[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 180 (Wednesday, November 14, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                  IN RECOGNITION OF MICHAEL B. TRISTER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 14, 2018

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of civil 
rights attorney Michael B. Trister, who passed away on October 20, 
2018. As family, friends and colleagues mourn the loss of a loving 
family man, a steward of justice, and a voice for the underrepresented, 
I ask my fellow members of Congress to join me in honoring Mike for his 
unwavering commitment to defending civil rights and his rich legacy as 
a lawyer, advocate, teacher, husband, father and grandfather.
  Mike's legal career was marked by profound dedication to serving 
those in need. His first job out of law school was teaching and 
developing a legal services program at the University of Mississippi 
School of Law in the 1960's. There, his work serving the poor and 
marginalized drew the ire of the state's political hierarchy. When the 
University terminated its relationship with the program and told Mike 
he could not both continue to teach and work in the program, he sued in 
federal court--in Trister v. University of Mississippi--and won the 
right to do so.
  Upon his reinstatement, and as part of his groundbreaking legal 
practice as the first Executive Director of North Mississippi Rural 
Legal Services (NMRLS), he focused on advancing the civil and economic 
rights of African Americans--in the process, contributing greatly to 
the transformation of poverty law practice in the state. In addition to 
overseeing school desegregation cases, Mike represented NMRLS lawyers 
targeted by local law enforcement and defended African American student 
protesters at the University who were facing both criminal prosecution 
and calls for expulsion.
  In 1970, Mike moved to Washington, D.C., to work at the Children's 
Defense Fund, eventually serving as Vice President and General Counsel. 
He later co-founded the firm currently known as Trister, Ross, Schadler 
& Gold, PLLC. Over thirty years, he worked with a multitude of clients, 
providing counsel to progressive labor, advocacy, charitable, and 
political organizations. Mike's practice, at its core, focused on 
supporting social, economic, and political movements. Beyond his law 
practice, he also sought to improve the legal profession through 
teaching and community engagement. Among other things, Mike served as 
the Chair of the DC Bar Legal Ethics Committee and the DC Bar Rules of 
Professional Conduct Review Committee. He has been honored for his 
lifetime of advocacy, and for his many contributions to the profession.
  Mr. Speaker, as Mike's wife Nancy Duff Campbell, son Noah Trister, 
daughter Karen Trister Grace, son-in-law Peter Grace, and grandchildren 
Jeremy and Mara Grace celebrate his lifetime of achievements and his 
devotion to his family, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring 
Mike's dedication to advancing civil rights and progressive causes, 
which began during an era that sorely needed courageous voices.

                          ____________________