[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 13, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E27-E28]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NONNIE BURNS--A CHAMPION OF JUSTICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 13, 2010

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, on March 25th, when we 
will be in session I assume, an excellent organization known as 
Discovering Justice will present the Champion of Justice Award to a 
great advocate of fairness, Nonnie Burns. Nonnie Burns, I should say at 
the outset, is an old friend of many years, going back to the days when 
she was a strong supporter of mine when I first ran for the State 
Legislature in the Beacon Hill section of Boston in 1972. Since then, 
she has gone on to an extraordinarily distinguished career, first as an 
extremely respected judge in the Massachusetts trial courts, and then 
as the state's Commissioner of Insurance, a position from which she has 
since retired.
  Throughout her career as an attorney, judge and commissioner, Nonnie 
Burns has exemplified the legal profession at its best--namely in a 
commitment to seeing that justice is done for all. It is entirely 
appropriate that Discovering Justice, housed I should note in the 
Federal Courthouse in Boston named for our beloved late colleague Joe 
Moakley, is honoring her. Discovering Justice educates young people 
about the justice system and what they can do to make sure that it 
functions as it should. They run a particularly large program called 
Children Discovering Justice, which Nonnie Burns inspired and which she 
has championed. The program for children in grades 1-5 is taught in 25% 
of the public schools in Boston.

[[Page E28]]

  Madam Speaker, I am proud to call Nonnie Burns a friend and grateful 
for the advice I have been able to get from her over the years. In 
particular, during her tenure as Insurance Commissioner, she was of 
significant value to those of us on the Financial Services Committee in 
her thoughtful and prompt responses to questions we had affecting 
insurance policy. I congratulate Discovering Justice for recognizing 
her value and presenting her with this award, which, as I noted, I will 
not be able to note in person because I will be here on the floor when 
the event goes forward.

                          ____________________