[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 162] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]GRATITUDE FOR THE SERVICE OF LaSHAWN Y. WARREN ______ HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR. of michigan in the house of representatives Wednesday, January 13, 2010 Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank one of the most dedicated and productive members of the Judiciary Committee staff for her service to the House, LaShawn Warren. For 2\1/ 2\ years, LaShawn served as Oversight Counsel for the Committee on the Judiciary. LaShawn graduated magna cum laude from Savannah State College in Savannah, Georgia. She earned her law degree from Howard University, where she served as co-editor-in-chief of the Social Justice Law Review and rose to the leadership ranks of many of the law school's societies and associations. In addition to her law degree, she earned a certificate in non-profit management from Georgetown University's Center for Professional Development. Prior to joining the staff of the Judiciary Committee, LaShawn served as Legislative Counsel for Civil Rights for the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU. As Legislative Counsel, she prepared congressional testimony for the U.S. Congress and the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNHRC, and lobbied Members of Congress, UNHRC members, and their respective staffs on voting rights, education equity, racial profiling, employment, housing, domestic violence policy, welfare reform, privacy, international human rights, and civil rights enforcement. She chaired advocacy and legislative coalitions, worked with national and local media, and served as the lead strategist for the civil rights community's successful effort to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act in 2006. Prior to her tenure at the ACLU, she served as a legislative analyst for the Seattle City Council and as an Assistant Attorney General for the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. During her time with the Judiciary Committee, LaShawn led the Congress' investigation into the enforcement of Federal civil rights laws, hiring practices, and resource management issues in the Civil Rights Division, CRT, of the Department of Justice. By the end of the 110th Congress, her work had exposed massive politicization of the CRT's operations, including its hiring practices and case-prosecution decisions. Cleaning up that division--so central to the equal rights of all Americans--is a great legacy of LaShawn's work at the Committee. She additionally served as the Committee's lead counsel on voting issues and conducted investigative and legislative work related to voting, employment, housing, predatory lending, bankruptcy, civil rights and criminal law enforcement, international law compliance, and civil rights in immigration policy. She authored large portions of the Committee staff's report ``Reining in the Imperial Presidency: Lessons and Recommendations Relating to the Presidency of George W. Bush'' and supervised the drafting and editing of the Committee's bipartisan amici brief in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Eric H. Holder (2009). On behalf of the Judiciary Committee, its staff, and this distinguished body, I would like to thank LaShawn for her service and for her unwavering commitment to protecting and advancing civil rights and liberties for all Americans. We are losing a dear colleague, mentor, and friend--her generosity, optimism, professionalism, and warmth shall be sorely missed. We wish her the best of luck and extend to her our deepest gratitude. ____________________