[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THOMAS S. WILLIAMSON, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 15, 2017

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me 
in recognizing the extraordinary life of Thomas S. Williamson, Jr., who 
passed away this month at the age of 70. Mr. Williamson was a former 
president of the D.C. Bar and a member of our Federal Law Enforcement 
Nominating Commission, which advises me on the selection of important 
federal officials for the District of Columbia, including federal 
district court judges and the U.S. Attorney for the District of 
Columbia. Tom will be especially remembered as a champion for equal 
legal access to justice for all. His service will be held at the 
National Cathedral tomorrow.
  Tom Williamson began his career at the law firm Covington & Burling 
LLP in 1974, where he became a partner, focusing on employment law, 
complex litigation, and health and welfare law matters for state 
governments. As a student, Tom played varsity football at Harvard 
College and excelled academically. He went on to Oxford University, 
where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and then to the University of California 
at Berkeley School of Law. From the beginning of his career and for 
more than 40 years, Tom had a deep commitment to pro bono service and 
civil rights. His passion for equal justice was influenced by his 
experience as a child when his family integrated a white neighborhood 
in Piedmont, California and experiencing the racism that resulted.
  District residents are particularly grateful to Tom, who was an 
influential member of a team of attorneys representing the District in 
Adams v. Clinton, a case that sought voting rights for the District in 
the House and Senate. Throughout his years in successful private 
practice, Tom continuously provided legal service to those most in need 
of good lawyers--whether providing pro bono service to residents or 
leading the defense of the District's marriage equality law. Tom's 
career in law also included public service, where he served as the 
deputy inspector general at the U.S. Department of Energy and the 
solicitor of the U.S. Department of Labor.
  Mr. Speaker, as my thoughts are with Tom's wife, Shelly Brazier, and 
his family, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
extraordinary life of Thomas. S. Williamson, Jr.

                          ____________________