[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 101 (Monday, June 18, 2018)] [Senate] [Page S3980] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ______ TRIBUTE TO VALERIE P. COOKEMs. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, after 19 years of dedicated service to the court, U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie P. Cooke will be retiring on July 31, 2018. I wish to recognize Judge Cooke for her excellent service to the Federal judiciary and the State of Nevada while serving as U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Nevada since 1999. As a third generation Nevada attorney, Judge Cooke has worked diligently to advance communities across Nevada, notably working to ensure equal protection under the law for the most vulnerable and forgotten populations. Judge Cooke initiated the CLEAR--Court Led Efforts at Recovery--court program, Nevada's first Federal reentry court, which helps to alleviate the barriers that formerly incarcerated individuals face as they attempt to reintegrate into society. She also worked to ensure inmates received timely resolutions to their civil rights claims by developing the District of Nevada's inmate early mediation program and implementing electronic filing for civil rights litigation. Judge Cooke has also held leadership positions in a number of prestigious organizations and committees. Judge Cooke served as the 2008-2009 president of the Bruce R. Thompson Chapter of the American Inns of Court and continues to be active as an emeritus master. Judge Cooke was also the president of the Northern Nevada Women Lawyers Association in 1990 and was the 2001 recipient of the Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year Award. Prior to her tenure on the bench, Judge Cooke served on the Nevada Tax Commission and the Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission. She has also devoted significant time to the advancement of alternative dispute resolution, serving on the Ninth Circuit's alternative dispute resolution committee from 2001 until 2013 and chairing the committee from 2009 to 2013. She has also conducted educational programs on the subject across the country and abroad. In addition to her work in public service, Judge Cooke has consistently given back to her community. She has served as a mentor and as a role model for youth in Nevada through her involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters, which led to her being named the 2009 School- Based Big Sister of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada. Judge Cooke conducts annual presentations to elementary through high school students on the work of a Federal judge and volunteers her time each year to serve as a high school mock trial judge. Judge Cooke embodies the Nevada values of leadership, service, and hard work. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Valerie P. Cooke for her many years of service to the District of Nevada, the Federal bench, and communities across Nevada and the Nation. ____________________