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[Page S6017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Remembering Laurie Smith Camp
Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, less than 2 weeks ago, this country lost
one of its most brilliant legal minds--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her
passing has left a void that can be felt all across our Nation from
Nebraska to Washington.
Sadly, Nebraska recently lost another great jurist--Judge Laurie
Smith Camp. Judge Smith Camp was the first woman to serve my State as a
Federal judge, a position she had held since 2001. This body voted 100
to 0 to confirm her just 6 weeks after President George W. Bush
nominated her. That doesn't happen very often anymore, and her
unanimous approval was a testament to her incredible talent.
Judge Smith Camp grew up in Omaha, but she left Nebraska to attend
college at Stanford University. She graduated with distinction. And I
am glad to say that she came back home to attend the University of
Nebraska Law School where she distinguished herself again as editor-in-
chief of the Nebraska Law Review.
Before becoming a Federal judge, she served her State through a
series of jobs that spanned the legal profession. She began her career
in private practice but soon moved on to become general counsel for the
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, the head of the Nebraska
attorney general's civil rights section, and then the chief deputy
attorney general for criminal matters for the Nebraska attorney
general. These wide-ranging experiences were part of what made her an
exceptional Federal judge.
Another part was her love for the law and the compassion that flowed
from it. She was well known for her dedication to equal treatment for
all, regardless of background, and for a sentencing philosophy that
preferred rehabilitation to punishment.
She also understood that success isn't just about achieving your
professional goals. She was profoundly generous with her time and, when
she wasn't leading Nebraska's district court, she could be found
promoting women's participation in the legal profession or mentoring
young Nebraska attorneys. This was in addition to recently being
elected president of the Omaha Bar Association--a job that she had held
since June.
Laurie was also my friend. She spoke at an event I held in 2016
called Bridging the Gap, which aims to encourage women to engage in
their communities at the local, State, and Federal level. I am lucky to
have known her personally and to have seen up close the wise advice and
the quick wit that made her famous among her colleagues and those she
mentored.
Through her example, she inspired a generation of young women in
Nebraska and beyond to pursue careers as attorneys, advocates, and
community leaders, just as Justice Ginsburg did. Both of these
extraordinary women blazed a trail that today's young women and girls
can follow. I join with both their families in mourning their passing
and celebrating their lives.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered
