Bar Luncheon
Thursday, Feb. 3
2011 BRBA Luncheon
& Symposium Committee
Inside:
Inventory searches of automobiles
Attorney spotlight:
Amy Groves Lowe
Getting to know the BRBA staff
2011 BRBA Bench Bar Conference
April 28-30
Early Bird
Discount
Deadline:
Feb. 15
Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear, Ala.
For more information, contact Ann G. Scarle: 225-214-5563 / [email protected]
2011 Conference sponsors:
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson
Chaffe McCall, LLP
DeCuir, Clark & Adams, LLP
Dr. Michael Goff / Louisiana Health & Injury Centers
Kantrow, Spaht, Weaver & Blitzer, APLC
Keogh, Cox & Wilson
Lexis Nexis
Louisiana State Bar Association
McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC
Newman, Mathis, Brady & Spedale
Pendley, Baudin & Coffin, LLP
Perry, Atkinson, Balhoff, Mengis & Burns, LLC
Phelps Dunbar
Roedel, Parsons, Koch, Blache, Balhoff & McCollister
Stone Pigman Walther Wittman, L.L.C.
Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, LLP
USDC–Middle District Bench Bar Fund
Walters, Papillion, Thomas, Cullens, LLC
West, a Thomson Reuters business
10.5 hours
Williamson, Fontenot & Campbell
Attending judges:
For sponsorship information:
http://www.brba.org/forms/BBCsponsorship.pdf
To register for the conference:
http://www.brba.org/forms/BBC2011.pdf
of CLE Credit
available
Judge Laura Davis
Judge John Michael Guildry
Judge Thomas Kliebert Jr.
Judge Tony Marabella
Judge Pamela Moses-Laramore
Commissioner Rachel Morgan
Judge Bill Morvant
Judge Ralph Tureau
Judge Alex “Brick” Wall
Past presidents in attendance:
Fred T. Crifasi • C. Kevin Hayes • Frank Holthaus • Jay Jalenak Jr. • Judge Tony Marabella
Paul Marks • Mike Patterson • Ed Walters
To reserve your room, go to http://www.marriottgrand.com
and enter BABBABA in the box labeled “Group Code.”
We have reserved a block of rooms from
Wednesday, April 27,
through Saturday, April 30, 2011.
Featuring the
Bench Bar Boogie Band
2
Around the Bar
Come boogie with the Bench Bar Boogie Band as they make
their final appearance at a BRBA Bench Bar Conference.
Featuring the
Benjy Davis Project
February 2011
inside
FEBRUARY 2011
4
Contributors
5
Letter from the president
“Birds of a feather” BY PRESTON J. CASTILLE JR.
6
Bar luncheon
8
Tales from the bar side
“Constitutional coupons” BY VINCENT P. FORNIAS
9
YLS corner
“Get involved: March Madness Thirsty Thursday scheduled”
BY AMANDA STOUT
On the cover:
This month’s cover photo features a photograph of 2011 BRBA
Luncheon & Symposium Committee members (L to R, front row)
10
Attorney spotlight
“Interview with Amy Groves Lowe, Luncheon & Symposium
Committee chair” BY PAMELA LABBE
Gail S. Stephenson, Amy Groves Lowe (chair), Lyla N. DeBlieux;
(L to R, back row) Eric R. Miller, BRBA President Preston J. Castille
Jr., Laurie Marien and Nina Hunter. Committee members are
standing behind the lunch counter at the Original Dearman’s
12
“Inventory searches of automobiles” BY JOHN McLINDON
14
Bar news
18
“Getting to know the BRBA staff ” BY KELSEAY REED
20
Gail’s grammar
21
West’s Jury Verdicts – Baton Rouge
22
Foundation footnotes
Soda Shop on Jefferson Hwy.
Cover photography by Pamela Labbe.
February 2011
Around the Bar
3
Published by the Baton Rouge Bar Association
P. O. Box 2241, Baton Rouge, LA 70821
Phone (225) 344-4803 • Fax (225) 344-4805
Web site: www.brba.org
contributors
In three years, the Baton Rouge Bar Association will be a
diverse mix of young energy and old traditions in service to
members, the community and the legal profession.
Preston J. Castille Jr., a partner with Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips,
is the 2011 president of the Baton Rouge Bar Association.
Vincent P. Fornias, an assistant editor of Around the Bar, is a solo
practitioner whose practice focus is alternative dispute resolution.
Pamela Labbe is the communications coordinator
of the Baton Rouge Bar Association.
John McLindon, a partner with Rainer, Anding & McLindon,
is a member of the Publications Committee.
Kelseay Reed was the Fall 2010 public relations intern of the BRBA.
OFFICERS
Preston Castille Jr., President .......................................387-3221
Gail S. Stephenson,
President-elect .........................................771-4900, ext. 216
Michael S. Walsh, Treasurer ..........................................344-0474
Darrel Papillion, Secretary ............................................236-3636
Fred Crifasi, Past President ...........................................766-0014
DIRECTORS AT LARGE
Robert “Bubby” Burns Jr.
Linda Law Clark
Jeanne Comeaux
Amy C. Lambert
Kyle Ferachi
Karli Glascock Wilson
Laurie Marien, Ex Officio
Nina Hunter, Ex Officio
Amanda Stout, Ex Officio
ABA DELEGATE
Emily Black Grey
APPELLATE SECTION
Gail S. Stephenson, an assistant editor of Around the Bar,
is the director of legal analysis and writing and an associate
professor of law for the Southern University Law Center.
Amanda Stout is the 2011 chair of the Young Lawyers
Section Council of the BRBA.
Eugene Groves..........................................................................Chair
CONSTRUCTION LAW SECTION
Jason Bonaventure..................................................................Chair
Steven Loeb ...................................................................... Past chair
FAMILY LAW SECTION
Laurie Marien ............................................................................Chair
Wendy L. Edwards ........................................................Chair-elect
Thomas Hessburg ............................................................Secretary
Melanie N. Jones .............................................................Past Chair
PUBLIC LAW PRACTICE SECTION
Nina Hunter ...............................................................................Chair
Henry Graham ...............................................................Chair-elect
Kelly Haggar ........................................................................At Large
Sheri Morris ....................................................................... Past chair
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SECTION
Robin L. Krumholt.............................................................Co-Chair
Debra T. Parker ...................................................................Co-Chair
Michelle M. Sorrells ..........................................................Co-Chair
Judge Pamela Moses Laramore
YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION OFFICERS
Amanda Stout, Chairman .............................................382-3693
Jamie Hurst Watts, Chairman-elect ...........................922-5110
Lyla N. DeBlieux, Secretary. ..........................................382-3166
Catherine S. Giering, Past Chair ..................................343-5290
YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION COUNCIL
Sebastian Caballero Ashton
Michael J. Busada
Scotty Chabert
TEEN COURT OF GREATER BATON ROUGE
needs attorneys to volunteer to
assist with the program.
To find out more, contact Donna Buuck at 225-214-5556 or [email protected]
or R. Lynn Smith Haynes at 225-214-5564 or [email protected].
Adam Thames
Laranda Moffett Walker
BATON ROUGE BAR ASSOCIATION STAFF
Ann Gregorie Scarle, Executive Director
Donna Buuck, Youth Education Coordinator
R. Lynn S. Haynes, Asst. Teen Court Coordinator
Margaret Johnson, Administrative Assistant
Robin Kay, Pro Bono Coordinator
Susan Kelley, Office Manager
Pamela Labbe, Communications Coordinator
Carole McGehee, Lawyer Referral Coordinator
Trang Nguyen, Pro Bono Coordinator
Julie Ourso, Bookkeeper
214-5563
214-5556
214-5564
344-4803
214-5561
214-5559
214-5560
214-5557
214-5558
214-5572
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
Editor:
Edward J. Walters Jr.— 236-3636
Assistant Editors:
Vincent P. Fornias — 769-4553
Gail S. Stephenson — 771-4900, ext. 216
AROUND THE BAR supports participation of the membership in its production. We encourage the submission of articles and letters to the
editor. Articles should be less than 1,800 words, typed and single-spaced. A Microsoft Word file should be e-mailed as an attachment to:
[email protected].
