William S. Sessions Honored by the Constitution Project and his Law Firm Holland & Knight LLP
March 18, 2008
William S. Sessions- Washington
WASHINGTON, DC – Former Federal Judge William S. Sessions, partner at Holland & Knight LLP and former Director of the FBI, was honored recently by both the Constitution Project and Holland & Knight.
The Constitution Project, an independent think tank known for the work of its bipartisan committees on controversial legal issues, honored Judge Sessions with its inaugural Constitutional Champion Award during its 10th Anniversary gala dinner at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on March 5th. Judge Sessions was recognized for his support of the rule of law and for his efforts to counter injustices in our legal system.
In addition, Holland & Knight honored Judge Sessions with the 2008 Chesterfield Smith Partner Award, the highest individual honor given by the firm. The award was presented to Judge Sessions on March 14th at a celebration dinner during the firm's annual conference in Orlando. The award is given no more than once a year to the Holland & Knight partner who best exemplifies the highest ideals of professionalism. It was established in honor of Chesterfield Smith, the architect of the firm, who dedicated his professional life to creating, promoting and building Holland & Knight into one of the world's great law firms. Chesterfield Smith was the first recipient of the award.
"Judge Sessions is an extraordinary lawyer, judge and public citizen, who has given selflessly to our profession, our justice system and our nation," said Steve Hanlon, chair of Holland & Knight's Community Services Team and chair of the board of directors of the Constitution Project. "In his work with both The Constitution Project and Holland & Knight, Judge Sessions has been a powerful advocate for the rule of law."
Prior to joining Holland & Knight in 2000, Judge Sessions had a distinguished career in both private practice and public service. His first years as a lawyer were in private practice with the firm of Hailey, Fulbright, Winniford, Sessions and Bice in Waco, Texas, following which he served as the Section Chief of the Government Operations Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. He then returned to Texas as the United States Attorney for Western District of Texas.
Judge Sessions served as a United States District Court Judge for 13 years in the Western District of Texas, the last seven as Chief Judge. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan appointed him Director of the FBI, where he pioneered the use of DNA evidence in criminal prosecutions, dramatically improved the Bureau's record on diversity and initiated the development of an integrated, automated fingerprint identification system.
Following his service at the FBI, Judge Sessions returned to Texas and established a practice with his son in the firm of Sessions & Sessions in San Antonio, Texas. In 2000, Chesterfield Smith personally recruited Judge Sessions to Holland & Knight.
Since joining Holland & Knight, Judge Sessions has engaged in an active arbitration practice and has brought great distinction to the firm with his work on amicus briefs, various commissions and panels dealing with important and difficult national issues, including liberty and security, the death penalty, checks and balances, prisoner abuse, judicial independence, and habeas corpus. In this work, he has frequently joined with respected political, judicial and other distinguished leaders of all political stripes, issuing consensus reports and recommendations for practical policy reforms.
Contact: Susan Bass (813) 769-4326