[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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