For advertising information call Pamela Labbe at 225-214-5560. Display ads should be e-mailed as a high-resolution attachment as a
.PDF, and classified ads as text only. Publication of any advertisement shall not be considered an endorsement of the product or service
involved. The editor reserves the right to reject any advertisement, article or letter.
Copyright © by the Baton Rouge Bar Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. To
request permission or for more information, contact Pamela Labbe at 225-214-5560 or [email protected].
4
Around the Bar
Graphic Design / Ad Sales:
Pamela Labbe — 214-5560
Robert Collins
Amy E. Counce
Lani Durio
Katie Eckert
Rachel Emanuel
Greg Gouner
Marshall Grodner
Lexi Holinga
Kate Bailey Labue
Dale Lee
John McLindon
Jessica Orgeron
Darrel Papillion
Gracella Simmons
Art Vingiello
Jeff Wittenbrink
Monika Wright
All Rights Reserved • Copyright ©2011
February 2011
PHOTO BY DARIA DOYLE
letter from
the president
BY PRESTON J. CASTILLE JR.
Birds of a feather
During orientation at Tulane Law School, John Kramer gave us the usual 1L speech: “Look
to your left, look to your right, you will probably be sleeping with the person next to you by the
end of the year.” What! What happened to the Kingsfield speech from The Paper Chase: “Look
to your left, look to your right, because one of you won’t be here by the end of the year”? While
Dean Kramer’s version was both funnier and more disturbing on many
levels, he explained that the law school had raised its standards and did
not expect the attrition that terrified most students. He then began to
boast that our class not only had the highest academic credentials of any
class in the history of the law school, but was the most diverse.
I recently had lunch with Chancellor Jack Weiss, and he proudly
touted a similar statistic about the LSU law school. The SU law center
student population is nearly half white, and the Loyola law school
recently selected its first female dean – the first of any Louisiana law
school. In fact, women today make up more than half of all law school
student enrollment. It is safe to say our Louisiana law schools aren’t our
fathers’ law schools any more.
All too often, we avoid differences and miss opportunities to grow
personally and expand our understanding of others. This month we
nationally celebrate our country’s great heritage of diversity and welcome
all four of our Louisiana law school deans and chancellors. The deans and
chancellors personally reflect the cultural metamorphosis our country is
experiencing in terms of gender, racial and religious diversity. To share
our experience, we are co-hosting our February luncheon and symposium
Preston J. Castille Jr.
with the Baton Rouge Association of Women Attorneys and the Louis A.
Martinet Legal Society.
I am often asked, “Why do we need specialty bar associations like Martinet and the BRAWA?
Preston, if the goal is to become a more united society, why then do we have these separate
organizations and institutions?” Aaahh, the great paradox! While this may be a great question
for our panelists this month, I usually respond by saying, “For the same (or at least similar)
reasons we have a Construction Law Section, a Family Law Section, a Young Lawyers Section,
a Bankruptcy Law Section and practice groups and sections in our firms.” That is, while still
part of the larger organization, we naturally have different interests and issues specific to our
smaller groups. And, that’s not a bad thing… We should view these different organizations as
an opportunity to make the entire bar association better, as we should embrace sub-groups of
our society. In other words, while it’s true that “birds of a feather [sometimes] flock together,”
lawyers and people (arguably, higher life forms) have the ability to have sub-groups (committees,
sections and specialty bars, as well as different races, genders and religions) operate successfully
and still function comfortably as an integral part of the greater organization and overall society.
When birds flock together, it often provides an important nurturing and mentoring function
for others. Think of our own immediate and extended families. Those smaller groups provide the
support to help us build the skills and foundations for operating in the larger society. This month,
we welcome all of our law school deans and chancellors. We also celebrate all of our “flocks”
and hope their growing strength will make our larger bar association and society stronger, more
productive and simply a better place.
February 2011
Around the Bar
5
february
bar luncheon
2011 COMMUNITY JUSTICE SYMPOSIUM:
The State of Legal Education
THURSDAY, FEB. 3, 2011
The BRBA will hold its February
Bar Luncheon and Community Justice
Symposium jointly with the Louis A.
Martinet Legal Society and the Baton Rouge
Association of Women Attorneys at 11:45
a.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, at De La
Ronde Hall. A panel discussion of The State
of Legal Education will be held featuring
Loyola Dean Kathryn Venturatos Lorio,
Tulane Dean David Meyer, Southern Loyola Dean Kathryn
Venturatos Lorio
University Law Center Chancellor Freddie
Pitcher Jr. and LSU Law School Chancellor Jack Weiss.
Preston Castille Jr. will moderate the discussion.
All luncheon attendees will have a chance to win a
gift certificate from Ruth’s Chris, donated by Walters,
Papillion, Thomas, Cullens, and can have a photo taken
with the dean or chancellor of his or her law school.
Following the luncheon is a 2.0 hour CLE seminar
starting at 1:30 p.m. Resources for Your Client: Sobriety
Tulane Dean
David Meyer
SULC Chancellor
Freddie Pitcher Jr.
LSU Law Chancellor
Jack Weiss
Court and Drug Court. (Speakers listed below.) Seminar
cost is $50 per BRBA member and $75 per non-member.
Admittance to the bar luncheon is $20 per BRBA
member and $30 per non-BRBA member. We accept payment
in advance and at the door. VISA, MasterCard and American
Express are accepted. Fax this form to 225-344-4805 before
noon Monday, Jan. 31, 2011, to register. Checks are payable
to the BRBA, P.O. Box 2241, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.
SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY JUSTICE SYMPOSIUM & BAR LUNCHEONS:
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011 — March Bar Luncheon: Legislating Justice; De La Ronde Hall at 11:45 a.m.
Featuring: Sen. Dan Claitor, Sen. Rob Marionneaux, Rep. Franklin Foil, Rep. Hunter V. Greene, Rep. Michael L. Jackson
and Rep. Eddie J. Lambert. Moderated by Kimberly Robinson. Sponsored by the BRBA Public Law Practice Section.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011 — April Bar Luncheon: Crime and the Criminal Justice System; De La Ronde Hall at 11:45 a.m.
Featuring: EBR Public Defender Michael Mitchell, EBR District Attorney Hillar Moore and EBR Parish Attorney Mary Roper.
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011 — May Bar Luncheon: Where Will the Children Go? Our Juvenile Justice System;
De La Ronde Hall at 11:45 a.m. Speakers: Patrick Bella, Elizabeth Betz, Judge Laura Davis, Sherry Patrick and Judge Lisa Woodruff-White.
Moderator: Laurie Marien. Sponsored by the BRBA Family Law Section, which will hold a brief business meeting
for FLS members following the May luncheon.
Please fax this page to the Baton Rouge Bar Association, (225) 344-4805, by noon Monday, Jan. 31, 2011.
Bar Roll No.__________________________
Please check applicable boxes:
❏ BRBA member
❏ Martinet member
❏ BRAWA member
❏ guest
Name____________________________________________________ Firm___________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________
City ________________________________________________________ State ____________ Zip _______________________
Phone ___________________________________________________ Fax ___________________________________________
E-mail ___________________________________________________
❏
❏
6
YES, register me for the FEBRUARY BAR LUNCHEON at DE LA RONDE HALL taking place Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, at a cost of $20 per BRBA member,
and $30 per nonmember. Reservations may be transferred, but not canceled, after 12 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, 2011. “No shows” will be billed.
YES, register me for the 2 HOUR CREDIT CLE SEMINAR at DE LA
RONDE HALL, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, $50
per BRBA member, and $75 per nonmember. Reservations may be
transferred, but not canceled, after noon Monday, Jan. 31, 2011.
“No shows” will be billed. Seminar title: Resources for Your Client.
