[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1468-E1469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE OF JAMES S.W. DREWRY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 17, 2009

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
and recognize the outstanding service of James S.W. Drewry upon his 
retirement from the practice of law.
  Jim Drewry is retiring after decades of outstanding service as a 
lawyer to his country, to the Congress of the United States, and a 
leading practitioner in the Washington, DC, community. As outstanding 
as his National service and later career have been, I would be 
especially remiss if I did not go to Jim's early work experience prior 
to graduating from college and attending law school. Jim began his work 
experience serving as a clerk for Senator E.L. Bartlett (D-Alaska) in 
the United States Senate during the summers of 1961 to 1963. He then 
got some real world labor experience as a gandy dancer while working as 
part of the labor gang on the Alaska Railroad during the summer of 
1964. These experiences prepared him well for a life-long career as a 
legislative attorney that often touched on the important maritime, 
fishery, natural resource, and transportation issues of importance to 
my State of Alaska. I for one always appreciated the professionalism 
and knowledge that Jim brought to the issues, but also his early 
practical and hands on experience that he brought to any situation.
  Jim obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Randolph-Macon College 
in Ashland, VA, in 1966, with honors in political science. There he was 
a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to earn not one but two law 
degrees. The first was from the University of Virginia School of Law 
(LL.B. 1969) and the second from the London School of Economics (LL.M. 
international law 1975). Contemporaneously, he held various positions 
during school breaks including working as a deckhand on a Great Lakes 
iron ore cargo ship (summer 1965), as a clerk for the Shipbuilders 
Council of America (summers 1966-67), and as an editorial assistant for 
the Stratton Commission on National Ocean Policy (summer 1968). Upon

[[Page E1469]]

graduation from law school, he was admitted to the Virginia Bar and 
worked as a solicitor in the Corporate Law Department of the Southern 
Railway (July to October 1969) before joining the U.S. Navy (October 
1969 to August 1974). In the Navy he served on active duty as a Navy 
Judge Advocate in Japan (2 years), Vietnam (1 year), and Florida (1 
year). In the course of that he prosecuted, and defended, in over 200 
courts-martial, and served as trial judge in others. For this service 
he was awarded Navy Achievement Medal twice, for performance in Japan 
and Vietnam.
  After his Naval service, he continued in public service from November 
1975 to June 1980, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA). While at NOAA, he served as Special Assistant to 
the NOAA Administrator and as well as in progressively senior positions 
in the NOAA General Counsel's Office. As Senior Counsel for 
International Law, he was the Commerce Department's legal 
representative on U.S. international delegations for the negotiation of 
major treaties involving fisheries, wildlife, and maritime boundaries. 
As Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Fisheries, he was one of the 
two main legal advisers to the Director of the National Marine 
Fisheries Service and carried out the overall supervision and office 
management of the attorneys and staff. As Staff Attorney, he worked 
closely with the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel on a wide 
range of legal issues and represented NOAA in Administrative Law Judge 
proceedings.
  In 1980 he began his illustrious and distinguished career with the 
United States Congress. While Jim worked his entire congressional 
career in the Senate, I say United States Congress because his 
contributions to legislation and legislative process benefited the 
entire institution, not just one body. For over 18 years he served as 
Counsel to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation in positions requiring senior-level policy and 
managerial experience in the fields of commerce, transportation, 
communications, science and technology, natural resources, and consumer 
affairs. Many of those years he worked for the distinguished Senator 
from South Carolina, Senator Fritz Hollings, who was always a gentleman 
to this Member and a great friend to my dear friend, Senator Ted 
Stevens. During this tenure at the Commerce Committee Jim was Senior 
Democratic Counsel for Oceans and Atmosphere (June 1980 to July 1987), 
nonpartisan Legislative Counsel (July 1987 to May 1994), and Democratic 
General Counsel/General Counsel (May 1994 to 1999). Throughout his 
service, and in addition to his considerable substantive contributions 
in the matters before Congress, Jim provided advice and guidance on 
parliamentary procedure, the Congressional Budget Act, ethics 
requirements, and other legal and policy matters. He had daily contact 
with Democratic floor staff regarding Senate floor action that affected 
Commerce Committee legislation, participated in the day-to-day 
management and supervision of the Democratic staff, ensured that 
documents relating to hearings, markups, and other meetings of Members 
and the Committee were comprehensive and legally and factually correct, 
and maintained regular and excellent relationships with Republican 
staff. Jim's hallmark was his dedicated, calm, and professional manner 
that provided all Members regardless of political party or 
philosophical establishment the best support and advice possible.
  After this illustrious career in public service, he struck out and 
went into private law practice. There he took with him and used all of 
the legislative and ethics skills he developed over the years. He 
served clients in both the public and private sector, in maritime, 
fisheries, and natural resources. His approach to client advocacy was 
one of impeccable integrity, professional skill, and thoroughness in 
advice. Jim's advice was rightly sought because of this approach. Jim 
really cared about helping people--everyday people including many in my 
own State. He tried his best to find compromise and a way to get things 
done, and a way to get to ``yes'' on difficult problems so that his 
fellow citizens could benefit. There is much said today to malign those 
in the law and lobbying business and those who go from positions in 
government to the private sector. For those who want to know how our 
system should work, and does work, they need only look to the career of 
James S.W. Drewry. Jim's pursuit of truth, excellence, and integrity 
were unparalleled in the Washington community.
  Now he moves on to a justly deserved retirement but one that we hope 
will keep him active in area of public policy development and 
implementation. He comes from a long line of public servants from 
Virginia having a grandfather, Patrick Henry Drewry, who served in the 
Congress as Member of this House and a father, John Metcalf Drewry, who 
served as a chief counsel for the Merchant Marine and Fisheries 
Committee in the House of Representatives. Jim was not content to rest 
on the laurels of his family legacy, however, and as you can see from 
this account, distinguished himself in his own right. I join with 
throngs of his friends and colleagues in saying that the likes of Jim 
Drewry do not come along everyday and his service to and with us all 
will be truly missed. With that I send him my very best wishes and also 
to his wife, Maria, and two sons, for many years of a healthy and 
prosperous ``next chapter'' in his life.

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