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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 162
BY REPRESENTATIVE LEGER
A RESOLUTION
To commend Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme Court for her
outstanding accomplishments.
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend Justice Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme
Court on her ascension in the legal field and for her outstanding contributions to both the
legal field and her fellow citizens; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson earned her bachelor of arts degree from Spelman
College, was the first woman to attend Louisiana State University Law School, and was
awarded an honorary doctorate in law from Spelman College; and
WHEREAS, while a law student at LSU, Justice Johnson worked summers for the
Legal Defense Fund and as a law intern with the United States Department of Justice's Civil
Rights Division in Washington, D.C., where she worked on cases filed by the department
to implement the 1964 Civil Rights Act; she also served as a Federal Observer during
elections in Greenwood, Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, after receiving her juris doctorate, Justice Johnson became the
managing attorney with the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, where she delivered
legal services to more than three thousand clients in socioeconomically deprived
neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, prior to her election to the bench, Justice Johnson spent much of her
legal career working in the public sector as a legal services attorney and deputy city attorney
for the city of New Orleans, in addition to working as a community organizer with the
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City, with community groups
across the South, disseminating information about recent school desegregation decisions and
encouraging parents to take advantage of newly desegregated schools, and helping organize
household workers so they could receive social security benefits and a minimum wage; and ENROLLEDHR NO. 162
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WHEREAS, Justice Johnson's judicial career began in 1984, when she became the
first woman elected to the Civil District Court of New Orleans, a position to which she was
re-elected in 1990 before being elected Chief Judge by her colleagues in 1994; as a civil trial
judge, she was first assigned to Domestic Relations Court, where she established a system
to refer custody, alimony, and child support cases to mediation prior to court appearances
at a reduced cost to needy families, and had the system administered by certified social
workers of the Children's Bureau and Family Services; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson was elected to serve on the Louisiana Supreme Court
in 1994, and was re-elected without opposition in 2000; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson serves on the Louisiana Supreme Court's Judicial
Council, has served on the Supreme Court's Legal Services Task Force, and has worked
closely with the Supreme Court's Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Committee and
the Committee on Bar Admissions, in addition to having served on the National Campaign
on Best Practices in the area of Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Court; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson provided extraordinary leadership to the Louisiana
Judiciary in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by facilitating the efforts to restore the
operations of all courts in the New Orleans area; and
WHEREAS, during her tenure on the Louisiana Supreme Court, Justice Johnson has
diversified the Committee on Bar Admissions by increasing minority participation and
leadership on that committee; and
WHEREAS, when Chief Justice Catherine D. Kimball suffered a stroke in January
2010, Justice Johnson assumed leadership of the court, chairing the court's conferences and
presiding over oral argument before the court until Chief Justice Kimball could return; and
WHEREAS, upon Chief Justice Kimball's retirement in January 2013, Justice
Johnson will become the judge oldest in point of service on the Supreme Court and will
therefore ascend to the position of Chief Justice, a natural ascension given the trajectory of
her service to the public, the judiciary, and the Louisiana Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson will become the first African American Chief Justice
of the Louisiana Supreme Court; and ENROLLEDHR NO. 162
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WHEREAS, Justice Johnson organized the first Continuing Legal Education program
for the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society and was Chair of the Continuing Legal Education
Committee; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson is active in prison outreach and has created an outreach
program to help women inmates who are within a year of release with re-entry priorities in
the effort to prevent recidivism; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson is a Fleur De Lis member of the New Orleans Bar
Association and is active with several committees of the Louisiana State Bar Association;
she was presented with the Louisiana State Bar Association President's award in 2005 for
her work as cochair of the Diversity Committee; and
WHEREAS, in 1998, she chaired the National Bar Association Judicial Council,
where she also served a term as Secretary; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson is currently a member of the A.P. Tureaud Inn of Court,
the National Association of Women Judges, and the Louisiana State Law Institute, where
she currently serves as the Supreme Court's appointee; and
WHEREAS, in 1996, Justice Johnson's portrait was unveiled, and she was inducted
into the LSU Law Center Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, during her tenure as judge, Justice Johnson has been the recipient of
numerous awards, including the 2008 Distinguished Jurist Award presented by the Louisiana
Bar Foundation, the 1997 and 2008 Louis A. Martinet Legal Society President's Award, the
2005 National Nobel Woman Award presented by the Organization of Black Elected
Legislative Women, the Judicial Public Service Award presented by the Ancient Egyptian
Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine of North and South America, the 2000 Medal of Honor
presented by the Mayor of the city of New Orleans, the 2000 Women of Wonder Award
presented by the National Council of Negro Women, the first Ernest N. Morial Award
presented by the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, the A.P. Tureaud Citizenship
Award presented by the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP, the 1999 Martin Luther
King, Jr. Torch Bearer Award, the 1998 Outstanding Community Service Award presented
by the Imperial Court Daughters of Isis, and the 1998 Outstanding Service Award presented
by the International Law Section of the National Bar Association; and ENROLLEDHR NO. 162
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WHEREAS, Justice Johnson is the proud parent of two industrious and conscientious
adult children, David, an accountant, who lives in Atlanta with his family, and Rachael, who
is an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida and Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson merits a special measure of commendation for the
tremendous pride and honor that she brings to the state of Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson of the
Louisiana Supreme Court on her ascension in the legal field and for her outstanding
contributions to both the legal field and her fellow citizens and does hereby extend to her
best wishes for continued success and happiness in all of her future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES