[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 2, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1077-E1078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING TEXAS JUDGE EMILY MISKEL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. VAN TAYLOR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 2, 2020

  Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Texas Judge 
Emily Miskel, the recipient of the 2020 William H. Renquist Award for 
Judicial Excellence, widely recognized as the highest honor bestowed to 
a state court judge by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).
  As the Judge for the 470th District Court in Collin County, Judge 
Miskel is lauded for rising to meet the challenges posed during the 
pandemic by leading the first-ever remote hearing and jury trial in the 
United States. Judge Miskel, a respected authority on legal technology, 
not only took leadership in utilizing remote resources in the courts, 
but also went on to train many of Texas' judges. As a result, more than 
175,000 virtual hearings have now taken place, allowing for continued 
access to fundamental services guaranteed by our Constitution.
  Judge Miskel earned a mechanical engineering degree from Stanford 
University and

[[Page E1078]]

her law degree from Harvard Law School. As a valuable member of the 
Computer & Technology Section Council of the State Bar of Texas and the 
Texas Judicial Council, Judge Miskel is a board certified family lawyer 
and will soon earn her certification in child welfare law.
  Now as Judge Miskel is honored by the National Center for State 
Courts for demonstrating the outstanding qualities of judicial 
excellence--integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, 
professional ethics, creativity, sound judgement, intellectual courage, 
and decisiveness, I encourage my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to join me in celebrating her many achievements in the 
area of judicial excellence and leadership.

                          ____________________