[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 112 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   JUDGE JAMES R. BROWNING COURTHOUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2001

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Judge James R. Browning, 
formerly Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit, I am pleased to introduce 
legislation to name the federal courthouse building at 7th and Mission 
Streets in San Francisco the ``James R. Browning U.S. Court of Appeals 
Building.''
  Appointed to the Ninth Circuit by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, 
Judge Browning served for 40 years, including 12 years as chief judge. 
He assumed leadership in 1976 at a time when appeals courts faced a 
large backlog of cases. Under his leadership, the Ninth Circuit 
expanded in size, eliminated its backlog, and cut in half the time 
needed to decide appeals. Since 1961, he has participated in almost 
1,000 published appellate decisions and authored many other unsigned 
per curiam opinions on behalf of the panel as a whole.
  As the head of the largest circuit court in the country, Judge 
Browning acted as a tireless and effective advocate for maintaining the 
unity of the Ninth Circuit. An extraordinary administrator, he 
implemented numerous innovations that reshaped the structures and 
procedures of the circuit. Many of his ideas were subsequently adopted 
in other circuits. He also emphasized the importance of collegiality 
and civility among the judges and the Ninth Circuit bar. He was 
instrumental in establishing the Western Justice Center Foundation, a 
nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the legal system by 
encouraging collaborative work and research.
  Judge Browning earned his law degree from the University of Montana 
Law School in 1941, joining the Antitrust Division of the Department of 
Justice upon graduation. A U.S. Army Infantry private, he served in 
Military Intelligence in the Pacific Theater for three years, attaining 
the rank of First Lieutenant and winning a Bronze Star. Subsequently, 
he served again in the Antitrust Division, then the Civil Division, 
becoming Executive Assistant to the U.S. Attorney General in 1952. From 
1953 to 1958, he practiced law as a partner at Perlman, Lyons & 
Browning, leaving private practice again to become Clerk of the U.S. 
Supreme Court, prior to his appointment to the Ninth Circuit.
  The Ninth Circuit includes all the federal courts in California, 
Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, 
Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The courthouse at 7th and 
Mission was designed by James Knox Taylor, who also designed the U.S. 
Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., and built between 1897 and 1905.
  It is my hope that in the near future, in addition to serving as a 
courthouse, this building can stand as a monument to the tremendous 
achievements of Judge James R. Browning.

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