Discussion of Drug Court by Judge Tony Marabella, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Discussion of Sobriety Court by Cathy Childers (DWI Policy Specialist/
DWI Court Liaison for the La. Highway Safety Commission), Judge
Suzan Ponder (Sobiety Court Judge), James Cook (Sobriety Court
Coordinator) and Lisa Freeman (Prosecutor), 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Around the Bar
If paying by credit card, please include the following:
Name on credit card_________________________________
Type of card: (circle one): MC VISA
AmericanExpress
Card Number:______________________________________
Exp. Date: ___________________ Security code: _________
February 2011
7, 11 & 13 = $0.00
Making the Chapters Add Up
Bankruptcy and How It Relates to the Everyday Practice of Law
A REDUCED COST CLE SPONSORED BY THE FAMILY LAW SECTION OF THE BATON ROUGE BAR ASSOCIATION
AND HOSTED BY THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
FRIDAY, FEB. 18, 2011 — 8:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. — UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA, 777 FLORIDA STREET
8:30 - 9 a.m.
9 - 10:30 am.
10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
12 - 1 p.m.
1 - 2 p.m.
2:10 - 3:10 p.m.
3:10 - 4:10 p.m.
4:10 - 4:30 p.m.
Registration and breakfast
Optional admission to the Middle District is available
Bankrupty for Dummies (Speaker: Judge Elizabeth Magner)
for a separate fee of $180, paid directly to the court
Automatic Stay (Speaker: Judge Robert Summerhays)
via the following link: www.lamd.uscourts.gov
Lunch
Dischargeability (Speakers: Dwayne Murray, Elizabeth Hall and Stacie Butler)
Ethics (Speakers: Michael Walsh and Judge Douglas Dodd)
Training in Electronic Filing (Speaker: Nick Lorio)
Swearing in to Middle District Ceremony (Optional)
COST: $75 for Family Law Section members and pro bono volunteers who accept two cases between Jan. 15 and March 15, 2011; $125 for Family Law Section members
who DO NOT accept cases; $150 for BRBA non-Family Law Section members; $175 for non-BRBA members.
CREDIT HOURS: 5.75 hours will be offered, including 1.0 hour of Ethics. Law Practice Management credit pending. Materials will be distributed electronically
in advance of the seminar. Reservations may be transferred, but not canceled, after noon Wednesday, Feb. 16. “No shows” will be billed. Fax this form to 225-344-4805
before noon Wednesday, Feb. 16, to register. Checks are payable to the BRBA, P. O. Box 2241, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.
Bar Roll No.__________________________ Please check applicable boxes: ❏ BRBA member ❏ Family Law Section member ❏ Yes, I’ll accept a case.
Name____________________________________________________ Firm_____________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City ________________________________________________________________ State ____________ Zip _________________________
Phone ___________________________________________________ Fax __________________________ E-mail _____________________
If paying by credit card, please include the following:
Name on credit card_________________________________ Type of card: (circle one): MC VISA
AmericanExpress
Card Number:______________________________________ Exp. Date: ___________________ Security code: _____________________
MOCK
TRIAL JUDGES
&
TIMEKEEPERS
NEEDED
The BRBF is in need of
volunteers to be judges
and timekeepers for the
the High School Mock Trial
Region III Competition
Feb. 25 and Feb. 26.
If you are interested,
please contact
Lynn Haynes at
225-214-5564
or [email protected].
February 2011
Around the Bar
7
tales from
the bar side
BY VINCENT P. FORNIAS
Recently our community had the distinct privilege of
experiencing something christened a “Second Amendment
Tax-Free Holiday.” What will these marketing mavens
think of next?
On its surface, this little constitutional buying
opportunity was directed to those who worship the rights
and privileges afforded by the Second Amendment to the
Bill of Rights – the right to bear arms, to dress in head-totoe camouflage, to kill or maim all manner of mammals,
and generally to engage in various and sundry violent
shenanigans bearing little relevance to the modifying
clause of said Amendment (“A well regulated Militia,
being necessary to the security of a free State, …”).
But since now we have opened up this little
constitutional can of fishing worms, has anyone out there
considered the Equal Protection Clause and its palpable
violation by the abject favoritism that this economic boon
8
Around the Bar
Constitutional coupons
shows to the Bass Pro crowd?
What about the non-hunting artsy crowd? Isn’t there
a fundamental right to buy watercolors and stained glass?
Shouldn’t they get an occasional holiday from imposts at,
say, Caffery Gallery or Circa 1857? Think about half-price
day at a Bergman film festival at the Manship Theatre.
And shouldn’t there be a First Amendment bargain
day to enable thrifty freethinkers to get great deals at the
local Cottonwood Books or Barnes & Noble? Aren’t we
slighting all those deserving protesters or public assemblers
who deserve a break in outfitting themselves at Best Buy
or Radio Shack?
And while we are at this, why stop with the Bill of
Rights? Can’t someone fashion an annual Magna Carta
Day, with prices reduced by $12.15 to everyone named
John? Don’t forget The Siete Partidas. Fair Play for the
Code of Hammurabi!
February 2011
yls corner
BY AMANDA STOUT, 2011 YLS COUNCIL CHAIR
Come One, Come All! The first Thirsty Thursday of
2011 is set to kick-off March Madness and celebrate St.
Patty’s Day. Wear your favorite team color or wear green;
just wear something and join the YLS for a fun evening.
Our first Thirsty Thursday will be held March 17,
2011, from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Blind Tiger (West Lee Drive).
Come meet other young lawyers at what we promise will
be a fun event. If you’ve never attended, Thirsty Thursdays
are great happy-hour gatherings at various establishments
around town where you can meet and mingle with other
young lawyers in a casual setting. Following our March
Madness Thirsty Thursday, we are planning Thirsty
Thursdays in May, July and September.
In addition to Thirsty Thursdays, the YLS offers
several other ways for members to get involved. If you’ve
never attended a Side Bar Luncheon, I encourage you to
participate in one this year. These intimate lunches with
February 2011
Get involved: March Madness
Thirsty Thursday scheduled
local judiciary are a great way for you to get to know
our judges, find out how they operate their courtrooms
and obtain valuable insight on the practice of law from
the bench. The YLS is also planning its annual Summer
Sizzlin’ CLE to be held in mid-July and several other onehour CLEs, which are specifically geared toward young
lawyers.
If you are looking for more hands-on involvement,
the YLS sponsors two great events: Belly Up with the
Bar and the Holiday Star Project. Both events are run by
committees that always need fresh faces and new ideas. If
you are interested in serving on either of these committees,
please contact any one of the YLS Council members or the
BRBA office.
Watch for your monthly e-mail from your YLS
representative and check out next month’s YLS corner for
more information about our upcoming events.
Around the Bar
9
attorney
spotlight
Interview with
Amy Groves Lowe, Luncheon
& Symposium Committee chair
BY PAMELA LABBE
ATB: When and how did you first
become involved with the BRBA?
3, and Charlotte, who is 20 months. I
live one block from my parents and see
them almost every day. You don’t get any
luckier than I am.
AGL: During my first year as an attorney,
I joined the Holiday Star Committee,
which was a new BRBA committee. It
was so much fun and so rewarding to
volunteer and have such tangible results.
ATB: What was your first paying job?
AGL: My first paying job was teaching
neighborhood children how to read over
the summer.
ATB: What are you, as Luncheon
Committee chair, and the committee
doing differently in 2011 from what the
BRBA has done in the past?
ATB: Who or what inspired you to
become a lawyer?
AGL: The Luncheon Committee,
AGL: My dad was, and continues to be,
Amy Groves Lowe
which was renamed the Luncheon &
my inspiration professionally. He is not
Symposium Committee, adopted the
only a great writer and litigator, but he
theme of “community justice” and will attempt to have
absolutely loves being a lawyer. He gives 100 percent to
each luncheon focus on a specific issue of how we, as
every case and continues to find the process of working
attorneys, serve our larger community in obtaining justice
on a case intriguing. He brings such passion to his work
in all areas of life. As in years past, we will still have guest
and really enjoys his job. He is also extremely professional
speakers to lead discussion, but this year we plan to have a
and, therefore, has the respect of his colleagues. It is a joy
panel of experts on a given topic at each luncheon who can
to watch him work and a privilege to get to work with
provide more than one opinion and encourage dialogue.
him.
