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Regular Session, 2012
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 174
BY SENATORS PETERSON, MURRAY, MORRELL, DORSEY-COLOMB, BROWN,
BROOME, GALLOT, WARD, GARY SMITH, LAFLEUR, AMEDEE,
HEITMEIER, TARVER AND GUILLORY
COMMENDATIONS. To commend Justice Bernette J. 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 man.
A RESOLUTION1
To commend Justice Bernette J. Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme Court on her ascension2
in the legal field and for her outstanding contributions to both the legal field and her3
fellow man.4
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson attended Spellman College in Atlanta, Georgia, on an5
academic scholarship, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree; and received an6
Honorary Doctorate in Law from Spellman College at commencement services in April,7
2001; and 8
WHEREAS, she was one of the first African American women to attend the Law9
School at Louisiana State University ("LSU"), where she received her Juris Doctorate degree10
in 1969; and11
WHEREAS, while a law student at LSU, Justice Johnson worked summers for the12
Legal Defense Fund ("LDF") and as a law intern with the U.S. Department of Justice (Civil13
Rights Division) in Washington, D.C., on cases filed by the department to implement the14
1964 Civil Rights Act primarily dealing with discrimination in public accommodations; and15
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson also served as a federal observer during elections in16
Greenwood, Mississippi; and17
WHEREAS, after receiving her Juris Doctorate Degree from Louisiana State18 SR NO. 174
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University Law School, Justice Johnson became the managing attorney with the New1
Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, where she delivered legal services to over three2
thousand clients in socio-economically deprived neighborhoods; and3
WHEREAS, prior to her election to the bench, Justice Johnson spent much of her4
legal career working in the public sector including time as a legal services attorney, a Deputy5
City Attorney for the city of New Orleans, and as a law intern with the U.S. Justice6
Department, Civil Rights Division; and7
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson also worked as a community organizer with the8
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City and with community9
groups in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and10
Louisiana, disseminating information about recent school desegregation decisions, and11
encouraging parents to take advantage of newly desegregated schools; and12
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson also helped to organize household workers, so they13
would receive social security benefits and a minimum wage; and14
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson's judicial career began in 1984, when she was elected15
to the Civil District Court of New Orleans, and was the first woman to hold that office, and16
was re-elected, without opposition, in 1990 and was elected Chief Judge by her colleagues17
in 1994; and18
WHEREAS, as a civil trial judge, she was first assigned to Domestic Relations Court,19
where she established a system to refer custody, alimony, and child support issues to20
mediation conducted by certified social workers of the Children's Bureau and Family21
Services, prior to court appearances and provided that such medication be provided to needy22
families based on a sliding scale system for payment of fees; and23
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson was elected to serve on the Louisiana Supreme Court24
in 1994, and was re-elected, without opposition, in 2000; and25
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson serves on the Louisiana Supreme Court's Judicial26
Council, has served on the Court's Legal Services Task Force, has served on the National27
Campaign on Best Practices in the area of Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Court, and has28
worked closely with the Court's Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Committee and the29
Committee on Bar Admissions; and30 SR NO. 174
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WHEREAS, Justice Johnson provided extraordinary leadership to the Louisiana1
Judiciary in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by facilitating the efforts to restore the2
operations of all courts in the New Orleans area; and3
WHEREAS, during her tenure on the Louisiana Supreme Court, Justice Johnson4
diversified the Committee on Bar Admissions by increasing minority participation and5
leadership on that committee; and6
WHEREAS, when Chief Justice Kimball suffered a stroke in January, 2010, Justice7
Johnson, as Deputy Chief Justice and the court's second most senior Justice, assumed the8
leadership of the court including serving as chair of the court's conferences and presiding9
over oral argument before the court; and10
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson continued in this leadership role as acting Chief Justice11
until Chief Justice Kimball's health allowed her to return to the court; and12
WHEREAS, upon Justice Kimball's retirement in January, 2013, Justice Johnson will13
be the judge oldest in point of service on the Supreme Court and will therefore ascend to the14
position of Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court -- a natural ascension given the15
trajectory of her service to the public, the judiciary, and the Louisiana Supreme Court; and16
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson will become the first African American Chief Justice17
of the Louisiana Supreme Court and is currently the court's appointee to the Louisiana Law18
Institute; and19
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson organized the first Continuing Legal Education (CLE)20
program for the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, was chair of the CLE Committee and was21
given the Martinet's President Award in1997 and 2008; and22
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson is active in prison outreach, beginning with hosting a23
group visit to the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (St. Gabriel Women's Prison)24
in 2008 where the goal of the visit was to learn more about rehabilitation programs already25
in place and to offer help and resources in sustaining and improving such programs.26
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson is currently spearheading prison re-entry initiatives at27
St. Gabriel Women's Prison and has created an outreach program to help women inmates28
who are within a year of release with re-entry priorities; and29
WHEREAS, the outreach program assists the women with obtaining housing, job30 SR NO. 174
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readiness, employment, and obtaining other necessary services and benefits to insure against1
recidivism; and2
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson is a Fleur De Lis member of the New Orleans Bar3
Association, is active with several committees of the Louisiana State Bar Association4
(LSBA), and was presented with the LSBA President's award in 2005 for her work as co-5
chair of the Diversity Committee; and6
WHEREAS, in 1998, she chaired the National Bar Association Judicial Council,7
where she also served a term as secretary and is currently a member of the A.P. Tureaud Inn8
of Court, the Louisiana State Law Institute; the National Association of Women Judges,9
serving as a district director, and is now active with the Women in Prison Project; and10
WHEREAS, in 1996, Justice Johnson's portrait was unveiled as she was inducted into11
the LSU Law Center Hall of Fame; and12
WHEREAS, during her tenure as judge, Justice Johnson has been the recipient of13
numerous awards including the 2008 Distinguished Jurist Award presented by the Louisiana14
Bar Foundation, the Louisiana Bar Association President's Award for Exceptional Service15
as co-chair of the Task Force on Diversity in the Profession, the Louis A. Martinet Legal16
Society President's Award in 1997 and 2008, the National Nobel Woman Award presented17
by the Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women, and the Judicial Public Service18
Award presented by the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine of North and19
South America; and20
WHEREAS, in addition other awards include: the 2000 Medal of Honor presented21
by the Mayor of the City of New Orleans; the 2000 Women of Wonder Award presented by22
the National Council of Negro Women; the first Ernest N. Morial Award presented by the23
New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation; the A.P. Tureaud Citizenship Award presented24
by the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP; the 1999 Martin Luther King Jr. Torch25
Bearer Award; the 1998 Outstanding Community Service Award presented by the Imperial26
Court Daughters of Isis; the 1998 Outstanding Service Award presented by the International27
Law Section of the National Bar Association; and the 1992 Role Model Award presented by28
the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Greater New Orleans; and29
WHEREAS, Justice Johnson is the proud parent of two industrious and conscientious30 SR NO. 174
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adult children: a son, David, an accountant, who lives in Atlanta with his family; and a1
daughter, Rachael, who is an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida and Louisiana.2
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana3
does hereby commend Justice Bernette J. Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme Court on her4
ascension in the legal field and for her outstanding contributions to both the legal field and5
her fellow man, and extends to her best wishes for continued success and happiness in all6
future endeavors.7
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by James Benton.
DIGEST
Peterson SR No.
Commends Justice Bernette J. 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
man.