[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 133 (Friday, September 9, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF JUDGE J.C. McLIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 9, 2011

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a just and 
wise servant of the people, an even-handed and merciful adjudicator of 
the law, and a humble and decent man, Judge J.C. McLin. He lost his 
battle with pancreatic cancer on Sunday, September 4, 2011. Judge McLin 
was born in Trenton, Tennessee to Reverend Henry McLin and Louise Doaks 
McLin. After graduating from Rosenwald High School, he attended and 
graduated from Lane College. He received a master's degree in Education 
from University of Tennessee at Martin and a law degree from University 
of Tennessee College of Law. He was commissioned as a First Lieutenant 
in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1975.
   Judge McLin's selfless commitment to our community has made a 
lasting impact on the lives he touched. After working as an attorney 
for 25 years, including nine years in private practice, 19 years as a 
prosecutor and a staff attorney at Memphis Area Legal Services, he was 
elected to the Shelby County Criminal Court in 2000 where he presided 
as a judge. In 2004, he was appointed to the Tennessee Court of 
Criminal Appeals by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, only the second 
African American to hold a seat on that bench. Judge McLin was noted 
for his gracious, calm and efficient approach to work. He was also 
regarded as a fair and hard working judge who served on the bench with 
great dignity and integrity.
   Judge McLin was a faithful member of Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist 
Church, where he served as an associate minister. He supported the work 
of local organizer Stevie Moore to fight youth violence and he founded 
the Information, Assistance, and Monitoring program which gives 
criminal offenders a chance to rehabilitate themselves. He served on 
the board of the Memphis Second Chance Program which aims to help ex-
offenders find a job. He leaves behind a legacy of service and faith 
that will continue to resonate in the Memphis community for many years 
to come.
   Judge McLin was 64 years of age. He is survived by his beloved wife 
of 42 years, Mollie Jenkins McLin; his sons, Jason and Thebe; his 
daughter, Monette; his mother, Louise; two sisters, Shirley Drake and 
Patsy Smith; and a wealth of other family, friends and colleagues who 
will cherish his memory. His was a life well-lived.

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