ATB: Where are you from and where did you grow up?
Tell us about your family.
ATB: Tell us about your education.
AGL: I received my B.S. and M.A. in psychology from
AGL: I was born and raised in Baton Rouge and have
LSU. I graduated from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law
never left. I love Baton Rouge! My mother Jan Groves
Center in 1997.
was also raised in Baton Rouge. She has a great love for
this city and not only sees its great potential, but works
ATB: Describe your legal career up until now.
avidly for change as a volunteer to numerous non-profit
groups. My father Eugene Groves is a partner at Taylor,
AGL: My focus throughout my legal career has always
Porter and is the best litigator I have ever seen – and I have
been civil litigation. My favorite cases are those that I am
seen a lot. My parents have been
married for more than 40 years and
are devoted to each other and to
our family. My sister and brother
Four decades of experience in the
both live in Dallas – Susannah is a
resolution of State Ethics, Campaign Finance
corporate trainer for Fannie Mae
and Lobbyist Registration issues and general Construction Law
and William is a portfolio manager
at U.S. Trust. My husband David
R. GRAY SEXTON
TODD HEBERT
Lowe is a partner with Keegan,
10715 N. Oak Hills Parkway
DeNicola, Kiesel, Bagwell, Juban
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
and Lowe, and we have two precious
225-767-2020
children – Rebecca, who is almost
www.sextonhebert.com
Sexton ~ Hebert, Attorneys at Law
10
Around the Bar
February 2011
involved in at the very early stages, try before a judge or
jury and then argue on appeal. Recently, I have combined
my background in psychology with my experience as a
litigator to assist other attorneys in jury selection. I have
been hired to meet with attorneys to assist in developing
strategies for jury selection and in presenting a case to a
jury, and have been hired to actually handle the voir dire
for specific trials. I also assist attorneys in creating jury
questionnaires and participating in mock trials in larger
cases, such as class actions and mass tort cases.
ATB: How long have you been practicing with Taylor,
Porter, Brooks & Phillips, LLP?
AGL: I have been practicing with Taylor, Porter since I
graduated from law school.
ATB: When did you become a partner?
AGL: Because so many cases settle, the most challenging
part of my job is that most of my cases do not get to trial.
I love trying cases, but it is often in my client’s best interest
to settle prior to trial.
ATB: Are you on any boards, committees or a member of
any other organization?
AGL: I currently serve as the sustaining advisor to the
Marketing Council of the Junior League of Baton Rouge,
where I was also a past president. I also teach first grade
through third grade Sunday School at St. James Episcopal
Church and am a member of their Youth Education
Committee.
ATB: What book have you read lately for pleasure?
AGL: The Fall of the House of Zeus: The Rise and Ruin of
America’s Most Powerful Trial Lawyer by Curtis Wilkie.
AGL: I became a partner in 2002.
ATB: What is your favorite vacation destination?
ATB: What do you consider the most challenging part of
your job?
AGL: Rosemary Beach, Florida.
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with premium quality
Louisiana State University
225-751-4024
12944 Coursey Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA
Helping lawyers
find paralegals
for full-time,
part-time, permanent,
and short-term
employment.
For more information about
our placement services,
call LSU Legal Studies
at 225/578-6760.
www.outreach.lsu.edu
COURSEY BLVD. AT STUMBERG LN.
February 2011
Around the Bar
11
Inventory
searches of
automobiles
BY JOHN McLINDON
When the United States Supreme Court handed down
the decision of Arizona v. Gant, 129 S. Ct. 1710 (2009),
several criminal law commentators predicted that there
would be a rise in inventory searches by police officers.
Gant held that police officers may search a vehicle incident
to a recent occupant’s arrest only if the arrestee is within
reaching distance of the passenger compartment at the time
of the search, or it is reasonable to believe that the vehicle
contains evidence of the offense of arrest. Absent these
circumstances, officers can no longer search an arrestee’s
vehicle as an “incident to an arrest” – one of the generally
recognized exceptions to the search warrant requirement.
In a recent case, State v. Escoto, 41 So.3d 1160 (La.
2010), the Louisiana Supreme Court analyzed a stop and
search of a vehicle and determined that the search of an
unmarked pill bottle found in the vehicle was reasonable
and was a valid inventory search.
On Dec. 26, 2008, two Covington police officers
pulled over a vehicle for speeding. The driver and sole
occupant of the car was Porfirio Escoto. He was unable to
produce a valid driver’s license or proof of his legal status
in the United States. He was arrested for operating a motor
vehicle in the United States without lawful presence, which
is a violation of La. R.S. 14:100.13. Prior to Gant arguably
the officers could have searched the car as a search incident
to arrest. However, because Mr. Escoto was removed from
the car and because there was no reason to believe that the
vehicle contained evidence of the offense of arrest, such a
search could not legally be conducted.
The defendant did not have a cell phone, and he had
no phone number to contact anyone to retrieve or move
his vehicle. It was parked near the shoulder of Highway
190 close to Covington High School. The officers called
a tow truck, but before the tow truck arrived the officers
conducted an inventory search of the vehicle. During the
search one of the officers came across an opaque blue
non-prescription pill bottle sitting in the center console
cup holder. The officer opened the pill bottle and found
a variety of pills. The officer then called a Walgreen’s
Pharmacy to identify the pills. Walgreen’s indicated that
some of the pills in the bottle required a prescription. The
defendant was questioned about this and was unable to
produce a prescription, stating that he had purchased the
pills from a co-worker because he had hurt his hand.
12
Around the Bar
Thereafter, the tow truck arrived on the scene. At the
same time a woman identifying herself as the defendant’s
girlfriend arrived on the scene. The girlfriend had been
out looking for the Mr. Escoto because he was late
coming home from work. The vehicle was released to the
girlfriend, and she parked it in the Covington High School
parking lot until she could return with someone to bring
the vehicle home. Because the vehicle was not towed, an
inventory form was never executed.
Escoto was charged with possession of illegal narcotics.
He filed a motion to suppress the drugs on the ground that
they were obtained without a valid search warrant. The
trial court granted the motion to suppress, finding that the
officers were probably in good faith in commencing the
inventory search, but also finding that they exceeded the
scope of a true inventory search by opening and searching
the blue pill bottle, which the court found did not have any
inherent value for inventory purposes. The First Circuit
denied the writ application of the state and thereafter the
supreme court granted writs.
The court began by noting that there were several
exceptions to the search warrant requirements of both the
Louisiana and the United States constitutions. The court
cited South Dakota v. Opperman, 96 S.Ct. 3092 (1976),
which recognized that one such exception to the warrant
requirement is an inventory search of an automobile
pursuant to standard police procedures. The court in
Opperman ruled that inventory procedures have developed
in response to three distinct needs: the protection of the
owner’s property while it remains in police custody; the
protection of the police against claims or disputes over
lost or stolen property; and the protection of the police
from potential danger. The Louisiana Supreme Court has
adopted this reasoning. See State v. La Rue, 368 So.2d.
1048 (La. 1979). The court in Escoto, quoting from State
v. Jewell, 338 So.2d 633 (La. 1976), held that an essential
requirement to a valid inventory search is that the police
must have acted in good faith in conducting the inventory
search and must not have used the inventory process as a
subterfuge for a warrantless search.
The court went on to note that an inventory
search is examined under a totality of circumstances
test. Traditionally the court considers six factors in
determining whether a true inventory search has taken
February 2011
place: 1) whether the vehicle
could not have remained safely
where it was located; 2) whether
the search was conducted in the
field; 3) whether a tow truck was
called before the search commenced; 4) whether formal
impoundment procedures were followed; 5) whether the
vehicle operator was asked if he consented to a search, or if
the car contained any valuables, or if he would consent to
a waiver of the protections afforded by inventory search;
and 6) whether the operator was given an opportunity to
make arrangements for someone to pick up the vehicle.
