Here at the firm, many of us had occasion to work with Dianne Feinstein. In my own case, it was my privilege to be appointed by Dianne to take her seat on the Board of Supervisors when she became mayor and later as city attorney when that office became vacant.
When Dianne was mayor, we worked closely on many issues. We were friends both inside and outside City Hall. There are too many memories to recount in this limited space—being together inside City Hall during the Dan White riots, our early morning walks along Lake Street before going to work, many meals and meetings—but during her entire time at City Hall, Dianne was not only a trailblazer, but a person who cared deeply about San Francisco and wanted to make sure that the City worked for all. She truly cared about good government.
This was also true when Dianne became a U.S. senator. She reached across the aisle to try to find solutions that worked best for the country. Many of her accomplishments are well-documented in current news accounts. One to which I can personally attest is her positive impact on the federal judiciary. She not only ably served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but in California, she established a state-wide committee to interview and make recommendations with respect to the appointment of federal judges, U.S. marshal and U.S. attorney. I have been the Chair of the Northern District branch of the committee, and as was so typical of Dianne, she insisted that the committee be bipartisan and committed to excellence in making its recommendations.
Attached is an article from the Washington Post in which I am quoted as saying that Dianne always wanted to be remembered as a great mayor. She truly was. She was also a truly great senator. In today’s political world of turmoil and challenges to the rule of law, our country needs more leaders like Dianne Feinstein.
—Louise H. Renne, Former San Francisco City Attorney (1986-2002)