[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1212-E1213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF JUDGE MARILYN MORGAN UPON HER 
                               RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 20, 2009

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
the life and accomplishments of a distinguished member of my community, 
the Honorable Marilyn Morgan, upon her retirement from the United 
States Bankruptcy Court for the San Jose Division of the Northern 
District of California.
  Judge Morgan has served on the federal bench with honor and integrity 
for 21 years. She has been an exceptional jurist, committed to fairness 
in the decisions impacting those who have appeared before her. 
Throughout her life and career, Judge Morgan has sought to ensure that 
all parties, including those with limited access to services and legal 
representation, have justice and equality. However, her extraordinary 
dedication to public service extends far beyond her courtroom.
  Prior to her legal career, Ms. Morgan worked in the civil rights 
movement in the area of voter registration. After receiving her J.D. 
from Emory University, Ms. Morgan returned to her native San Jose to 
start her own practice in bankruptcy law, representing both debtors and 
creditors. She also served as a bankruptcy trustee. In that capacity, 
she quickly identified a need for a communications clearinghouse for 
trustees to connect and share ideas and educational resources. Ms. 
Morgan was co-founder of the National Association of Bankruptcy 
Trustees, an educational and advocacy organization for Chapter 7 
Trustees that continues to thrive and boast a nationwide membership.

[[Page E1213]]

  Among some important firsts, Ms. Morgan served as the first woman 
President of the Santa Clara County Bar Association in 1985-86 and as 
the first bankruptcy lawyer appointed as a Lawyer Representative to the 
Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. She has also served as a member of 
the Bankruptcy Advisory Committee to the United States District Court 
and as a referee and probation monitor on the State Bar Court. Since 
her appointment to the bench in 1988, Judge Morgan has continued her 
extensive contributions to the legal community. She is one of the co-
founders of the Congressman Don Edwards American Inn of Court, a 
professional association dedicated to promoting civility and enhancing 
communications between the bench and the bankruptcy bar. She has also 
served on the Board of Directors of Lincoln Law School of San Jose, 
Consumer Credit Counselors of San Francisco and its subsidiary, 
BALANCE, and the Bay Area Bankruptcy Forum.
  Judge Morgan has been a powerful advocate for the improvement of the 
legal system. In 2007, Judge Morgan testified about ``Protecting Home 
Ownership'' before the Subcommittee on Administrative and Commercial 
Law of the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 
1997, she also testified before the National Bankruptcy Review 
Commission regarding proposed amendments to the Bankruptcy Code. In 
2007, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys 
recognized Judge Morgan for her extraordinary service in the field of 
consumer bankruptcy law. In 1999, she received the Fresh Start Award 
from the local consumer bankruptcy community in recognition of her 
contributions to improving the consumer bankruptcy system.
  Judge Morgan has also been an active and effective advocate for 
improving the quality of, and access to, legal services available to 
the public. She has served as President of the Santa Clara County Bar 
Association Law Foundation and a trustee of Santa Clara County Law 
Related Education. She is also a co-founder of the Pro Bono Project of 
Santa Clara County. Judge Morgan has been a frequent provider of 
continuing legal education through the Bay Area Bankruptcy Forum, the 
National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the National 
Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, the Santa Clara County Bar 
Association, the California Bankruptcy Forum, the National Conference 
of Bankruptcy Judges, the American Law Institute--American Bar 
Association, and the Norton Institute.
  In addition to her contributions to the legal community, Judge Morgan 
has given generously to her broader community. One of the first women 
admitted to membership in the Rotary Club of San Jose, she has truly 
fulfilled its mission of ``service above self.'' She has served on the 
club's Board of Directors and has been intimately involved in 
developing Los Amigos de Washington School, a Rotary program that 
provides support to the students, families and teachers of Washington 
Elementary School through activities, events and mentoring. Judge 
Morgan has been a regular at the school, reading books to several 
classes and mentoring a group of fourth grade girls. She has also 
served on the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross; the San 
Jose Cathedral Foundation; The Women's Fund; the Santa Clara County 
Public Facilities Corporation; the Santa Clara County Building 
Authority; the Downtown YWCA; and the Santa Clara County Century Club.
  For more than 30 years, Judge Morgan has been an outstanding pillar 
of our community in San Jose, a forceful advocate for the improvement 
of the legal system and the community at large, an inspiration and role 
model for her public service, a loyal friend to the many people with 
whom she has worked along the way, and a jurist whose common sense and 
legal acumen has provided justice to those who have appeared before 
her.
  She is married to the Hon. (Ret.) James R. Grube, and they have three 
children, Terry, Elyse, and Mark.
  It is with great pleasure that I join Judge Morgan in celebrating her 
life and many accomplishments. I thank her for her contributions to our 
region in California and to our nation. On behalf of our community, I 
congratulate Judge Morgan and wish her and her family well in her 
retirement and her future plans to continue in service to her 
community.

                          ____________________