The trial court, in granting the motion to suppress,
ruled that the officers
went beyond the scope
of a true inventory search
by opening the nonprescription pill bottle.
The court reasoned that
an innocuous bottle did
not rise to the level of
having any inherent value
for inventory purposes.
The trial court relied
on Jewell, supra, which
involved the search of
a small Excedrin bottle
found in the ashtray
of a car. In Jewell the
Louisiana Supreme Court
determined that the inventory search was not conducted in
good faith and found that the police officers were searching
for incriminating evidence. The Escoto court distinguished
Jewell. In the present case the officers felt that the vehicle’s
location was a potential danger for traffic. Although the
search was conducted in the field, the tow truck was called
before the inventory search commenced. Also one of the
officers testified that he filled out the standard wreckerinventory sheet, documenting all of the belongings inside
the vehicle. However, the inventory form was never
executed because the car was not loaded and taken away by
the wrecker company due to the arrival of the defendant’s
girlfriend. The court also distinguished State v. Rome, 354
So.2d 504 (La. 1978), which involved an invalid, illegal
inventory search.
After determining that the officers in Escoto
commenced the inventory search in good faith, the court
February 2011
then turned its attention to
whether the officers exceeded the
scope of a valid inventory search
by opening the unmarked pill
bottle. Citing a few U.S. Supreme
Court cases, the court held that it was not unreasonable
for a police department to search any and all containers
pursuant to an inventory search as long as it was part of a
routine, procedure or policy. The court held that it would
be unreasonable to expect police officers in the everyday
course of business to make “fine and subtle distinctions in
deciding which containers or items may be searched and
which may be sealed as a unit.” 41 So3d at 1166, citing
Colorado v. Bertine, 107
S.Ct. 738 (1987).
The
officer
who
found the pill bottle
in Escoto testified that
“they are instructed to
open
containers
like
that.” Accordingly, the
Louisiana Supreme Court
found that the search was
pursuant to the Covington
Police
Department’s
practice of instructing
their officers to search
closed containers during
inventory searches. The
Louisiana Supreme Court
also found that contrary to what the trial court ruled, an
unmarked pill bottle can have inherent value as it could
contain prescription medication or small valuables, such
as jewelry.
Finally, the court held that unconstitutional searches
cannot be “constitutionalized by standardizing them as
a part of normal practice.” However, when discretion is
exercised according to standard criteria and on the basis
of something other than suspicion of evidence of criminal
activity, an established routine governing the opening of
containers found during inventory searches is acceptable.
With the Gant decision disallowing most searches
incident to arrest, it can be expected that there will be a
rise in inventory searches. Defense counsel and the courts
should scrutinize these searches to be sure that they are true
inventory searches and not a subterfuge for a warrantless,
illegal search.
Around the Bar
13
bar news
BY PAMELA LABBE
Mock Trial Competition set for Feb. 25 & 26
The BRBF will host the Region III High School Mock
Trial Competition Friday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, Feb. 26,
2011, at the new 19th Judicial District Courthouse at 300
North Blvd. Lauren Byrd Reed is the chair of this year’s
Mock Trial Committee.
The BRBF formerly handled the Region V competition,
but due to a recent reorganization, Region III now includes
Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, East Baton Rouge, West
Baton Rouge, Livingston, Point Coupee, St. Tammany and
Tangipahoa parishes. The winning team will represent
Region III at the state level competition to be held in
Gretna, La., March 19, 2011.
R. Lynn S. Haynes, staff liaison to the committee, needs
volunteer judges and timekeepers to assist with this year’s
Mock Trial Competition. Contact her at 225-214-5564 or
[email protected] to volunteer.
March Luncheon & Symposium to feature panel
discussion on legislating justice
Beer @ da Bar reception series to offer networking
opportunities quarterly at Middleton Bar Center
The BRBA will host a new reception series – Beer @
da Bar – beginning Feb. 22 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the
Middleton Bar Center. All BRBA members are invited to
attend. This networking opportunity is a chance for the
BRBA to honor members of the legal community who are
“making a difference.” This first Beer @ da Bar is being
sponsored by Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips.
The BRBA/Auxiliary scholarship recipients attending
LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center and Southern University
Law Center are confirmed as honorees for the February
Beer @ da Bar event. Timothy Brinks is the LSU recipient
of the spring 2011 scholarship and Krystin Frazier is the
2011 recipient from SULC.
Other honorees include V. Charles Cusimano, Erin
Monroe Wesley and Vanessa LaFleur. A bulletin board to
post job openings will be on hand. Future Beer @ da Bar
events are tentatively scheduled for May 12, Aug. 23 and
Nov. 10, 2011.
The BRBA luncheon set for Thursday,
March 3, will involve a panel discussion
titled “Legislating Justice” and will feature
Sen. Dan Claitor, Sen. Rob Marionneaux,
Rep. Franklin Foil, Rep. Hunter Greene,
Rep. Michael L. Jackson and Rep. Eddie
J. Lambert. This event is sponsored by the
BRBA Public Law Practice Section.
The luncheon will be held at De La
Ronde Hall and will begin at 11:45 a.m.
A two-hour CLE seminar on lobbying
issues is scheduled to take place following
the panel discussion. C. Kevin Hayes and
Jimmy Burland will speak. For details,
contact Ann G. Scarle at 225-214-5563.
Law Day 2011 activities to be held
Friday, March 25
The BRBF Law Day program will take
place Friday, March 25, 2011, much earlier
than in past years. The chairperson of the
Law Day Committee is Al Perkins. Beau
Brock is the vice chair. For more information,
to join the committee or to volunteer to
assist with this year’s event, please contact
Donna Buuck at 225-214-5556 or donna@
brba.org.
14
Around the Bar
February 2011
PHOTO BY PAIGE DAMPF
PHOTO BY MARGARET JOHNSON
PHOTO BY MARGARET JOHNSON
Fred T. Crifasi, Joe Giglio Jr, Maggie Simar, Kyle Gideon and Trenton J. Oubre
attended a joint meeting of the Lafayette Bar Association and the BRBA Nov.
17, 2010, at the Middleton Bar Center.
Attending a joint meeting of the Lafayette Bar Association and the BRBA
were Dona Renegar, Tricia Pierre and Preston J. Castille Jr.
Newly installed First Circuit Judge Toni Higginbotham officiates Jack
Dampf’s installation as ad hoc judge for EBR Family Court Jan. 5, 2011.
Standing beside Dampf and holding the Bible is his wife Susan.
Installation Ceremony for First Circuit Judge
Higginbotham held Jan. 5; Dampf to serve as EBR
Family Court ad hoc judge until April
Judge Toni Higginbotham, elected to the Louisiana
First Circuit Court of Appeal, was sworn in during a
ceremony at the First Circuit Court Wednesday, Jan. 5,
2011. Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine
“Kitty” Kimball officiated the ceremony.
Jack Dampf, a past president of the
BRBA and a partner in the firm of Dampf,
Thibaut & Hessburg, was appointed as
a judge in the East Baton Rouge Family
Court to replace Judge Toni Higginbotham.
Dampf, who will serve on the bench until
the election in April to select a permanent
judge, was selected by Justice Kimball.
Judge Higginbotham officiated Dampf’s
installation as ad hoc judge in a ceremony
at the First Circuit Court of Appeal that
followed her own installation.
Register today for Bench Bar 2011
Register for the 2011 Bench Bar
Conference today: www.brba.org/forms/
BBC2011.pdf. Early bird discount ends
Feb. 15, 2011. Call 225-344-4803 with
any questions.
Junior Partners Academy needs
more attorney volunteers
The Junior Partners Academy is a
new program that has been developed
by the BRBF. Training will be provided
for volunteer attorneys. Contact Donna
Buuck at 225-214-5556 for details.
February 2011
Around the Bar
15
Dean Henry George McMahon chapter of American
Inns of Court wins national honor
The Dean Henry George McMahon chapter of the
American Inns of Court was honored in Washington, D.C.,
by the National American Inns of Court at its Celebration
of Excellence ceremony.
