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“REMEMBERING MEMPHIS LAWYER JAMES S. GILLILAND” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E219 on Feb. 26, 2020.
The Department is primarily focused on food nutrition, with assistance programs making up 80 percent of its budget. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department implements too many regulations and restrictions and impedes the economy.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
REMEMBERING MEMPHIS LAWYER JAMES S. GILLILAND
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HON. STEVE COHEN
of tennessee
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Memphis lawyer, public citizen and community leader James S. Gilliland, who passed away Monday at 86. Jim was one of the great lawyers of Memphis with a sterling national reputation, having received every award for his phenomenal professionalism and active role in community affairs throughout his career. That included the 2018 ``Pillars of Excellence'' Award from the University of Memphis School of Law. Well respected in his hometown, Jim's service in Washington, as general counsel to the Department of Agriculture during the Clinton Administration, added to his prestige.
Jim was born in Memphis and graduated from my alma mater, Vanderbilt University, and its law school, being named the Most Outstanding of the Law Class of 1957. After passing the bar, he served as a full-time prosecutor in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific and Far East, after which he returned home to join the then seven-lawyer firm now known as Glankler Brown PLLC. He became a partner and remained with the firm for 30 years. By 1964, he had met and married Lucia Flowers and the couple had three fine children--Katherine, Elizabeth and James Jr.--who continue to reflect their parents' spirit of community involvement.
Jim's civic commitment was seen in his service chairing the Liberty Bowl, the Memphis Cotton Carnival, the Memphis Arts Council and LeMoyne-Owen College boards of directors. Jim also oversaw the Memphis Mayoral Transition Team for our city's first African American Mayor, Willie Herenton. He received the Memphis Bar's Sam A. Myar, Jr. Award as the most outstanding young lawyer in 1972. In 1995, baseball champion Hank Aaron presented him with the United Negro College Fund's
``Beacon of Hope'' Award for his work supporting minority education. He was a close friend and counsel to Al Gore throughout his political career.
In 1993, President Clinton nominated Jim for the general counsel post at the Department of Agriculture and he was confirmed by the Senate. There he managed a legal staff of 200 lawyers in 23 regional offices around the country, dealing with the legal issues involved in agricultural production, international trade, food policy, the interests of the forestry industry and rural small towns.
Returning to Memphis after his federal service, Jim became involved in local and national boards, including serving as chair of the American Battlefield Trust, the private partner of the National Park Service focused on preserving American battlefields. Jim was always supportive of me and other public servants and he and Lucia helped make Memphis a more tolerant and inclusive community.
I extend my heartfelt condolences to Lucia, his wife of 55 years, and his children, his grandchildren, his colleagues and his many friends. His was a life well-lived.
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