represented many entertainers and 
professional sportsmen, including the entertainer Dr. William (Bill) 
Cosby; legendary boxer Sonny Liston; and former Houston Oilers lineman 
Ernie Ladd. Charles was the first African American to serve as a City 
of Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner. He is an outstanding attorney and a 
mentor to many young aspiring attorneys throughout the nation.
  Thomas G. Neusom, who will be inducted posthumously into the Hall of 
Fame, was admitted to the California State Bar in 1950 and for a brief 
time thereafter practiced law with legendary Los Angeles attorneys 
Crispus A. Wright and Carl A. Earles. Tom served two terms as NAACP 
president, during which he successfully litigated and won the 
integration of the Los Angeles Fire Department. He also served as the 
co-counsel on the suit which led to the integration of the Los Angeles 
Police Department. He was a lawyer's lawyer--a man of tremendous 
integrity and a commitment to helping the downtrodden.
  Mr. Speaker, please join with me in applauding the excellence of 
these five distinguished individuals. It is a special honor to 
highlight just a few of their outstanding accomplishments, and it is 
with a tremendous sense of pride that I salute and congratulate each of 
them as they are inducted into the John M. Langston Bar Association 
Hall of Fame.

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