On behalf of the Dean Henry George McMahon
chapter, President Judge Jewell “Duke” Welch accepted
the 2010 Achieving Excellence Award, Platinum Level,
at the ceremony recognizing the chapter, along with 14
others from around the country for the highest level of
achievement. This is the third consecutive year that the
chapter has been recognized for excellence by the national
foundation.
Thirst for Justice legal clinic needs volunteers
The Pro Bono Project of the Baton Rouge Bar
Foundation organizes two community outreach legal
clinics each Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. at
the St. Vincent de Paul Center. The Project is still in need
of attorney volunteers for its 2011 schedule.
To volunteer, contact Pro Bono Coordinator Trang
Nguyen at 225-214-5558 or [email protected].
Members of the Holiday Star Committee, BRBA staff and volunteers arrived
at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 3, 2010, to help load gifts into a Diesel Driving
Academy 18-wheeler on Holiday Star gift distribution day.
In Washington, D.C., United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
(left) presents the 2010 Achieving Excellence Award, Platinum Level, to
Judge Jewel “Duke” Welch.
BRBA is now using social media
If you use social media, you can follow the BRBA
on Twitter: twitter.com/brBAR. On Facebook, search the
keywords “Baton Rouge Bar Association” for both the
BRBA fan page and the BRBA group.
Ask-A-Lawyer workshop schedule for
2011 is set; volunteers are needed
A total of 27 Ask-A-Lawyer workshops
are scheduled for 2011, five of which will
take place in February and March.
The scheduled February legal clinics are
Feb. 3 at Delmont Service Center and Feb.
16 at Catholic Charities.
In March, Zachary Library will host
the March 5 workshop, Catholic Charities
will host the March 16 workshop, and the
Eden Park Library will host the March 19
workshop.
If you are an attorney who would like
to volunteer your time toward making a
difference in the Baton Rouge community,
contact Trang Nguyen at 225-214-5558 or
[email protected].
MEETING ROOM FACILITIES
AVAILABLE FOR
DEPOSITIONS & MEDIATIONS
For more information,
contact Margaret Johnson at the BRBA:
225-344-4803
16
Around the Bar
February 2011
PHOTO BY PAMELA LABBE
PHOTO BY PAMELA LABBE
PHOTO BY PAMELA LABBE
Scott Huffstetler, Erin Kilgore and Judge Brian A. Jackson attended the Dec.
13, 2010, Swearing In Ceremony and reception, sponsored by the Federal
Bar Association, Baton Rouge Chapter. Huffstetler is an FBA officer.
Judge Frank Polozola, Outgoing Federal Bar Association President Christine
Goldberg, Chief Judge Ralph Tyson and 2010 BRBA President Fred T. Crifasi
attended the reception following the Federal Court Swearing In Ceremony
Monday, Dec. 13, 2010.
BRBA hosts day-long Practicing in Baton Rouge
CLE seminar, followed by federal court swearing in
ceremony and FBA, BR chapter reception
Photographed above are Judge Stephen C. Riedlinger, Jack Stanley and
Linda Law Clark. Stanley, a law student with the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law
Center, received a scholarship from the Federal Bar Association, Baton
Rouge Chapter, during the Dec. 13, 2010, reception at the Federal Court.
PHOTO BY PAMELA LABBE
The BRBA and Federal Bar Association, Baton Rouge
Chapter, partnered to host a day-long event Monday, Dec.
13, 2010. CLE seminars were held in the Middle District
of Louisiana building for new lawyers, followed by a
swearing in ceremony in Courtroom 1 of Federal Court.
Afterward, the Federal Bar Association, Baton Rouge
Chapter, held a business meeting and the installation of its
officers. Outgoing chapter president, Christine Goldberg,
led the meeting. Two law student scholarship winners
were introduced, Jack Stanley from the LSU Paul M.
Hebert Law Center and Angelica Evans from the Southern
University Law Center.
Family Law Section hosts bankruptcy CLE seminar
Friday, Feb. 18 at U.S. District Court for the MDLA
Lee J. Ledet, Jonathan Perry, Judge James Brady, Mary E. Colvin and Laura
Haris attended the Swearing In Ceremony and the reception following it
Monday, Dec. 13, 2010.
PHOTO BY PAMELA LABBE
The BRBA Family Law Section is hosting a CLE
seminar titled “7, 11, & 13 = $0.00. Making the Chapters
Add Up: Bankruptcy and How It Relates to the Everyday
Practice of Law .” It will take place Friday, Feb. 18,
2011, at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of
Louisiana, 777 Florida Street. Registration and breakfast
begins at 8:30 a.m. The 5.75 hour CLE concludes at 4:10
p.m., followed by an optional swearing in ceremony. See
page 7, or call 225-344-4803 for more information.
BRBA Volunteer Committee provides free lunch
Thursday, Feb. 10 to recruitment lunch attendees
Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch? The
BRBA Volunteer Committee is hosting a recruitment lunch
Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011, at the Middleton Bar Center to
encourage more BRBA members to join the Volunteer
Committee. If you are interested in attending or would
like more information, please contact Carole McGehee at
225-214-5557 or [email protected].
February 2011
Photographed above are Karleen Green, Eric Miller, Christine Goldberg, Susie
Furr and Betty Burke Uzee, who also attended the Swearing In Ceremony.
Around the Bar
17
Getting to know the BRBA staff
As the saying goes, it’s not what you know, but who
you know that makes the difference. The purpose of this
article is to provide you with a directory of BRBA staff
contact information along with each employee’s primary
responsibilities and committees they assist. For more
information regarding the projects and committees of the
BRBA, refer to the information below to contact the go-to
person for the project or committee that interests you.
Ann G. Scarle is in
charge of managing the
Baton Rouge Bar Association
and Baton Rouge Bar
Foundation. She supports
the Board of Directors
and supervises the staff.
Her role is to implement
the policies of the Board
of Directors and its long-range plan. Scarle handles the
Bench Bar Conference and CLE committees and assures
the goals and objectives set in the organization are met.
In addition, she works with the following sections: Public
Law, Construction Law, Workers’ Compensation, Apellate
and Bankruptcy. Scarle, only the second executive director
the BRBA has ever had, was selected for this position in
May 1991. She has been employed with the BRBA since
February 1988.
Ann G. Scarle, Executive Director
[email protected] • 225-214-5563
Donna Buuck coordinates
Teen Court, Youth Education,
Belly Up with the Bar and Law
Day committees as well as the
new Junior Partners Academy.
Buuck is in charge of recruiting
volunteers, organizing activities
and completing grant and status
reports. She is jointly responsible
for setting up hearings, trainings,
client interviews and community services for juvenile
defendants for the Teen Court of Greater Baton Rouge
program. She has been employed by BRBA for 19 years.
Donna Buuck, Youth Education Coordinator
[email protected] • 225-214-5556
R. Lynn S. Haynes is staff liaison to the Mock Trial
Committee and assists with the Teen Court and Youth
Education committees. She manages the Teen Court
database and is jointly responsible for Teen Court sessions,
including group and parent-child sessions, trainings, client
18
Around the Bar
BY KELSEAY REED
interviews
and
community
services for juvenile defendants.
For Mock Trial, she secures
the venue, judges, volunteers and
students. Haynes also assists in
securing attorneys to teach lesson
plans in the classroom. Haynes
also
coordinates
counselor
education graduate students for
Teen Court. She has been with the BRBA for 12 years.
R. Lynn S. Haynes, Assistant Teen Court Coordinator
[email protected] • 225-214-5564
Margaret Johnson, assistant
to the executive director,
provides staff support to the
Board of Directors, the monthly
bar luncheons and all court
receptions. Johnson is the staff
liaison to the Continuing Legal
Education, Bench Bar Conference
and Ball Maul committees.
She coordinates the annual Softball Tournament and
serves aas the staff liaison to several sections: Workers’
Compensation, Construction Law and Public Law
Practice. Johnson coordinates Middleton Bar Center’s
room rentals, answers the main phone line and greets the
public and BRBA members. She is responsible for handling
mail and updating BRBA’s master and website calendars.
