[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 3468-3469]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




PAYING TRIBUTE TO JUSTICE BRENT DICKSON FOR HIS 30 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING 
                  SERVICE ON THE INDIANA SUPREME COURT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2016

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Indiana 
Supreme Court Justice Brent E. Dickson on the occasion of his 
retirement. Justice Dickson was appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court 
in 1986, served as Chief Justice for two years, and is the second 
longest-serving justice in the history of the Indiana Supreme Court. 
The people of Indiana's Fifth Congressional District are forever 
grateful for Justice Dickson's contributions to the Hoosier community 
and it is my privilege to honor him today.
  A lifelong Hoosier, Justice Dickson was born in Gary, Indiana, 
attended the public schools of Hobart, Indiana, and received his 
Bachelor's degree from Purdue University in 1964. He later attended 
Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law, of which I am 
also a proud alumna. Justice Dickson worked full-time as an insurance 
claims adjuster during law school and took classes at night. He 
received his Juris Doctorate in 1968.
  Prior to his time on the Indiana Supreme Court, he worked as a 
general practice lawyer in Lafayette, Indiana for seventeen years. In 
addition to private practice, Justice Dickson dedicated himself to 
serving others as an educator and a mediator. Upon graduating from law 
school, Justice Dickson worked as an adjunct professor at both of 
Indiana University's law schools--the Maurer School of Law in 
Bloomington and the Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. 
He taught evening classes specializing in Indiana Constitutional Law.
  Justice Dickson became the Indiana Supreme Court's 100th justice when 
he was appointed to the court in January of 1986 by then-Governor 
Robert Orr. During his tenure on the Indiana Supreme Court, Justice 
Dickson has served with 12 other justices. He served as chairman of 
multiple committees throughout the years and served as Chief Justice to 
the Indiana Supreme Court from May 15, 2012 to August 18, 2014.

[[Page 3469]]

  In total, Justice Dickson wrote 884 opinions in civil and criminal 
cases, many of them precedent-setting opinions. He authored opinions 
that led to major reforms of Indiana's property tax system and upheld 
the state's school voucher program. Among the significant contributions 
he is most known for was the court's adoption of a rule that kept 
police interrogations of suspects from being presented in court unless 
they were recorded. He also is known for his efforts to encourage 
civility among attorneys and increase legal services for Hoosiers who 
can't afford them.
  During his time on the bench he also co-founded the Sagamore Chapter 
of the American Inns of Court, was elected to be a member of the 
American Law Institute, and continues to be an active participant in a 
host of local, state, and national judicial and legal organizations.
  Throughout his career, Justice Dickson served Indiana with commitment 
and honor. His decades of hard work and public service did not go 
unnoticed; he received the Indiana State Bar Association's Litigation 
Section Civility Award in 2015 and the Indianapolis Bar Association's 
Silver Gavel Award in 2014. He's also an accomplished legal writer, 
having published several articles during his judicial career on 
constitutional law, capital punishment, and a variety of other issues 
in the justice system.
  Anyone who knows Justice Dickson knows that his partner in life, his 
wife Jan, has been an integral part of his success. As founder of the 
Judicial Family Institute, Jan is a nationally recognized leader in the 
judicial world. The two of them are passionate about their work with 
the Institute, which is a national organization dedicated to providing 
information on topics of concern and importance to the families of 
judges. They work as a team and Jan is an equal partner in her 
husband's long and illustrious career.
  Justice Dickson is a truly wonderful example of public service and 
has left a profound and lasting impact on the court. Though I am sad to 
see Justice Dickson retire from the court, I am happy to know he will 
continue his work as a mediator and have more time to focus on one of 
his favorite hobbies, playing the piano. On behalf of all Hoosiers, I'd 
like to congratulate Justice Dickson on his success and wish him, his 
wife Jan, and his entire family the best as he enjoys a well-deserved 
retirement.

                          ____________________