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2020 SPECIAL SESSION I
20200349DWHEREAS, the Honorable Nolan Dawkins, the first African American to serve as a judge in the City of Alexandria, retired as a judge of the Alexandria Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial Circuit of Virginia on June 26, 2020; and
WHEREAS, a native of Alexandria, Nolan Dawkins broke down racial barriers at a young age as one of the first students to integrate the former George Washington High School and as one of only five African American students in his graduating class; and
WHEREAS, Nolan Dawkins graduated from Central State University, where he earned a scholarship from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, then subsequently served his country as a member of the United States Army during the Vietnam War; and
WHEREAS, after his honorable military service, Nolan Dawkins earned a law degree from Seton Hall University in New Jersey, then returned home to Alexandria to practice law with a local firm; and
WHEREAS, in 1994, Nolan Dawkins was selected as a judge of the Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of the 18th Judicial District of Virginia, becoming the first African American judge in the city’s history; and
WHEREAS, during his time on the bench, Nolan Dawkins strove to treat those coming before the court as individuals who were worthy of compassion and understanding, and he often put people at ease with his affable nature and trademark sense of humor; and
WHEREAS, Nolan Dawkins created one of the first family drug treatment courts, a program that helps substance-addicted parents seek treatment and gain a second chance to reunite with their children; and
WHEREAS, in 2000, Nolan Dawkins was appointed to the Alexandria Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, where he presided with great fairness and wisdom for the next two decades; and
WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement, Nolan Dawkins will seek new opportunities to serve the community and spend more time with his beloved family, including his wife, Lorraine, and their three daughters, Kelli, Kimberly, and Ashley; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the Honorable Nolan Dawkins, a trailblazing leader in the Alexandria community, hereby be commended on the occasion of his retirement as a judge of the Alexandria Circuit Court in 2020; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Nolan Dawkins as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s admiration for his legacy of contributions to the legal profession and exceptional service to his fellow residents of Alexandria.