January 2025 Newsletter

From the President

Dear Members,
I hope each of you had a great Christmas and holiday season. It is with great enthusiasm that I write to update you on behalf of the 2025 Board of Directors of the 22nd JDC Bar Association, including Vice President Amanda Trosclair, Treasurer Luke Lancaster, and also our Executive Director Reina Gardner. 2024 was an excellent year under the leadership of Kristen Stanley- Wallace and our “new” Executive Director, Reina Gardner. Our finances are in good shape as is our membership. I want to thank Kristen and the Board for their service and for moving our mission forward, which is to serve the legal communities of St. Tammany and Washington Parishes through legal education, fellowship and outreach.

The Board of Directors decided that 2025 will focus our mission on young lawyers and pro-bono. (Coincidentally, our pro-bono theme aligns with the 2025 focus of the LSBA and we are exploring ways to collaborate efforts.) The Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct require each of us to aspire to provide legal services to those unable to pay. Specifically, that goal is to provide 50 hours of pro-bono legal service to persons of limited means, whether directly or through charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental or educational organizations. I am asking each of you to keep that goal at the forefront of your practice and to help us support our young lawyers and local justice system through pro bono. The two prongs of our 2025 theme go hand in hand and more information will follow. All ideas are welcome. Please email them to Reina!

We are finalizing our CLE programming for the year and are going to include one or two new events including a few Young Lawyers happy hours. Our first CLE is January 17 with a legislative update from Senator Patrick McMath. The All Day Family Law CLE is March 14 and the General All Day CLE is November 21. In the fall, we intend to co-host our annual Meet the Judges of the 22nd JDC with the Northshore Court Foundation and the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. We are also planning a new joint CLE in Covington in conjunction with the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association that will be presented by the judges of the of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on October 1. A cocktail party will follow. Please be on the lookout for updates and register early.

Section Chairs for 2025 will be:
Family Law Section Chair: Kathleen Legendre
Criminal Law Section Chair: Whitney Germany
Young Lawyers Section Chair: Alex Reed

While there is much more to tell, I know you won’t be reading much further. I encourage each of you to be more actively involved in our bar association and I have one final request: Please recruit two new members and bring them to an event. If you have any questions, thoughts or ideas, please let us know!
On behalf of the Board, we appreciate your support and wish you the best in 2025.

Mike Nicaud
President
22nd JDC Bar Association

Looking ahead…get out your calendar!

Our one-hour Lunch & CLEs will be held at ZEA in Covington on January 17, February 21, April 4, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, and October 17. Doors open at 12:00, lunch service starts at 12:15 and the CLE begins at 12:30. The All Day Family Law CLE will be held on March 14 and the General All Day CLE on November 21.

Before reading further, remember that you get great discounts and networking opportunities if you are a member of the 22nd JDC Bar Association and membership is valid from January-December. Haven’t renewed your membership or enrolled as a new member yet? Here’s a quick link to take you straight to registration!

We know your 2025 calendar is filling up, so register now for upcoming CLE opportunities:

On Friday, January 17, 2025, Senator Patrick McMath will join us at ZEA to give “Legislative Updates”. Use this link to register, and don’t forget to choose your lunch option- Grilled Chicken or the Mediterranean Hummus Platter is the vegetarian option.

Judge Alan Zaunbrecher is our speaker on Friday, February 21, 2025, when he will present “The State Of Our Court”. Use this link to register, and choose your lunch option- Philly Beef Panini or “Zeasar” Salad.

TELL US WHAT YOU WANT,
WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT!

As we continue planning for 2025,
we want your ideas- let us know!

Do you want to get REALLY involved?
We’d love your help in planning
22nd JDC Bar Association
Socials and other special events.

Ready to become a CLE or Happy Hour Sponsor?
It’s super easy- simply email Reina for more information.

Other Questions or suggestions?

Contact Reina

In case you don’t know what comes with a Membership to the 22nd JDC Bar Association,
here’s what you get for $85 (price increases March 1)

• Monthly newsletter, updates from the courts, important and timely notices affecting your law practice, employment opportunities and CLE seminar invitations
• Monthly luncheons and CLE opportunities at a discount
• Specialization CLEs
• Invitation to enroll in specialty sections: criminal law, family law, young lawyers
• Free basic listing in the website directory of attorneys
• Membership card that allows ease of admittance to the Justice Center (without removing your belt or turning on your laptop)
• Participation in community outreach opportunities
• An invitation to our “world famous” annual Christmas party
• Membership is valid from January 1 through December 31, 2025

Monthly Luncheon CLEs

• Monthly meeting, lunch and CLE at noon at Zea Rotisserie and Bar in Covington (January 17, February 21, April 4, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17)
• Lunch is $40, CLE is $20 for members, $30 for non-members
• Doors open at noon with the CLE from 12:30-1:30
• HOWEVER, when you enroll as a member, you can attend all our monthly CLEs for a reduced rate, one-time payment of $100 (this does not cover the All Day CLEs or the cost of lunch). That’s just $10 per CLE hour!

All Day CLEs…Seize The Day!

• Provide 6 hours of CLE credit at a reduced rate for members
• The March 14 seminar is dedicated to family law and qualifies for specialization credit
• The November 21 seminar addresses a variety of subjects, and always includes one hour of Ethics and one hour of Professionalism
• Notifications and registration for these seminars will be announced on our website and newsletter

Section Membership
Membership in these sections is included in your annual membership registration

• CRIMINAL LAW- Offers CLE for Criminal Law and updates on new laws impacting criminal law as well as networking opportunities
• FAMILY LAW- Offers CLE for Family Law Specialization and updates on new laws impacting family law as well as networking opportunities
• YOUNG LAWYERS- For lawyers 40 years of age and under, or who have been admitted to the bar for 6 years or less, offers a chance to meet with other newly admitted lawyers and judges for CLEs and networking

22ndJDCBar.org is the place clients go to find their lawyer

• Basic listing is free with your paid membership, simply go to the link to complete the information you want clients to see
• Premium website listing is only $45 when purchased with your membership and displays your bio, logo, contact info and a direct link with your e-business card prominently visible under the attorney directory tab

Here’s that link!

Michael Nicaud, President michael.nicaud@hornbeckoffshore.com
Amanda Trosclair, Vice President atrosclair@stpgov.org
Luke Lancaster, Treasurer lmlancaster@22da.com
Reina Gardner, Executive Director reina@22ndjdcbar.org