[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 26 (Monday, February 25, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING JUSTICE BERNETTE JOSHUA JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 25, 2013

  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the continued 
achievements of Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson, a leader in the 
Louisiana community. I congratulate Justice Johnson on her pending 
investiture as Chief Justice of Louisiana's Supreme Court, on which she 
has served with distinction for nearly two decades. As the most-tenured 
member of Louisiana's highest court, Bernette Joshua Johnson will 
continue her legacy of excellence as the state's first African American 
Chief Justice. Her investiture is an important one for her career as a 
civil servant, for the state of Louisiana, and for the United States.
   Before her service on Louisiana's Supreme Court, Justice Johnson 
began her career as the first woman to be elected to the Civil District 
Court of New Orleans and was elected Chief Judge soon after. A 
cornerstone of her career has always been advocacy for civil rights and 
social justice. During the Civil Rights Movement, she worked as a 
community organizer with the National Association for the Advancement 
of Colored People Legal Defense & Educational Fund. She also worked as 
a legal intern with the Civil Rights Division at the US Department of 
Justice, here in Washington, D.C. where she worked on cases filed by 
the Department to implement the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
   Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson has received numerous honors and 
awards throughout her career, including the Louisiana Bar Foundation's 
2009 Distinguished Jurist Award, the American Bar Association's 
Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, and the 2000 Medal 
of Honor presented by the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. In 
addition, she has spoken at universities and government agencies all 
over Louisiana and throughout the south. Justice Johnson is a prolific 
writer having published editorials, essays, and legal opinions since 
the beginning of her legal career.
   Justice Johnson is a community advocate, an active member of Zeta 
Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and the proud mother of two. She received her 
Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and 
in 2001 was honored with an Honorary Doctorate in Law from her alma 
mater. She was one of the first African American women to attend the 
Law School at Louisiana State University where she received her Juris 
Doctorate in 1969. She has since been inducted into the LSU Law School 
Hall of Fame. Justice Johnson's achievements are a testament to her 
commitment to public service. She is an excellent example of the value 
of hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity.
   I wish to congratulate Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson on her 
investiture as the Louisiana Supreme Court's first African American 
Chief Justice.

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