[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Remembering Laurie Smith Camp

  Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, less than 2 weeks ago, this country lost 
one of its most brilliant legal minds--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her 
passing has left a void that can be felt all across our Nation from 
Nebraska to Washington.
  Sadly, Nebraska recently lost another great jurist--Judge Laurie 
Smith Camp. Judge Smith Camp was the first woman to serve my State as a 
Federal judge, a position she had held since 2001. This body voted 100 
to 0 to confirm her just 6 weeks after President George W. Bush 
nominated her. That doesn't happen very often anymore, and her 
unanimous approval was a testament to her incredible talent.
  Judge Smith Camp grew up in Omaha, but she left Nebraska to attend 
college at Stanford University. She graduated with distinction. And I 
am glad to say that she came back home to attend the University of 
Nebraska Law School where she distinguished herself again as editor-in-
chief of the Nebraska Law Review.
  Before becoming a Federal judge, she served her State through a 
series of jobs that spanned the legal profession. She began her career 
in private practice but soon moved on to become general counsel for the 
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, the head of the Nebraska 
attorney general's civil rights section, and then the chief deputy 
attorney general for criminal matters for the Nebraska attorney 
general. These wide-ranging experiences were part of what made her an 
exceptional Federal judge.
  Another part was her love for the law and the compassion that flowed 
from it. She was well known for her dedication to equal treatment for 
all, regardless of background, and for a sentencing philosophy that 
preferred rehabilitation to punishment.
  She also understood that success isn't just about achieving your 
professional goals. She was profoundly generous with her time and, when 
she wasn't leading Nebraska's district court, she could be found 
promoting women's participation in the legal profession or mentoring 
young Nebraska attorneys. This was in addition to recently being 
elected president of the Omaha Bar Association--a job that she had held 
since June.
  Laurie was also my friend. She spoke at an event I held in 2016 
called Bridging the Gap, which aims to encourage women to engage in 
their communities at the local, State, and Federal level. I am lucky to 
have known her personally and to have seen up close the wise advice and 
the quick wit that made her famous among her colleagues and those she 
mentored.
  Through her example, she inspired a generation of young women in 
Nebraska and beyond to pursue careers as attorneys, advocates, and 
community leaders, just as Justice Ginsburg did. Both of these 
extraordinary women blazed a trail that today's young women and girls 
can follow. I join with both their families in mourning their passing 
and celebrating their lives.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered