H.R. No. 18
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A life lived with joy and purpose drew to a close
with the passing of renowned civil and voting rights attorney
Joseph Gerald Hebert on September 7, 2023, at the age of 74; and
WHEREAS, The son of Joseph Gerald Laurie Hebert and Adeline
Agnes Whitehead Hebert, Gerry Hebert was born in Worcester,
Massachusetts, on February 13, 1949; he graduated from Stonehill
College and Suffolk University Law School and joined the Civil
Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in 1973; during a
tenure spanning two decades, he served as lead attorney or chief
trial counsel in hundreds of cases, among them several decided by
the U.S. Supreme Court; he received myriad commendations, including
an award for his work on the enormously high-profile Boston school
desegregation case; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hebert continued his efforts in the private
sector with the Legal Defense Fund and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale
and Dorr, partnering to successfully challenge racially
discriminatory voting ID laws in Texas; in 2004, he began serving as
executive director of the Campaign Legal Center; while an adjunct
professor at Georgetown University Law Center, he developed a
thriving intern program for CLC; he also taught at the University of
Virginia, American University, and New York Law School, and he was
named a Wasserstein Fellow at Harvard Law School and a Mentor in
Residence at Yale Law School; committed to educating the next
generation of litigators, he spearheaded the CLC drive to establish
the Voting Rights Institute, a partnership with the American
Constitution Society and Georgetown Law; he was of great assistance
to the Lone Star Project in Texas as well; and
WHEREAS, While dedicating his career to the pursuit of
justice, Mr. Hebert was also very active in his church and his
community in Alexandria, Virginia, coaching youth soccer and
serving as president of the PTA and the charitable organization
ALIVE!; he was a devoted husband to his wife of 37 years, Victoria,
and very engaged in the lives of his five children, Christy, Greta,
Brooke, Josh, and Marlea, and his 10 grandchildren, Gunter, Annika,
Amelie, Harper, Sadie, Bailey, Brighid, Adrian, Tyler, and Abe; and
WHEREAS, Gerry Hebert was a fierce, brilliant champion of
democracy and equal rights for all, especially the historically
disenfranchised, and his family and friends will forever treasure
their memories of his generosity, passion, and wonderful sense of
humor; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of
Joseph Gerald Hebert and extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn
his passing; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Gerry
Hebert.
Turner
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 18 was unanimously adopted by a rising
vote of the House on November 1, 2023.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House