[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13] [Senate] [Page 17979] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]NAMING OF U.S. COURTHOUSE IN RICHMOND, VA Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on S. 2403, a bill to name the new United States courthouse in Richmond, VA, for two distinguished jurists and sons of VA. Senator Webb and I introduced this bill together last year, and the bill passed the Senate on June 24, 2008. The House of Representatives is expected to pass this bill tonight, with a minor technical change. It is my hope that the Senate will accept this minor modification and pass this bill when the legislation returns to the Senate tonight or early tomorrow. Our bill will recognize two of Virginia's outstanding jurists: Spotswood Robinson III and Robert Mehrige, Jr. They were lawyers who throughout their careers adhered to the principle of ``equal justice under law.'' The first, Spottswood William Robinson, III, was born in Richmond, VA, on July 26, 1916. He attended Virginia Union University and then the Howard University School of Law, graduating first in his class in 1939 and serving as a member of the faculty until 1947. Judge Robinson was one of the core attorneys of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund from 1948 to 1960, achieving national prominence in the legal community with his representation of the Virginia plaintiffs in the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. Brown outlawed public school segregation declaring ``separate but equal'' schools unconstitutional. In 1964, Judge Robinson became the first African American to be appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and, in 1966, President Johnson appointed Judge Robinson the first African American to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Finally, on May 7, 1981, Judge Robinson became the first African American to serve as chief judge of the District of Columbia Circuit. Our second jurist, Judge Robert R. Merhige, Jr., was born in 1919 and later attended High Point College in North Carolina. He subsequently earned his law degree from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond, from which he graduated at the top of his class in 1942. From 1942 to 1945, Judge Merhige served in the U.S. Air Force, he practiced law in Richmond from 1945 to 1967, establishing himself as a formidable trial lawyer representing criminal defendants as well as dozens of insurance companies. On August 30,1967, Judge Merhige was appointed U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division by President Lyndon B. Johnson, serving as a Federal judge until 1998. In 1972, Judge Merhige ordered the desegregation of dozens of Virginia school districts. He considered himself to be a ``strict constructionist'' who went by the law as spelled out in precedents by the higher courts. In 1970, he ordered the University of Virginia to admit women. As evidence of Judge Merhige's groundbreaking decisions, he was given 24-hour protection by Federal marshals due to repeated threats of violence against him and his family. His courage in the face of significant opposition of the times is a testimony to his dedication to the rule of law. As my colleagues may be aware, I have worked to name the new courthouse in Richmond for these two men for several years. I am proud that the Virginia Congressional delegation, the Virginia Bar Association, the mayor of Richmond, and many others decided that the best way to honor both men was to have them equally share the honor of having the courthouse so named. With the ribbon cutting for this grand facility tentatively set for October 17 of this year, I can think of no better time than now to move this legislation in honor of Spottswood Robinson and Robert Merhige. I thank the committee for the consideration of this bill and look forward to working with my colleagues in seeking its passage. ____________________