[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 78 (Thursday, May 7, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E420-E421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING JUDGE HERBERT E. PHIPPS
______
HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and pay tribute to Judge
Herbert E. Phipps--a distinguished jurist, devoted public servant,
proud Morehouse alumnus, as well as a beloved husband, father,
grandfather, and a dear friend whose life exemplifies courage, service,
and fidelity to the rule of law. The Dougherty County Bar Association
honored Judge Phipps during their annual Law Day Celebration on May 6,
2026, in Albany, Georgia.
Judge Phipps' journey began in a small rural community in Baker
County, Georgia, where family, faith, and hard work shaped his
character. From those roots he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political
Science from Morehouse College, a Juris Doctor from Case Western
Reserve University School of Law, where he served as an editor of the
Law Review, and a Master of Laws in the Judicial Process from the
University of Virginia School of Law.
After law school he returned to Southwest Georgia to join the
practice of the legendary civil-rights attorney C.B. King, learning
that the practice of law is a moral calling and that courage is an
indispensable trait for lawyers and judges. He practiced as a solo
practitioner from 1983 to 1995, served eight years as a part-time
magistrate and associate judge of the Dougherty County State Court,
seven years as judge of the Dougherty County Juvenile Court, and was
appointed by Governor Zell Miller to the Dougherty Circuit Superior
Court in 1995. In July 1999, Governor Roy Barnes appointed him to the
Court of Appeals of Georgia; he was elected statewide to three six-year
terms, served as a presiding judge beginning in 2010, and as chief
judge from July 2013 through June 2015. Judge Phipps retired from the
Court of Appeals in 2016.
Judge Phipps' leadership extends far beyond the bench. He has served
as past chairman of the Board of Directors of SB&T Bank of Albany and
Americus; on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Appleseed Center for
Law and Justice; as past president of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta and
the Dougherty Circuit Bar Association; and on Georgia's Judicial
Nominating Commission, the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Racial
and Ethnic Bias, and the Georgia Indigent Defense Council Advisory
Committee. He is a member of Bethel A.M.E. Church (Albany), Sigma Pi
Phi (Delta Delta Boule), The Inquiry Club, and the Old War Horse
Lawyers Club, and has led numerous civic organizations in Albany,
including the Albany Advocacy Resource Center and the Albany Sickle
Cell Foundation.
His service has been recognized with many honors: the Randolph
Thrower Lifetime Achievement Award, the Chief Justice Thomas O.
Marshall Professionalism Award, the Logan E. Bleckley Distinguished
Service Award, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association ``Guardian of
Justice Award,'' the Nestor Award from the Georgia Legal History
Foundation, the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service,
induction into the Society of Benchers of Case Western Reserve School
of Law, the Case Western Reserve University School of
[[Page E421]]
Law Centennial Medal, recognition as a Legal Legend by the Georgia
Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society, and an Honorary
Doctor of Laws from Atlanta's John Marshall Law School. His
commencement address at Case Western in 2007, ``Lawyers--the Guardians
of Truth and Justice,'' remains a testament to his faith in the
profession.
Sustained by a devoted family, Judge Phipps is married to Connie
Curry Phipps. They are the parents of Herbert E. Phipps, Jr. and India
K. Epps (and son-in-law Will J. Epps), and proud grandparents of Zoe
Olivia Epps and Evan James Epps.
This year, the Dougherty County Bar honored Judge Phipps on Law Day--
a fitting tribute from colleagues and neighbors who have witnessed his
decades of service. Judge Phipps has long called on lawyers and judges
to speak with courage on today's pressing social-justice issues,
drawing lessons from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights
Act of 1965, and the long struggle for equality. He reminds us that
judges do not have the luxury of silence when justice is at stake.
Judge Phipps has lived his life by the creed of former U.S. Supreme
Court Chief Justice Earl Warren: ``Where there is injustice, we should
correct it; where there is poverty, we should eliminate it; where there
is corruption, we should stamp it out; where there is violence, we
should punish it; where there is neglect, we should provide care; where
there is war, we should restore peace; and wherever corrections are
achieved, we should add them permanently to our storehouse of
treasures.''
On a personal note, I have had the privilege of knowing Judge Phipps
for over five decades. Our relationship began during my formative years
as a civil rights lawyer, where I received training as an Earl Warren
Fellow with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. I benefited from the
mentorship of both Judge Phipps and C.B. King. Through their guidance,
I learned the principles of justice, advocacy, and the unwavering
commitment required to fight for civil rights, which have profoundly
shaped my own career in public service. I am forever grateful for his
fidelity and friendship.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives
to join my wife Vivian and me, along with the more than 765,000 people
of Georgia's 2nd District in honoring the service of Judge Herbert E.
Phipps. Judge Phipps' life--from Baker County to Morehouse, from C.B.
King's law office to the Court of Appeals--inspires us all. For his
wisdom on the bench, his steadfast leadership in the community, the
warmth of his friendship, and the dignity with which he has served, I
ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Judge Herbert E. Phipps and
recognizing the extraordinary example he has set for future
generations. His enduring legacy is one of unwavering commitment to
justice, equality, and the empowerment of marginalized communities,
inspiring generations of legal practitioners and activists to carry on
the vital work of civil rights advocacy.
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