[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 207 (Friday, December 15, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING JUDGE LATRICE A. WESTBROOKS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 15, 2023

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
tenacious and selfless leader, Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks. She has 
shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to 
make a difference.
  Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks of Lexington 
was recently honored by Austin Peay State University as one of its 
Outstanding Alumna. She was honored at the Distinguished Alumni Awards 
Lunch on Oct. 28 on the Clarksville, Tennessee campus.
  Judge Westbrooks, who was born in Memphis, earned a bachelor of 
science degree from Austin Peay State University in 1994. She earned 
her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit Mercy Law 
School. In October 1997, shortly after graduating from law school, 
Judge Westbrooks became the first African-American woman Assistant 
District Attorney in the Second Circuit Court District on the 
Mississippi Gulf Coast. She joined the Jackson law firm of Byrd and 
Associates in 2000, then opened her own law practice in 2001, 
representing clients in both criminal and civil matters.
  Judge Westbrooks then served as prosecutor for the city of Durant and 
as city attorney for the town of Isola. For almost 10 years, she served 
as a public defender in Holmes County. She hosted a radio program ``Ask 
Latrice The Lawyer'' on WMPR 90.1 from 2010 through 2012. She created 
and produced the show to inform the public about the criminal justice 
system and encourage civic engagement. In 2013, she became interim 
communications director for Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, then joined 
the Jackson City Attorney's Office as legal counsel for the Jackson 
Police Department.
  Judge Westbrooks returned to private law practice in 2014. She was 
then appointed Municipal Judge for the city of Lexington in 2015 and 
served until she was elected to the Court of Appeals in November 2016. 
In January of 2017, Judge Westbrooks took office on the Court of 
Appeals. She was named as Outstanding Woman Lawyer of 2017 by the 
Mississippi Women Lawyers' Association. Judge Westbrooks was also 
inducted as a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation in 2022.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Judge 
Latrice A. Westbrooks for upholding justice and fighting for the 
constituents in the State of Mississippi.