USVI Public Records

Document text

Testimony of Renée Marie André, Esq. Nomination for Judge of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands Division of St. Thomas & St. John Presented to the Committee on Rules and Judiciary of the 36th Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands Thursday, April 23, 2026 Good morning, Honorable Committee Chair Carla J. Joseph, distinguished members of the Rules and Judiciary Committee, non-committee members, family, friends, colleagues, and members of the listening and viewing audience. I appear before you today deeply honored and humbled by this nomination. I give thanks to God, without whom none of this would be possible, and to my mother, whose unwavering faith, prayers, and sacrifice have sustained me throughout my life. Her strength continues to guide me. I also extend my sincere gratitude to Governor Albert Bryan for the confidence he has placed in me, and to this honorable body for the opportunity to appear before you today. My name is Renée Marie André, and I am a proud product of the Virgin Islands community. My roots in this Territory run deep - grounded in generations of family and service. I was raised within a close-knit, multigenerational family, deeply rooted in St. Thomas - from the Tutu High Rise community to 1B Kongens Gade - where I learned the importance of community, service, and accountability. I am the daughter of Phyllis M. André and Donald H. André Jr. My mother is a woman of deep faith and resilience, who raised her family while building a professional career and serving in ministry. My father dedicated his career to public service as an Engineer Technician within the Virgin Islands government, contributing to major infrastructure projects. I am also the great granddaughter of Alton A. Adams, Sr., whose legacy of leadership and contribution to the Virgin Islands community is well-known and remains significant to this day. From an early age, I understood that the law would be my calling. What began as a childhood aspiration (in the second grade at Lockhart Elementary School) matured into a lifelong commitment to justice, fairness, and public service. My academic journey reflects that commitment. I attended the Charlotte Amalie High School, where I graduated with high honors in 2000. During that time, I participated in moot court, an experience that sharpened my advocacy skills and introduced me to the discipline and structure of legal reasoning. I attended Paine College as a Presidential Scholar graduating in three years as Valedictorian at the age of 19 and earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in counseling. I later attended West Virginia University College of Law (“WVU”) as a W.E.B. DuBois Fellow. During law school, I distinguished myself academically, earning CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Torts, Civil Procedure, and Legal Research and Writing. These achievements were not simply academic milestones, they were the foundation of the analytical rigor, discipline, and attention to detail that are essential for judicial service. One of the most formative experiences in my legal development was my service as a law clerk to the Honorable Curtis V. Gómez at the District Court of the Virgin Islands, first as a third-year student in law school and then as a full law clerk (without application). In that role, I conducted extensive legal research, drafted opinions, and assisted in the management of a significant caseload, including both trial and appellate matters. It is there, under the tutelage of Judge Gómez that my skills in careful, meticulous and objective legal research and analysis were honed. This experience provided me with a comprehensive understanding of courtroom procedure, evidentiary standards, and judicial decision-making. It also gave me a profound appreciation for the impact that judicial rulings have - not only on the parties before the court, but on families and the broader community. Following my clerkship, I entered private practice with the Law Offices of Marjorie Rawls Roberts, PC, where I have spent more than a decade representing individuals, families, and businesses across a broad spectrum of legal matters to include criminal (from misdemeanors to first degree murder and RICO on the federal level), family (custody, guardianship, adoption, divorce, involuntary commitment and juvenile matters), civil (contracts, real estate, corporate, probate) tax and economic development matters, and more. During my years in private practice, I remained committed to public service, accepting court- appointed matters at both the local and federal levels, and by being among the few attorneys who joined the indigent defense and family court panels when they were first established. I have also had the privilege of being called directly by judges to handle matters before the court. As a Partner at my firm, I have handled complex, sensitive and high-stakes litigation (both civil and criminal). Outside of private practice, I have served as the Chair of various committees and participated as a moot court coach and judge. This breadth of experience has prepared me for the demands of a general jurisdiction judge. Equally important to my qualifications is my judicial temperament. I remain calm, measured, and respectful - even in the most challenging and emotionally charged circumstances. I am not influenced by status or external pressures. I approach each matter with impartiality, and I am committed to ensuring that every litigant is heard with dignity and respect. I understand that the role of a judge is to listen, to evaluate, and to decide based solely on the facts and the law. I also bring a strong commitment to efficiency and access to justice. If confirmed, I intend to implement thoughtful case management strategies to reduce backlog and improve the timely resolution of cases. I will work to expand the use of technology within the courtroom, and to make the judicial process more accessible and understandable for pro se litigants. At the same time, I recognize that efficiency must never come at the expense of fairness. Finally, I am deeply mindful of the ethical responsibilities of judicial service. I am committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity avoiding both actual conflicts and the appearance of impropriety. In closing, I come before you as a product of this community—raised here, forged here, and committed to serving our people. If confirmed, I will serve as a neutral and impartial arbiter, guided by the law, grounded in integrity, and dedicated to ensuring that every person who enters my courtroom is heard and treated with respect. It would be the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of the Virgin Islands in this capacity. Thank you for your time and consideration and I welcome any questions you may have.