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“RECOGNIZING BERNETTE JOHNSON” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the in the Senate section section on page S8577 on Dec. 31, 2012.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING BERNETTE JOHNSON
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a trailblazer and role model: Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernette J. Johnson. On February 1, 2013, Justice Johnson will become Louisiana's first African-American Chief Justice and only the second female jurist in Louisiana history to hold that office. It is fitting that the first woman elected to the Civil District Court of New Orleans--a woman who has devoted so much of her life to working as an advocate for social justice, civil rights and community organizing--would achieve this historic milestone.
Justice Johnson's commitment to civil rights began in the 1960s, when she began working as a community organizer with the NAACP Legal Defense
& Educational Fund. She worked with community groups in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Louisiana, disseminating information about recent school desegregation decisions and encouraging parents to take advantage of newly desegregated schools. Justice Johnson brings a unique perspective to the bench that is informed by principles of justice and equity.
An alumnus of Spelman College in Atlanta, Justice Johnson received her Juris Doctor Degree at the Law School at Louisiana State University, where her portrait now hangs in the Law Center's Hall of Fame. While in law school, she worked at the U.S. Department of Justice examining cases filed by the Department to implement the 1964 Civil Rights Act. These cases primarily concerned discrimination in public accommodations. Following law school, Justice Johnson became the managing attorney with the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, where she provided legal services to over 3,000 clients in socio-
economically deprived neighborhoods.
Justice Johnson worked in the Federal and State District Courts advancing the rights of the poor, the elderly, and the disenfranchised, and in the Juvenile Court advancing the rights of children. In 1981, she joined the City Attorney's staff, and later became a Deputy City Attorney for the City of New Orleans. There, she attained extensive trial experience in the Civil District Court and U.S. District Court defending police brutality claims and general tort claims filed against the City of New Orleans. Her experience fighting to protect the rights of the under privileged undoubtedly prepared her for service on the bench.
Justice Johnson began her judicial career in 1984 as the first woman elected to serve on the Civil District Court of New Orleans. There, she took the initiative to establish a system to refer custody, alimony, and child support issues to mediation conducted by certified social workers of the Children's Bureau and Family Services, prior to court appearances. She was elected to the Supreme Court in 1994 and re-
elected in 2000. She serves on the Louisiana Supreme Court's Judicial Council, and has served on the Court's Legal Services Task Force, as well as the National Campaign on Best Practices in the area of Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts.
This is a truly a moment to be remembered, not just for the people of Louisiana, but for Americans all across the country. From advocating with the NAACP, to helping implement the 1964 Civil Rights Act, to becoming Louisiana's first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as she has now, Bernette Johnson's life and career is a testament to the spirit of the civil rights movement and the countless Americans who fought tirelessly to open the doors of equality. I congratulate Justice Bernette J. Johnson on a stellar legal and judicial career and thank her for her fighting spirit, commitment to equality, and deep respect for the dignity of all citizens. I have no doubt that she will continue to serve the people of Louisiana well.
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