ENROLLED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 16
BY REPRESENTATIVE SCHEXNAYDER AND SENATORS ABRAHAM, ALLAIN,
BERNARD, CARTER, CATHEY, CLOUD, CONNICK, CORTEZ, FESI, FIELDS,
FOIL, HENSGENS, HEWITT, JOHNS, LAMBERT, LUNEAU, MCMATH,
MILLIGAN, ROBERT MILLS, MIZELL, MORRIS, PEACOCK, POPE, REESE,
TALBOT, TARVER, WARD, WHITE, AND WOMACK
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commend Madame Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme
Court on the occasion of her retirement from the court.
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson is the Louisiana Supreme Court's
twenty-fifth Chief Justice, its second female Chief Justice, and its first African-American
Chief Justice; and
WHEREAS, Bernette Johnson was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana; she attended
Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and received a bachelor of arts degree in political
science in 1964; after graduating from Spelman College, she became one of the first African-
American women to study law at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State
University in Baton Rouge, where she received her juris doctorate degree in 1969; and
WHEREAS, upon completion of her law school studies, she took a position as the
managing attorney with the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation and provided legal
services to more than three thousand individuals in economically deprived neighborhoods;
she also served as a civil litigator in the federal and state district courts and juvenile courts,
working to advance the rights of children, the poor, the elderly, and the disenfranchised; and
WHEREAS, in 1981, she joined the New Orleans city attorney's staff and later
became a deputy city attorney for New Orleans; during this time, she gained significant trial
experience in the Civil District Court and U.S. District Court defending the city against
claims of police brutality and general tort claims; she also served as a supervisor for
litigations and appeals involving agencies of the city of New Orleans; and
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WHEREAS, Chief Justice Johnson's judicial career began in 1984, after she became
the first woman elected to the Civil District Court of New Orleans; in 1990, she was
reelected to her office after running unopposed, and in 1994, her colleagues elected her to
the position of chief judge; also in 1994, she was first elected to the Louisiana Supreme
Court and was reelected without opposition in 2000 and 2010; she was sworn in as chief
justice in 2013; and
WHEREAS, as a civil trial judge, Bernette Johnson was first assigned to the
Domestic Relations Court, where she established 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; and
WHEREAS, as a supreme court justice, Chief Justice Johnson served on the
Louisiana Supreme Court's Judicial Council, the Louisiana Supreme Court's Legal Services
Task Force, and the National Campaign on Best Practices in the area of Racial and Ethnic
Fairness in the Courts; she has worked closely with the Louisiana Supreme Court's
Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Committee on Bar Admissions,
and she was the Supreme Court's appointee to the Louisiana State Law Institute; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Johnson has received countless awards including the
prestigious Joan Dempsey Klein Award from the National Association of Women Judges
and the Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association's Commission on
Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, and she was inducted into the National Bar
Association's Hall of Fame and received the association's Distinguished Civil Rights
Advocate Award; and
WHEREAS, Madame Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson has worked as an
advocate for social justice, civil rights, and community organizing throughout her career, and
her truly incredible career is most deserving of the highest praise and recognition.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend Madame Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson on her retirement from the
Louisiana Supreme Court; does hereby express genuine appreciation for her tireless pursuit
of social justice and equality; does hereby recognize her illustrious career and numerous
accomplishments; and does hereby extend sincere hopes and wishes for her continued good
health and prosperity as she enters into her retirement.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Madame Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson and the Louisiana Supreme Court.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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