September 2025 Newsletter

With much appreciation…

A big thank you to Staff Attorneys Becky Mighton and George Amann for their inside tips and words of advice at our August 15 CLE. A sense of humor with laughs along the way made this a most enjoyable Friday afternoon!

Last reminder!
When you registered/reregistered to be a member of our Bar Association for 2025 you were sent a link so that you could update your information in our attorney directory. If you don’t recall getting that link and updating, then it may have slipped by you, it might have gone to spam or that link is lost in the ether-world! The directory is one of the perks of your membership- and we can assure you people are referred to it monthly when they ask for help finding an attorney. Don’t miss out on your bonus advertising- take a minute to look yourself up, and if you aren’t there (or the info is not correct) just let us know so we can remedy that!
Contact Reina for the Link

There is a CLE superhero in our midst!
Many thanks to John Mason for his sponsorship of the November All Day CLE! Be sure to give John a high five when you see him- and THANK YOU John for helping to keep the ticket prices the same as they have been for years!

The Last 2 Monthly CLEs for your 2025 calendar!

Remember, if you purchased all of the CLEs for $100,
YOU MUST STILL REGISTER FOR EACH LUNCHEON
your seat is not guaranteed until you register on the website.

CANCELLATION OF A MONTHLY ZEA LUNCH & CLE RESERVATION
MUST BE RECEIVED 7 DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT

September 19, 2025 at ZEA, lunch service starts at 12:15 with the CLE beginning by 12:30 “The Intersection of Technology, Domestic Violence and Family Law”. Kaitlyn Pickler, from Our Family Wizard, will lead this interactive workshop, exploring the implications of technology in Domestic Violence and Family Court cases. Professionals will learn how batterers use phone technology, social networking and GPS to circumvent injunctions for protection, supervised visitation, and child custody. Legal Practitioners will explore how victims of domestic violence can overcome communication issues using mobile and online communication tools designed specifically for high conflict. This CLE has been approved for 1 hour CLE credit with Family Law Specialization. The gold button gets you to registration and meal order- Rotisserie Chicken or the House Salad.

October 17, 2025 at ZEA, lunch service starts at 12:15 with the CLE beginning by 12:30 “Summary Judgement At The First Circuit”, hosted by the Judge Allison Penzato and the First Circuit Panel. The orange button below will take you to registration and meal order- Rotisserie Beef Sirloin or the Hummus Platter.

3 BIG Special Events

Half Day Criminal Law CLE

Friday, September 26, 2025
Justice Center
701 N Columbia Street, Covington, LA
8:30 am-noon

8:30
Coffee & Continental Breakfast During Registration

9:00
Welcome remarks by
Chief Judge Alan Zaunbrecher and
Deputy Chief Vincent Lobello

Introduction by
Luke Lancaster, 22nd JDC Bar Association Treasurer

9:00-10:00
The 22nd Specialty Courts & Early Intervention Court Referral Process: Pathways to Appropriate Care
Judge Rick Swartz, 22nd Judicial District Court
Shannon Hattier, 22nd JDC Specialty Courts Coordinator

The learning objectives for this session include gaining a deeper understanding of the Court Intervention Services (Pre-Trial) model and the Early Intervention Court process; identifying Specialty Courts early through a systematic referral process; defining the eligibility requirements and target populations for each of the Specialty Courts; exploring research on best practices for various types of Specialty Courts; recognizing the necessity of matching treatment approaches to individual needs; emphasizing the importance of providing a comprehensive continuum of treatment and ancillary services; understanding the integration of primary clinical services with criminal justice case processing; and identifying the Sequential Intercept Model as it relates to the 22nd JDC and its continuum of care.

10:00-11:00
Legislative Updates
Ernest E. Barrow, Esq.

11:00-12:00
Utilizing Motion Practice To Frame Issues and Drive Results
Doug Freese, Chief Of Criminal Division, District Attorney’s Office

Pretrial motion practice has value beyond addressing the legal issues that are present in a given case. It gives practitioners the opportunity to highlight for the court the points you believe put your client in the best possible light; the opportunity to manage their clients’ expectations, as they can educate their clients regarding the weaknesses in their own case (if the attorney believes a pretrial resolution is in his or her client’s best interest); gauge how certain witnesses will perform during trial; learn how their opponent will address critical issues; and prompt their opponent to come to the table in advance of trial to discuss potential resolution.

A Federal/State CLE Gumbo: Featuring Federal and State-Court Judges on the Northshore

Seasoned judges. Spicy topics. No roux required.
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind CLE gumbo on the Northshore!

Limited seating available- register now!

Wednesday, October 1, 2025
1:00 pm -5:00 pm
Southern Hotel
428 East Boston Street, Covington, Louisiana 70433
12:30
Check in available

1:00-2:00
Welcome Remarks by Michael Nicaud, President, 22nd JDC Bar Association

Introduction by The Honorable Greg Guidry, Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana

Compare and Contrast Federal and State Courts
Honorable Jane Milazzo, Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana
Honorable Alan Zaunbrecher, Chief Judge, 22nd Judicial District Court

Moderated by Ross Lagarde, Esq.
2:00-3:00
Federal Practice and Procedures – Similarities and Differences
Honorable Barry Ashe, Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana
Honorable Darrel Papillion, Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana
Honorable Brandon Long, Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana

Moderated by Larry Centola, Esq.

3:00-4:00
Breaking Bad: Professionalism in State and Federal Court
Honorable Wendy Vitter, Chief Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana
Honorable Scott Gardner, Judge, 22nd Judicial District Court
Moderated by John Alford, Esq.

4:00-5:00
COCKTAIL RECEPTION in the Sun Room

Want To Be One Of Our Major Sponsors? Click below for info and benefits!

All Day General CLE

DATE: Friday, November 21, 2025
PLACE: Southern Hotel, 428 E. Boston Street, Covington, LA
TME: 8:30 am-4:30
TOPIC: Includes 6 CLE sessions, including Professionalism and Ethics, continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks

Speakers, agenda and registration will be made available soon!

LAW CLERK/RESEARCH ATTORNEY
The Court of Appeal, First Circuit, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana seeks a Law Clerk/Research Attorney to join the court’s Central Staff Department. Attorneys in the Central Staff Department perform professional legal work to aid the judges in rendering decisions in civil and criminal writs related to ongoing litigation and in the preparation of opinions in criminal appeals. Attorneys in this Department can expect to address a wide array of legal and procedural issues, including challenging and res nova issues, and to participate in in-depth discussions with the judges on issues presented in pending writs. Some examples of work include conducting legal research, reviewing records, and drafting legal memoranda.

Applicants must have strong academic credentials and computer skills, as well as demonstrated research and writing skills. A Juris Doctorate degree and LA Bar passage are required. Court experience is preferred.

The starting salary range is $52,800 – $70,000, or commensurate with experience. The First Circuit offers with this position a full slate of benefits—state holidays, a variety of health insurance options, dental insurance, vision insurance, monthly accrual of annual and sick leave, and retirement contributions into LASERS retirement system.

Please send resume, references, law school transcript, and recent writing sample (10 pages maximum):
• Email to Human Resources at hr@la-fcca.org; or
• US Mail to Human Resources, Court of Appeal, First Circuit, P.O. Box 4408, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4408; or
• Hand deliver to 1600 North Third Street, Baton Rouge.

Applications must be received by Friday, September 5, 2025. Please request accommodations if needed to participate in the process.

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