She processes event and CLE registrations, reports hours
and submits courses for accreditation to Mandatory
Continuing Legal Education and prepares and distributes
the weekly e-newsletter. Johnson began her BRBA career
in May 2010.
Margaret Johnson, Administrative Assistant
[email protected] • 225-344-4803
Robin Kay organizes the
activities of the Pro Bono
Committee and Family Law
Section. She provides grant
reporting and prepares monthly
status reports for the Pro Bono
Project. Kay recruits attorney
and law student volunteers for
the various programs of the Pro
Bono Project, which includes Thirst for Justice, Ask-ALawyer, Wills for Heroes and case placements. She also
manages the pro bono database and is jointly responsible
for placing pro bono clients with volunteer attorneys. Kay
has been with BRBA for three and a half years.
February 2011
Robin Kay, Pro Bono Coordinator
[email protected] • 225-214-5561
Susan S. Kelley, office
manager,
coordinates
the
activities of the Young Lawyers
Section, Holiday Star and
Membership committees. Kelley
is in charge of ordering office
supplies, making deposits,
processing new members and
handling building maintenance
and the Association’s database software. She has been with
the BRBA for 21 years, with a few breaks in between.
Susan S. Kelley, Office Manager
[email protected] • 225-214-5559
Pamela Labbe is the staff
liaison to the Publications, Law
Expo and Technology committees.
She helps plan, design and edit 10
issues of Around the Bar a year with
the guidance of volunteer editors.
Her tasks include photography,
magazine advertising sales, website
February 2011
updates, form creation and design of the printed legal
directory. She secures Law Expo sponsors, designs print
ads, answers queries from the BRBA website and listserv,
prepares signage for all BRBA events and supervises a
communications intern each semester. Labbe administers
BRBA’s social media (Facebook and Twitter), markets
Association programs, and writes/distributes press releases
to the media. She has been with BRBA for 11 years.
Pamela Labbe, Communications Coordinator
[email protected] • 225-214-5560
Carole McGeheee handles the
Lawyer Referral and Information
Service as well as the Volunteer and
Easter Eggstravaganza committees.
She answers approximately 400
calls monthly, sets up appointments
with panel members and manages
the Association’s Lawyer Referral
database. She is responsible for
coordinating paralegal interns, monthly Volunteer
Committee events and the annual Easter egg hunts. She
has been with BRBA for 10 years.
Carole McGehee, Lawyer Referral Coordinator
[email protected] • 225-214-5557
Around the Bar
19
GAIL’S GRAMMAR
Trang
Nguyen
provides
staff support to the Pro Bono
Committee. Nguyen coordinates
the Thirst for Justice legal clinics
and Ask-A-Lawyer workshops.
She manages the pro bono
database and coordinates law
student volunteers. Nguyen is
also jointly responsible for placing pro bono clients with
volunteer attorneys. In addition, she is responsible for
the Pro Bono Project’s report in Foundation Footnotes
in Around the Bar each month. She has been with BRBA
since April 2010.
Trang Nguyen, Pro Bono Coordinator
[email protected] • 225-214-5558
Julie Ourso is staff liaison
to the Operations and Finance
Committee. Julie assists in
answering the phone, sets up all
new events in the Association’s
database,
prepares
monthly
financial reports, handles the
accounting system,
accounts payable, accounts receivable and
payroll, and coordinates the annual audit.
She has been employed by the BRBA for
nine years.
We are all familiar with the concept that to
compare two things, we use the comparative “er”
or “more,” but for three or more things we use the
superlative “est” or “most.” But is it wrong to use
the superlative with two items? Although some
hold the firm belief, probably drilled into their heads
in elementary school, that one who has only two
daughters could never say “Sara is my youngest
daughter,” many would disagree. Writers who have
used “the superlative of two” include Hemingway,
Shakespeare, Milton and Defoe. Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary of English Usage states, “The rule serves
no ... practical function except to separate those who
observe the rule from those who do not.” So instead
of trying to be hypertechnical, just use whichever one
sounds better [or best] to you. It’s all right to put your
best foot forward, even though you have only two.
Thanks to Lorraine Crifasi for suggesting this topic. Send
suggestions for future Gail’s Grammar columns to Gail
Stephenson at [email protected], or call Gail at
225.771.4900 x 216.
Julie Ourso, Bookkeeper
[email protected] • 225-214-5572
And, of course, BRBA staff members
pitch in during all events and receptions, in
addition to their usual duties listed above.
REQUESTED:
LEGAL ARTICLE
SUBMISSIONS
Let us know if you
would like to write
an article to be published
in Around the Bar.
Please contact:
Pamela Labbe at 225-214-5560
or [email protected]
20
Around the Bar
February 2011
February 2011
Around the Bar
21
foundation footnotes
PRO BONO PROJECT & TEEN COURT REPORTS
PRO BONO PROJECT REPORT —
We would like to thank all volunteers who donated
their time to the Pro Bono Project during November and
December.
Solo practitioners who volunteered for Thirst for
Justice were Terry Bonnie, Allen Posey, Byron Kantrow,
and Judge Melvin Shortess (Ret.). Volunteers for Thirst
for Justice with firms were Durward Casteel, Casteel &
Associates; Chad Dudley, Chris Keyser and Paul Wilkins,
Dudley DeBosier; Stephen Strohschein, McGlinchey
Stafford, PLLC; Alvin Washington, Southern University
Law Center; and Cyrus Greco, Ann Halphen, William
Kaufman, Harry Philips, Margaret Tooke and W. Luther
Wilson, Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips.
The law student intake volunteers were Jennifer Dietz,
L.B. Graham and Mandisa Moore, LSU Paul M. Hebert
Law Center; Sawyer Halbrook, Cleveland Patterson and
Christopher White, Southern University Law Center.
The Baton Rouge Bar Foundation interns were Trey
Dominique, Sawyer Halbrook, Cleveland Patterson and
Christopher White, Southern University Law Center.
The Ask-A-Lawyer workshop solo practitioner
volunteers were Terry Bonnie, Scott Gaspard, and Emily
Ziober. Ask-A-Lawyer volunteers from law firms were
Durward Casteel, Casteel & Associates; Paul Wilkins,
Dudley DeBosier; and Todd Gaudin, Kuehne, Foote &
Gaudin, APLC.
The following solo practitioners accepted cases in
November and December: Samantha R. Ackers, George
Bayhi, Laura Bergeron-Hart, Arax Brumfield, Jimmie
Brumfield, Erik Burns, Rick Caballero, Taylor Caffery,
Fred Crifasi, Shannon Fay, Deborah Gibbs, Joanna
Hynes, Mark Lazarre, Sharon Lee, David Marquette,
Rusty Messer, Barrington Neil, Melanie Newkome-Jones,
Amanda Rogers, Robert Savage, Dan Scheuermann,
Doreen Taravella, Michael Theriot, Mary Thompson and
James Zito.
Attorneys from law firms who accepted cases in
November and December were Alesia Ardoin, The
Louisiana Board of Ethics; James Austin, Richard
Easterling and William Shea, Adams & Reese; Rebecca
Wisbar, Akers & Wisbar, LLC; Jarvis Antwine, Antwine,
Harvey & Ruth, LLC; Stephen Babcock, Babcock Law
Firm; Sharon Williams, Barrister Litigation Support
Solutions, Inc.; William Thies, Beall & Thies, LLC; Paul
Hebert Jr., Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson; Henri Saunders,
Cardenas & Saunders; David Cohn, The Cohn Law Firm;
Linda Law Clark, Decuir, Clark & Adams, LLP; Lisa Leslie
Boudreaux, Laurie Marien and Vincent Saffiotti, Downs,
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Around the Bar
Saffiotti & Boudreaux; Tiffany Foxworth, Foxworth Law
Firm; David Andress, Grand Law Firm; John DeGeneres,
Herpin and DeGeneres; Connell Archey, Kantrow,
Spaht, Weaver & Blitzer, APLC; Jason Brown, Kean,
Miller; Todd Gaudin, Kuehne, Foote & Gaudin APLC;
Eric Miller, The Kullman Firm; Lorraine McCormick,
McCormick & McCormick; Michael Ferachi and L’Kenya
Jackson, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC; Benjamin Mouton,
McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton; Anne Myles, Myles,
Cook & Day; John Brady, Newman, Mathis, Brady &
Spedale; Robert Lancaster, Paul M. Hebert Law Center;
Lisa Prater Bailey, Prater Bailey & Associates, LLC;
Brian Prendergast, Prendergast Law Firm, LLC; Jeffrey
Wittenbrink, Rowe Law Firm; Alfred Shapiro, Shapiro
and Shapiro; Ronnie Berthelot, Shows, Cali, Berthelot
& Walsh, LLP; Cynthia Reed, Southern University Law
Center; Gary McKenzie, Steffes, Vingiello & McKenzie;
and Victor Woods, Woods Holloway, LLP.
