U.S. Rep. John R.  Lewis of Atlanta, whose passing on July 17 has been mourned worldwide over the past two weeks, was neither a lawyer nor a judge. However, his lifelong devotion to and leadership on the front line of the fight for equal rights had a profound influence on our American justice system.

Therefore, on behalf of the 52,000-plus members of the State Bar of Georgia, I am writing to express our sincere appreciation and pay tribute to the life of this icon of the Civil Rights Movement, a great Georgian and hero to so many Americans and people all over the world.