August 2016 Newsletter

DEAR MEMBERS:

It was an honor to have our newly elected Sheriff Randy Smith speak at our July CLE. We applaud the improvements he has in store for his department, and greatly admire the sacrifice he and the officers and staff of the Sheriff’s Department make to ensure the safety of our community. We sincerely thank each member of the Department for the sacrifices that they make on a daily basis.

Our August CLE will be held at Keith Young’s Restaurant on Friday, August 19th. Our guest speakers will be Rebecca Mighton, Kim Kammler and Kyle Wiedemann, who will speak on “Behind the Bench- the Law Clerk’s Perspective.” Each speaker offers unique insight into the practice of law from the trial court to the appellate level. You won’t want to miss what they have to share.

Lunch will start at Noon and the cost is $25; the CLE begins as 12:30 and is $15 for members. Please RSVP to Judy at judy@22ndjdcbar.org if you plan to attend so that we can ensure that we have enough handouts for everyone, the restaurant can have enough food and seating, and we can get started on time.

Elizabeth Sconzert,
President

OPENING OF COURT

Opening of Court will be held in Washington Parish on Friday, September 9, 2016, at 9 a.m. Refreshments will be served following the ceremony.

MESSAGE FROM THE CLERK’S OFFICE

The Clerk of Court’s office has asked us to remind our membership that there have been amendments to La. R.S. 13:850, which will go into effect on August 1, 2016. Please note the changes to the existing law, which are bolded and underlined. The Clerk’s office has specifically requested that you pay special attention to the italicized portions of the statute.

A. Any document in a civil action may be filed with the clerk of court by facsimile transmission. All clerks of court shall make available for their use equipment to accommodate facsimile filing in civil actions. Filing shall be deemed complete at the time the facsimile transmission is received by the clerk of court. No later than on the first business day after receiving a facsimile filing, the clerk of court shall transmit to the filing party via facsimile a confirmation of receipt and include a statement of the fees for the facsimile filing and filing of the original document. The facsimile filing fee and transmission fee are incurred upon receipt of the facsimile filing by the clerk of court and payable as provided in Subsection B of this Section. The facsimile filing shall have the same force and effect as filing the original document, if the filing party complies with Subsection B of this Section.

B. Within seven days, exclusive of legal holidays, after the clerk of court receives the facsimile filing, all of the following shall be delivered to the clerk of court:

(1) The original document identical to the facsimile filing in number of pages and in content of each page including any attachments, exhibits, and orders. A document not identical to the facsimile filing or which includes pages not included in the facsimile filing shall not be considered the original document.
(2) The fees for the facsimile filing and filing of the original document stated on the confirmation of receipt, if any.
(3) A transmission fee of five dollars.

C. If the filing party fails to comply with any of the requirements of Subsection B of this Section, the facsimile filing shall have no force or effect. The various district courts may provide by court rule for other matters related to filings by facsimile transmission.

PRIVATE CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW

We continue to organize and form the Private Criminal Defense Section of the 22nd JDC Bar Association. Notice of our next meeting will be sent out soon.

Debra Henkels
Criminal Defense Chair

YOUNG LAWYER

Judge Scott Gardner will be opening his courtroom to host a “Cross Examination Workshop” on Friday, August 12th. This CLE/Lunch is open to all young lawyers and will be from 11-1 p.m. The program will be eligible for 2 hours of CLE credit and includes lunch. The cost for the CLE and lunch will be $35. Due to the nature of this workshop, pre-registration with payment is mandatory to ensure that each participant receives the course materials in advance and comes to the workshop properly prepared. If you would like to attend please RSVP to Judy at judy@22ndjdcbar.org and mail your payment by August 5, 2016 to:

22nd JDC Bar Association
Box 2074
Covington, LA 70434

The Young Lawyers Section will host the 7th Annual Court Chase 5k and 1 Mile Fun Run in downtown Covington on Saturday, September 10. All proceeds will be donated to the Youth Service Bureau (http://www.ysbworks.com/). Please consider becoming a Sponsor and/or coming out to participate in the race. Sponsorship and Registration Forms are below.

Kyle Wiedemann
Young Lawyer Chair

ATTORNEY POSITIONS

“Covington, Louisiana Law Firm is seeking a Family Law Attorney for a part/full time position. Please submit resumes to melanie.craighart@gmail.com

Curry & Friend, PLC, an established boutique defense firm is seeking seasoned attorneys for leadership roles on our environmental team. These key positions require a strong commitment to our firm’s client-focused team approach and offer the unique opportunity to work directly with our Senior Partners in counseling the firm’s environmental clients. To learn more about us and our available positions please visit www.curryandfriend.com/careers.

Environmental 1st Chair Attorney – Qualified candidates will have 10+ years defense experience in 1st Chair civil jury trials, complex litigation, and primary case management. A/V rating required. Environmental experience preferred.

Environmental Litigation Attorney – 8+ years civil defense litigation experience preferred with emphasis on complex litigation. A/V rating preferred. Environmental experience preferred.
Lifelong resident of West St. Tammany, 30+ years experience in working up cases and behind-the-scenes litigation work, i.e., development of strategy & action plans, drafting of pleadings & dispositive motions, conducting of discovery, pre-trial and trial prep; extensive experience in drafting appellate briefs, writ applications, and other appellate procedure, seeking a full-time position where these skills can be utilized. In the short-term, contract work accepted. If interested, please direct response to Ragamuffdude@gmail.com.

OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE

The Village Shops Office Building located at 209 Highway 22 West in Madisonville has available several sized offices for rent starting at $600.00/month, which includes receptionist, phones, copy machine, internet, etc. There is a shared space including a large conference room, kitchen, etc. There are four (4) other attorneys located in this space. If interested, please call 985-792-5220 and ask for Judy.

$450 Office available in heart of Old Mandeville. Beautiful, furnished corner office (two windows). Wifi, utilities and cleaning service included. Furnished secretarial space also available (both for $600). Please contact Elaine at 985/727-1664 or elaine@northshoreattorney.com.

Judy Walz
Executive Director
985-867-4833