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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 14
BY SENATOR MORRELL AND REPRESENTATI VE BROSSETT
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend Chief Judge Joan Bernard Armstrong on her retirement from the Louisiana
State Court of Appeal Fourth Circuit and for thirty-seven years of dedicated service
to the judicial system in Louisiana.
WHEREAS, Chief Judge Joan Bernard Armstrong graduated from Xavier University
in 1963 and earned a Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law in 1967; and
WHEREAS, in 1974, she was elected to the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court without
opposition; and
WHEREAS, as a result of that election, Judge Armstrong became the first female and
the first African-American woman to serve as a judge in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, she served as the court's administrative judge from 1979 to 1981 and
served on the court until 1984; and
WHEREAS, in 1984, she was elected, once again, without opposition to the
Louisiana State Court of Appeal Fourth Circuit and became the first female appellate judge
in Louisiana as well as the first female judge to serve on that court; and
WHEREAS, in 2003, Judge Armstrong became the court's chief judge, whereby she
became the first female to serve as chief judge, and the first African-American to serve as
chief judge in the court's history; and
WHEREAS, Chief Judge Armstrong has received many honors during her years of
service to the legal profession, including the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement
recognition for Outstanding Service; Loyola University College of Law, A. P. Tureaud
Achievement Award; the New Orleans Hornets Black History Legacy Award; the National
Bar Association-Women Lawyers Distinguished Jurist Award by the Louisiana Judicial
Council; the Louisiana Martinet Legal Society, Ernest Morial Judicial Pace-Setter Award;
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Rosa Parks Award; One Hundred Outstanding
Women Leaders honored by President and Mrs. Carter at a White House reception; the SCR NO. 14 ENROLLED
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American Bar Association Women Lawyers Award for Outstanding Contribution to the
Legal Profession; the New Orleans NAACP Outstanding Community Service Award; the
Children's Bureau Clay Award for Outstanding Service; and the Exemplary Service Award
by the Louisiana League of Good Government; and
WHEREAS, during the 2010 National Bar Association's Annual Convention, Chief
Judge Armstrong was presented the Jurist of the Year Award by the Women's Lawyers
Division of the National Bar Association; and
WHEREAS, she was also presented the 2010 William H. Hastie Award by the
Judicial Council of the National Bar Association at their 39
th
Annual Meeting, which was
attended by jurists from around the United States and is the highest award given by the
Judicial Council; and
WHEREAS, Chief Judge Joan Bernard Armstrong merits recognition for her many
accomplishments during the course of her highly effective career and for the deep sense of
pride she has brought to all who have worked with her and whose lives she has touched with
her extraordinary honesty and integrity.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend and congratulate Chief Judge Joan Bernard Armstrong on the occasion of her
retirement, and for her tireless dedication to improving the administration of justice in
Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Chief
Judge Joan Bernard Armstrong.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES