MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2022 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representatives Gibbs (72nd), Banks, Brown (70th), Bell (65th), Clarke, Foster, Hines, Holloway, Johnson, Paden, Summers, Yates
A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE HONORABLE JUDGE DENISE OWENS FOR PROVIDING 33 YEARS OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE AS HINDS COUNTY DISTRICT 3 CHANCERY JUDGE, AND CONGRATULATING HER UPON RETIREMENT FROM THIS POSITION AFTER PROVIDING STELLAR JUDICIAL LEADERSHIP TO THE CITIZENS OF MISSISSIPPI.
WHEREAS, the Honorable Judge Denise Owens, the Senior Chancellor for Hinds County Chancery Court, will lay down her judicial gavel and retire as Chancellor for Hinds County District 3 at the end of her term in 2022, after passionately serving the citizens of this great state for 33 years and creating a positive impact in the lives of countless citizens of this state; and
WHEREAS, she is so well respected amongst her peer group of Chancery Court judges that she has held leadership positions in the Conference of Chancery Judges which is the governing body for Mississippi's Chancery Judges since 1996, when she was elected secretary, in 1998, when she was elected vice chair and program chairperson in 1998 and 2000, and where she served as Conference Chair for two years; and
WHEREAS, she began her legal career in 1979, when she earned her Juris Doctorate from George Washington University, in Washington, D.C., and worked for two years as a law clerk at the Washington, D.C. Legal Services Elder Law Clinic; and
WHEREAS, after being admitted to The Mississippi Bar, this tenacious young lawyer landed her first Mississippi job as a staff attorney for Central Mississippi Legal Services in Jackson, Mississippi, where she worked hard to address the legal needs of those who are traditionally underserved; and
WHEREAS, she ventured out to private legal practice in 1983, by working as an associate attorney with The Law Firm of Owens and Byrd, where she continued to hone her legal skills and caught the attention of the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, who was so impressed by her legal acumen, that she was appointed to work as the Assistant City prosecutor from 1983 through 1986, while she still worked as an associate lawyer at the law firm; and
WHEREAS, she parted ways with the city in 1986 upon earning the titles of partner and managing attorney for The Law Firm of Owens and Owens; and
WHEREAS, Judge Owens has been and continues to be a legal scholar, as evidenced by her other accomplishments in the world of legal academia, such as graduating from the Court Practice Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and completing advanced judicial studies at both the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and the College of Business Court Judges; and
WHEREAS, Judge Owens is very passionate about educating the next generation of lawyers and has spent countless hours throughout her career serving in various academic leadership roles, such as working as a pre-law program advisor and adjunct professor at Tougaloo College, sponsoring Tougaloo College's Pre-Law Society, and teaching paralegal technology at Hinds Community College to nurture the next generation of legal scholars, in order to impart wisdom in the minds of young people; and
WHEREAS, since her days at legal services, she has continued her efforts to use her position to improve the quality of life for others by financially sponsoring legal education programs for law students and young attorneys, working with the National Association of Women Judges to present the Color of Justice, an annual program which introduces young female students to careers as lawyers and judges, serving on the Board of the Council of Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) to increase diversity on the bench and bar by promoting interest in careers in law, and organizing a law camp to reach girls, ages 12 to 15, to encourage them to pursue law as a career, and increase their self-esteem and awareness, and sitting on the Task Force on Gender Fairness and the Gender Fairness Advisory Study Committee which seeks to level the playing field on issues of gender fairness by educating the judicial bench, The Mississippi Bar and the public about the importance of gender fairness; and
WHEREAS, Judge Owens' ability to work toward and attain positive results for the underserved has garnered so much respect from her colleagues that she has held numerous leadership roles in philanthropic organizations, including the Access to Justice Commission for the last 10 years, where she is co-chair and helps to guide the organization, formulate recommendations implemented by the Mississippi Supreme Court, and create strategies to make the courts accessible to all people; and
WHEREAS, Judge Owens' fervent advocacy skills have resulted in earning her prestigious appointments from the State Supreme Court to the States' Pro Se Task Force, the Gender Bias Task Force, the Race and Ethics Bias Task Force, the Mississippi Delivery of Legal Services State Planning Board where she also served as chair, and has completed her three-year term as representative from the College of Business Court Judges to the American Bar Association Corporate and Litigation Committee.
WHEREAS, Judge Owens' professional associations and activities include membership in the Mississippi Bar Association, the Mississippi Bar Foundation, the National Association of Women Judges, the Magnolia Bar Association, Member of the American Bar Association's Judicial Division, The American Trial Lawyers Judicial Division, The National Bar Association's Judicial Division, The Magnolia Bar Association Judicial Division, American Bar Association (Corporate and Litigation Committee); and
WHEREAS, not surprisingly, Judge Owens' reputation of impressive legal prowess coupled with high moral character have gained her an impressive list of awards, such as the 2016 Susie Blue Buchanan Award which is a prestigious award presented annually by The Mississippi Bar's Women in the Profession committee to honor an outstanding woman lawyer who has achieved professional excellence and has actively paved the way to success for other women lawyers, and in 2019, the Judicial Excellence Award at the upcoming Mississippi State Bar meeting; and
WHEREAS, throughout all of her endeavors, she has enjoyed the love and support of her husband of 41 years, Bob, and their four children Selika, Bobby, Brittany and Jason, and upon her retirement, she will bask in the adoration and affection of her grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to honor the extraordinary career and amazing philanthropy of elected officials, such as Judge Denise Owens, who have blazed a progressive trail for future generations of lawyers and other professionals, affirmatively impacts the quality of life for underserved citizens and lives a life built on justice in and out of the courtroom:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the Honorable Judge Denise Owens for providing 33 years of exemplary service as Hinds County District 3 Chancery Judge, and congratulate her upon retirement from this position after providing stellar judicial leadership to the citizens of Mississippi.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Judge Denise Owens, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.