[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 171 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S8577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING BERNETTE JOHNSON

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a trailblazer 
and role model: Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernette J. Johnson. On 
February 1, 2013, Justice Johnson will become Louisiana's first 
African-American Chief Justice and only the second female jurist in 
Louisiana history to hold that office. It is fitting that the first 
woman elected to the Civil District Court of New Orleans--a woman who 
has devoted so much of her life to working as an advocate for social 
justice, civil rights and community organizing--would achieve this 
historic milestone.
  Justice Johnson's commitment to civil rights began in the 1960s, when 
she began working as a community organizer with the NAACP Legal Defense 
& Educational Fund. She worked with community groups in Alabama, 
Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and 
Louisiana, disseminating information about recent school desegregation 
decisions and encouraging parents to take advantage of newly 
desegregated schools. Justice Johnson brings a unique perspective to 
the bench that is informed by principles of justice and equity.
  An alumnus of Spelman College in Atlanta, Justice Johnson received 
her Juris Doctor Degree at the Law School at Louisiana State 
University, where her portrait now hangs in the Law Center's Hall of 
Fame. While in law school, she worked at the U.S. Department of Justice 
examining cases filed by the Department to implement the 1964 Civil 
Rights Act. These cases primarily concerned discrimination in public 
accommodations. Following law school, Justice Johnson became the 
managing attorney with the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, 
where she provided legal services to over 3,000 clients in socio-
economically deprived neighborhoods.
  Justice Johnson worked in the Federal and State District Courts 
advancing the rights of the poor, the elderly, and the disenfranchised, 
and in the Juvenile Court advancing the rights of children. In 1981, 
she joined the City Attorney's staff, and later became a Deputy City 
Attorney for the City of New Orleans. There, she attained extensive 
trial experience in the Civil District Court and U.S. District Court 
defending police brutality claims and general tort claims filed against 
the City of New Orleans. Her experience fighting to protect the rights 
of the under privileged undoubtedly prepared her for service on the 
bench.
  Justice Johnson began her judicial career in 1984 as the first woman 
elected to serve on the Civil District Court of New Orleans. There, she 
took the initiative to establish a system to refer custody, alimony, 
and child support issues to mediation conducted by certified social 
workers of the Children's Bureau and Family Services, prior to court 
appearances. She was elected to the Supreme Court in 1994 and re-
elected in 2000. She serves on the Louisiana Supreme Court's Judicial 
Council, and has served on the Court's Legal Services Task Force, as 
well as the National Campaign on Best Practices in the area of Racial 
and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts.
  This is a truly a moment to be remembered, not just for the people of 
Louisiana, but for Americans all across the country. From advocating 
with the NAACP, to helping implement the 1964 Civil Rights Act, to 
becoming Louisiana's first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as 
she has now, Bernette Johnson's life and career is a testament to the 
spirit of the civil rights movement and the countless Americans who 
fought tirelessly to open the doors of equality. I congratulate Justice 
Bernette J. Johnson on a stellar legal and judicial career and thank 
her for her fighting spirit, commitment to equality, and deep respect 
for the dignity of all citizens. I have no doubt that she will continue 
to serve the people of Louisiana well.

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