2023 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 59
BY SENATOR DUPLESSIS
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commend and congratulate, Louisiana Supreme Court's 25th Chief Justice, retired Chief
Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson on the occasion of her eightieth birthday and for a
distinguished trail-blazing legal career in service to Louisiana.
WHEREAS, Bernette J. Johnson was born June 17, 1943, in Donaldsonville,
Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, when the family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, Bernette attended
segregated public schools and graduated valedictorian of her class in 1960 from Walter L.
Cohen Senior High School; and
WHEREAS, she attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, on an academic
scholarship, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964 and eventually an Honorary
Doctorate in Law in 2001 from Spelman College; and
WHEREAS, she was one of the first two African-American women to graduate from
the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University (LSU), receiving her Juris
Doctorate degree in 1969; she was inducted into the LSU Law Center's Hall of Fame in 1996
when her portrait was unveiled, and eventually named an Honorary Inductee into the LSU
Order of the Coif; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Johnson has worked as an advocate for social justice, civil
rights, fairness, equity, for providing legal assistance to the poor, and served as a community
organizer for most of her life; and
WHEREAS, after receiving her Juris Doctorate degree, Chief Justice Johnson spent
much of her legal career working in the public sector: she served as a managing attorney
with the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation; a Deputy City Attorney for the city of
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New Orleans; a law intern with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Justice
Department in Washington, D.C.; and as a community organizer with the NAACP Legal
Defense and Educational Fund in New York City; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Johnson's trail-blazing judicial career began in 1984, when
she was elected to the Orleans Parish Civil District Court, becoming the first woman to hold
that position, and in 1994 upon achieving seniority, gained the position of chief judge of that
court; and
WHEREAS, as a civil trial judge, Justice Johnson was first assigned to the Domestic
Relations Court, where she established a system to refer alimony, child support issues, and
custody to mediation prior to court appearances and provided that such mediation be
available to needy families based on a sliding scale system for payment of fees; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Johnson's next trail-blazing judicial move occurred when
she was elected to serve on the Louisiana Supreme Court in 1994 as an associate justice and
in 2013 was sworn in as Chief Justice for the court, becoming the first African-American
woman to serve as both an associate justice and chief justice on the Louisiana Supreme
Court; and
WHEREAS, she served on the Louisiana Supreme Court's Judicial Council; the
Court's Legal Services Task Force; worked with the National Campaign on Best Practices
in the area of Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Court, worked closely with the Court's
Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Committee, and the Committee on Bar Admissions;
she also championed many successful initiatives: including the training and certification of
the Limited English Proficiency Interpreters in the courts, and the implementation of an
electronic filing system for the Louisiana Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of her judicial acumen, she received the prestigious Joan
Dempsey Klein Award (2013) and the Lady Justice Award (2020) from the National
Association of Women Judges; the 2010 Spirit of Excellence Award from the Commission
on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession from the American Bar Association; she
was inducted into the National Bar Association's Hall of Fame in 2010; and the Louisiana
State Bar Association Board of Governors unanimously voted to combine the Trailblazer and
Human Rights Awards into the aptly named, "Louisiana State Bar Association Chief Justice
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Bernette Joshua Johnson Trailblazer Award" in 2016; and
WHEREAS, she received the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus Foundation
"2013 Women of Excellence Award" which recognizes and honors extraordinary women of
excellence across the state for their outstanding achievements and contributions; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Johnson's scholarly pursuits included serving as an
Adjunct Faculty member teaching Trial Advocacy at Tulane University Law School, and
serving as an Adjunct Professor at Southern University in New Orleans teaching Legal
Terminology and Business Law; she also published many editorials, essays, legal opinions,
and other scholarly works throughout her career receiving numerous awards from national,
state, and local organizations; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Johnson has been actively involved in serving the
community in such ways as: serving as the Executive Committee Member of the National
Alumnae Association of Spelman College, Chair of the New Orleans Chapter of the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, member of the Martin Luther King National
Holiday Planning Committee, member of the Board of Directors of the Young Women
Christian Association, and as a Life Member of the NAACP; and
WHEREAS, she also serves the community by frequently speaking to legal,
academic, and community groups; and
WHEREAS, Chief Johnson upon retiring from the Supreme Court on December 31,
2020, when asked to describe her legacy said, "she hoped to be remembered for applying the
law with fairness, turning a nonbiased eye to each case that came before her, treating all with
dignity and respect, and shining a light on the problems of mass incarceration in Louisiana.";
and
WHEREAS, recently the Louisiana Supreme Court officially renamed its museum
to the "Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson Supreme Court Museum" in tribute to Chief
Justice Johnson which includes the portraits of all 25 Chief Justices who have presided over
the court, a replica of the building, and many other historical exhibits; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Johnson juggled family obligations throughout her legal
ordeal with a marriage and two living children: a son, David who is an accountant living in
Atlanta, and a daughter, Rachael who is a judge on the Fourth Circuit bench; and
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WHEREAS, when asked about how she will spend her retirement years, Chief
Justice Johnson stated, "I've been a lawyer for over fifty years, a judge for thirty-six years
including twenty-six at the Supreme Court, and a Chief Justice for almost eight years; it has
been a privilege to serve the citizens of the great state of Louisiana; I intend to see what
retirement is like before going on to new challenges."; and
WHEREAS, despite stating the above, she vows to stay involved with several
organizations, including the National Bar Association composed of Black judges and
lawyers that focuses on judicial reform, fairness, justice, and mentorship during her
retirement years; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson merits a sincere and heartfelt measure
of commendation for her dedication to excellence and all the outstanding accomplishments
she has achieved during her eighty years of life.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend and congratulate Louisiana Supreme Court's 25th Chief Justice, retired Chief
Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson on the occasion of her eightieth birthday and for a
distinguished trail-blazing legal career in service to Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
retired Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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