HR 9117

2	House Resolution
3	A resolution honoring Chesterfield Smith.
4
5	WHEREAS, rising from humble beginnings, Chesterfield Smith,
6	whether serving his country during World War II, pursuing a
7	public cause, or raising the standards of the legal profession,
8	left a moral footprint that gained him the highest regard of his
9	fellow citizens and blazed a trail for many to follow, and
10	WHEREAS, past president of both the American Bar
11	Association and The Florida Bar, and a founder of one of the
12	state's largest law firms, few have done more to enhance the
13	legal profession than has Chesterfield Smith, whose dedication
14	to improving the organized bar earned him the title "America's
15	Lawyer," and
16	WHEREAS, Chesterfield Smith was a resolute, tough-minded
17	individual who, never backing down from conflict, took on the
18	highest when as president of the American Bar Association he
19	denounced President Nixon for firing special prosecutor
20	Archibald Cox, his simple, direct "No man is above the law"
21	becoming a defining moment in the American legal system, and
22	WHEREAS, Chesterfield Smith was one of the first to
23	actively recruit minorities to his firm, which under his
24	leadership became a model of diversity, focusing on opening a
25	door that had been historically closed to minorities and women;
26	and he never lost interest in guiding young lawyers, constantly
27	prodding and encouraging them to "be somebody," a legacy
28	reflected in the lives of thousands who follow his simple mantra
29	to "do good," and
30	WHEREAS, Chesterfield Smith's voice was that of the legally
31	disenfranchised and, constantly reminding lawyers that the
32	privilege to practice law carries with it the responsibility to
33	represent the powerless, the poor, the underrepresented, and the
34	victims of discrimination, he was instrumental in creating the
35	national Legal Services Corporation, whose building in Miami
36	bears his name, and
37	WHEREAS, United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader
38	Ginsburg once described this extraordinary man as being "among
39	the brightest, boldest, bravest, all-around most effective
40	lawyers ever bred in Florida and the U.S.A.," and, although the
41	state and nation deeply mourned his death, his legacy is that
42	not of loss, but of one whose deeds place him in a pantheon of
43	greatness and are those to which all may aspire, NOW, THEREFORE,
44
45	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
46	Florida:
47
48	That the House of Representatives takes great pride in
49	recognizing the outstanding contributions made by Chesterfield
50	Smith to this chamber, this state, and this nation.
51	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be
52	presented to Jacqueline Allee Smith, Chesterfield Smith, Jr.,
53	and Rhoda Smith Kibler, wife, son, and daughter of "America's
54	Lawyer," as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.