[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 18, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF JULIUS L. CHAMBERS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MELVIN L. WATT

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 18, 2013

  Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Julius L. 
Chambers, an extraordinary American, civil rights leader and my friend 
and mentor, who died on August 2, 2013.
   Julius Chambers committed his professional and personal life to 
improving the lives of others by working tirelessly for civil rights, 
social justice and human rights. After overcoming substantial odds and 
graduating number one in his class from the University of North 
Carolina School of Law, Julius founded the first integrated law firm in 
North Carolina in 1964. I was fortunate to have had Julius as a source 
of inspiration and advice throughout my undergraduate and law school 
years and I was privileged to join his law firm in 1971. Under his 
leadership, the firm did as much to influence evolving civil rights law 
as any private law firm in the United States. Julius litigated a number 
of landmark civil rights cases, including Swann v. Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Board of Education which resulted in the desegregation of 
Charlotte-Mecklenburg County public schools.
   In 1984 Julius left his law firm to become Director-Counsel of the 
NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) in New York. Under his leadership, the 
LDF continued to be the leading civil rights organization engaged in 
defending against legal assaults on civil and constitutional rights.
   In 1993 Julius Chambers became the Chancellor of North Carolina 
Central University, his undergraduate alma mater, where he provided 
exceptional leadership and continued to be a role model and to have an 
important influence on young people. Even as he did so, he also 
continued to make significant legal contributions in the area of civil 
rights as one of three lawyers who argued the Shaw v. Hunt case before 
the Supreme Court in December 1995. In Shaw v. Hunt and a subsequent 
case, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the constitutionality of 
North Carolina's 1st Congressional District and North Carolina's 12th 
Congressional District, the district I am honored to represent. In 
fact, during his career Julius Chambers argued a total of nine cases in 
the United States Supreme Court and won all of them, a record that 
probably has never been matched.
   Mr. Speaker, not only was Julius an outstanding citizen and lawyer, 
he was also a devoted husband to Vivian Chambers, to whom he was 
married for 52 years before she predeceased him in June 2012, and he 
was a loving father to Derrick and Judy.
   I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring and remembering the 
life of Julius Chambers and celebrating the far-reaching influence of 
his life. Julius' example and the lasting legacy of his incredible work 
will continue to inspire me and countless others to continue working to 
advance us toward a fairer and more just society.

                          ____________________