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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Honorable Alfred H. Bennett was nominated as |
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| 6 | 7 | | United States district judge for the Houston Division of the |
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| 7 | 8 | | Southern District of Texas by President Barack Obama, and his |
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| 8 | 9 | | appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 13, 2015; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, From 2009 until his confirmation, Judge Bennett |
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| 10 | 11 | | served as presiding judge for the 61st Civil District Court of |
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| 11 | 12 | | Texas; he also served as the administrative judge for the Harris |
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| 12 | 13 | | County Civil District Courts in 2010-2011, having been elected |
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| 13 | 14 | | unanimously by his colleagues as the first African American, first |
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| 14 | 15 | | Democrat, and youngest-tenured judge to hold that position; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Judge Bennett completed his bachelor's degree in |
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| 16 | 17 | | political science at the University of Houston and went on to |
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| 17 | 18 | | graduate from The University of Texas School of Law in 1991; he was |
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| 18 | 19 | | employed by Fulbright and Jaworski and then by Solar and Fernandes |
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| 19 | 20 | | before establishing a solo litigation practice in 1998; for 10 |
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| 20 | 21 | | years, he taught trial advocacy as an adjunct professor at the |
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| 21 | 22 | | Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Dedicated to the advancement of the legal system, |
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| 23 | 24 | | Judge Bennett is very involved in continuing legal education as a |
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| 24 | 25 | | presenter and judicial panel member, and he has benefited his |
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| 25 | 26 | | profession in a host of leadership roles; he currently serves the |
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| 26 | 27 | | State Bar of Texas as commissioner of the Texas Access to Justice |
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| 27 | 28 | | Commission and as chair of its Strategic Planning Committee, and he |
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| 28 | 29 | | is a member of the College of the State Bar; in addition, he is a |
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| 29 | 30 | | member of the Houston Bar Association Administration of Justice |
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| 30 | 31 | | Committee and of the National Bar Association Gertrude E. Rush |
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| 31 | 32 | | Mid-Year Planning Committee; he served on the National Bar |
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| 32 | 33 | | Association Constitution and Bylaws Committee, and he held several |
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| 33 | 34 | | offices in the State Bar Committee on Lawyer Referral and |
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| 34 | 35 | | Information Services; moreover, he served the Houston Lawyers |
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| 35 | 36 | | Association as president and chair; and |
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| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Alfred Bennett has distinguished himself on the |
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| 37 | 38 | | bench and through his outstanding contributions to the legal |
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| 38 | 39 | | community, and he is indeed deserving of the confidence placed in |
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| 39 | 40 | | him by the United States president and senate; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Alfred H. Bennett on |
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| 42 | 43 | | his appointment and confirmation as United States district judge |
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| 43 | 44 | | for the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas and |
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| 44 | 45 | | extend to him sincere best wishes as he takes up his new |
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| 45 | 46 | | responsibilities; and, be it further |
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| 46 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 47 | 48 | | prepared for Judge Bennett as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 48 | 49 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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