SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5063 Offered September 27, 2006 Commending the Honorable Glen Morgan Williams. ---------- Patrons-- Wampler; Delegates: Johnson and Kilgore ----------

WHEREAS, the Honorable Glen Morgan Williams of Jonesville, esteemed citizen of the Commonwealth, has served for 30 years as United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Judge Williams was born on February 17, 1920, in Jonesville and has lived throughout his life in Lee County; he graduated from Milligan College in 1940, served with distinction in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1946, and graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1948; and

WHEREAS, Judge Williams served as Virginia's youngest elected Commonwealth's Attorney, from 1948 to 1952, and served as a member of the Senate of Virginia from 1953 to 1955; and

WHEREAS, Judge Williams engaged in the private practice of law from 1953 to 1976, during which time he became one of the Commonwealth’s leading trial lawyers, appearing before the Virginia Supreme Court in a number of groundbreaking cases that established new principles of tort law in the Commonwealth that are still cited today; became an expert in the law of Social Security disability claims whose expertise was sought out by Congress in its efforts to reform the Social Security laws; served as a mentor to his associates and colleagues at the bar in Southwest Virginia; and served as U.S. Magistrate for the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia from 1963 to 1975; and

WHEREAS, Judge Williams was nominated to serve on the United States District Court by President Gerald R. Ford on September 8, 1976, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 17, 2006, to the seat vacated by the Honorable Ted Dalton; and

WHEREAS, Judge Williams has heard cases in the Abingdon and Big Stone Gap divisions of the Western District and, though he assumed senior status on November 21, 1988, he continues his work as judge through the present day; and

WHEREAS, throughout his time on the bench, Judge Williams has served all the citizens of the Commonwealth, in matters great and small, from the claims of individuals to industrial disputes affecting thousands of people and the largest corporate enterprises in the land, from fistfights to murder cases, from one man’s claim for benefits to the funding for the care of a class of 100,000, all with his unique blend of humor, intellect, common sense, and commitment to equal justice for all; and

WHEREAS, outside of Southwest Virginia, Judge Williams has served as a trial judge and an appellate judge, sitting by designation in many of the federal courts of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Judge Williams has served as teacher and mentor to his law clerks and numerous other Virginia lawyers, and his positive influence will continue for decades to come as many of them now serve as judges, legislators, and leaders of the legal profession in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Judge Williams has promoted the public education and preservation of the history of Lee County and Southwest Virginia; and

WHEREAS, throughout his life, Judge Williams has given generously of his time and immense talents to countless professional, civic, and state organizations, including the several law schools of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the Appalachian School of Law, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, and others have honored Judge Williams, recognizing his contributions as a jurist and public servant; and

WHEREAS, Judge Williams’ greatest delight remains his family, including his wife Jane, their daughters, and their daughters’ families; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Honorable Glen Morgan Williams for his dedication to Virginia's judicial system, his profession, and the people of Southwest Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Glen Morgan Williams as an expression of the General Assembly's gratitude for his longtime public service.