The Pro Bono Project is financially assisted by the Interest on Lawyers’
Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program of the Louisiana Bar Foundation;
Capital Area Legal Services; Family, District and City Court Filing Fees
and the Baton Rouge Bar Foundation.
TEEN COURT REPORT—
During December, Teen Court defendants participated
in a community service project with the Baton Rouge
Constable’s Office and Holiday Helpers, Inc. The teens
assisted with organizing and wrapping gifts for a toy
distribution.
Volunteers are needed to serve as judges for the
Teen Court hearings and to assist
with training sessions. If you are
interested in volunteering, contact
Donna Buuck at 225-214-5556 or
[email protected].
Teen Court of Greater Baton Rouge is funded by a grant from the
Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice (formerly the Office of Youth
Development), a grant from the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s IOLTA
program and from the Baton Rouge Bar Foundation. This project is
also supported in part by Grant No. 2009-JF-FX-0059 awarded by the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice
Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions in this
document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the
official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
February 2011
February 2011
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For classified or display ad rates,
contact Pamela at (225) 214-5560
or e-mail: [email protected]
Duty Court
Schedule
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Judge Hernandez
Judge Clark
Judge Bates
19TH JDC CRIMINAL COURT***
Jan. 28-Feb. 4
Feb. 4- Feb. 11
Feb. 11-Feb. 18
Feb. 18-March 4
Judge Anderson
Judge Erwin
Judge Jackson
Judge Moore
BATON ROUGE CITY COURT*
Jan. 31-Feb. 6
Feb. 7-Feb. 13
Feb. 14-Feb. 20
Feb. 21-Feb. 27
Feb. 28-March 6
Judge Wall
Judge Alexander
Judge Ponder
Judge Davis
Judge Temple
FAMILY COURT**
Jan. 31-Feb. 4
Feb. 7-Feb. 11
Feb. 14-Feb. 18
Feb. 21-Feb. 25
Feb. 28-March 4
Judge Dampf
Judge Lassalle
Judge Baker
Judge Woodruff-White
Judge Dampf
JUVENILE COURT
Feb. 1-Feb. 28
Judge Richey
NOTE: Duty Court changes at 5 p.m. each Friday unless
otherwise specified.
*City Court’s Duty Court schedule changes each Monday at
8 a.m.
**Family Court’s Duty Court schedule changes at 4 p.m. each
Friday
***19th JDC Criminal Court changes each Friday at noon
COURT HOLIDAY
Monday, Feb. 21
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19THJDC CIVIL COURT
Jan. 31-Feb. 11
Feb. 14 - Feb. 25
Feb. 28 - March 11
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Classifieds
ATTORNEYS/JUDGES WHO BELIEVE
they have problems with alcohol and/or
drugs are welcome to attend meetings with
other similarly situated attorneys/judges
held on Tuesdays at The City Club, 355
North Blvd. Contact number: 225-753-3407.
Thursday meetings are at Bocage Racquet
Club, 7600 Jefferson Hwy. Contact number:
225-928-5053. Both meetings are dutch treat
and are from noon to 1 p.m. Strict anonymity is
observed outside these 12-Step Meetings.
— SAVE THE DATE —
Baton Rouge Bar Association,
Louis A. Martinet Legal Society and
Baton Rouge Association of Women
Attorneys Join Meeting and
February Bar Luncheon & Community
Justice Symposium,
Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011,
De La Ronde Hall, 11:30 a.m.
B E N C H B A R C O N F E R E N C E 2 0 11
Be sure to make your hotel room reservations
early at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear,
Ala., for the 2011 BRBA Bench Bar Conference.
The Benjy Davis Project will be performing. Be
sure to see the Bench Bar Boogie Band’s Final
Conference Performance!
Registration forms are online at
www.brba.org/forms/BBC2011.pdf.
For more information, contact
Ann G. Scarle at 225-214-5563.
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT DEADLINE:
Feb. 15, 2011.
Presidents’ Day
L AW D AY N E E D S V O L U N T E E R S
Law Day is early this year: Friday, March 25,
2011. To volunteer, contact Donna Buuck at
225-214-5556.
GET PUBLISHED IN OUR NEXT ISSUE!
Write an article for publication for Around the
Bar. E-mail it to: [email protected]. Call for
more details: 225-214-5560.
February 2011
Calendar of Events
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MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION
needs judge and timekeeper volunteers for
the 2011 Region III High School Mock Trial
Competition. To volunteer Feb. 25 or Feb. 26,
contact Lynn Haynes at 225-214-5564.
*Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will
be held at the Baton Rouge Bar office.
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Public Law Practice Section, 12 p.m.,
Livingston Building, 885 N. Third St.;
YLS Council meeting, 12 p.m.
Thirst for Justice, St. Vincent de Paul,
3-5 p.m.
Ask-A-Lawyer workshop, 9-11:30 a.m.,
Delmont Service Center;
February Bar Luncheon & Symposium
with Louis A. Martinet Legal Society
and BRAWA, De La Ronde Hall,
11:30 a.m.;
Court Procedures CLE Seminar,
De La Ronde Hall, 1:30 p.m.;
Thirst for Justice, St. Vincent de Paul,
3-5 p.m.
Operations and Finance Committee
meeting, 3:30 p.m.;
Executive Committee meeting, 4 p.m.
Teen Court hearing, EBR Juvenile
Court, 5:45 p.m.
Workers’ Comp meeting, 12 p.m.,
location: TBA
Law Day Committee meeting, 12 p.m.;
Pro Bono Committee meeting, 12 p.m.;
Thirst, St. Vincent de Paul, 3-5 p.m.
Volunteer Committee Recruitment
Lunch, 12 p.m.;
Mock Trial Committee meeting, 12 p.m.;
Thirst, St. Vincent de Paul, 3-5 p.m.
Publications Committee meeting, 12 p.m.
Ask-A-Lawyer workshop, 9-11:30 a.m.,
Catholic Charities;
Thirst, St. Vincent de Paul, 3-5 p.m.;
Board of Directors meeting, 6 p.m.,
Mansur’s
Mock Trial Coaches Meeting, 12 p.m.:
Thirst, St. Vincent de Paul, 3-5 p.m.
FLS CLE Seminar – 7, 11 & 13 = $0.00
Making the Chapters Add Up:
Bankruptcy and How It Relates to
the Everyday Practice of Law.
8:30 a.m.-4:10 p.m., U.S. District Ct.
MDLA, 777 Florida St.
CLE Committee meeting, 12 p.m.
Youth Education Committee meeting,
12 p.m.;
Beer @ da Bar reception, 5 - 6:30 p.m.
Thirst, St. Vincent de Paul, 3-5 p.m.
Thirst, St. Vincent de Paul, 3-5 p.m.
Regional High School Mock Trial, 19th
JDC, 300 North Blvd., 1:15 - 6 p.m.
Regional High School Mock Trial, 19th
JDC, 300 North Blvd., 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Teen Court hearing, EBR Juvenile
Court, 5:45 p.m.
Around the Bar
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Baton Rouge Bar Association
P.O. Box 2241
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
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