U.S. Chamber Thanks Justice Stevens for Supreme Court Service

Justice Remembered for His Distinguished Career and Collegiality on the Bench

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, issued the following statement in response to the news that U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens will retire from the Court:

"The U.S. Chamber expresses gratitude to Justice John Paul Stevens for his four decades of service in the Judicial Branch, the last 34 years as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Justice Stevens was well known for the collegiality he brought to the Court, and for the vibrancy with which he served.

"In his long and illustrious career, two opinions by Justice Stevens stand out for the business community - his majority opinion in BMW v. Gore, a landmark case reining in blockbuster punitive damages awards, and his majority opinion striking down a misguided California labor law in our very own case, Chamber of Commerce v. Brown.

"In the coming weeks we intend to be actively engaged in the confirmation process for Justice Stevens' successor. For the last 20 years, the National Chamber Litigation Center has evaluated every Supreme Court nominee according to the Chamber's formal endorsement procedure."

NCLC is the public policy law firm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that advocates fair treatment of business in the courts and before regulatory agencies.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

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