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Young Lawyers Division Council Members

Council members are elected by mail ballot and internet voting of the members of the Louisiana State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division from their respective districts by majority vote. The term for Council Members is two years. The Council nominates at least one person for the positions of Secretary and Chair-Elect and solicits additional nominations from the members of the Young Lawyers Division. These officers are elected by majority vote of all members of the Young Lawyers Division by mail ballot and internet voting.  Every third year, the Secretary and Chair-Elect must be a resident of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, or Plaquemines Parishes.

  Current Council Members

Chair
Shayna L. Sonnier 

Shayna L. Sonnier is a partner in the Lake Charles firm of Hunter, Hunter & Sonnier, L.L.C. She received a bachelor’s degree in 2000 from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and her law degree in 2003 from Dedman School of Law, Southern Methodist University. She was admitted to practice in Texas in 2003 and in Louisiana in 2005.
Shayna has served as chair-elect, secretary and District 4 representative on the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division Council and was co-chair of the Wills for Heroes Committee.
She serves on the board of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association and is a past president of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.
In her community, she is a board member for the Whistle Stop and is a past board member of the Southwest Louisiana Law Center and the Greater Lake Charles Rotary Club. She was chosen as the 2008-09 Rotarian of the Year.

1807 Lake St.
Lake Charles LA 70601 
Phone: (337)436-1600 
Fax: (337)439-2505   

Chair-Elect
Lawrence J. Centola III 

Lawrence J. Centola III is an associate in the New Orleans firm of Martzell & Bickford. He received a BA degree in 1998 from Louisiana State University and his JD degree in 2001 from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. He was admitted to practice in Louisiana in 2001.
Larry is vice chair of the Louisiana State Bar Association’s (LSBA) Lawyers in Transition Committee and serves on the Public Information Committee. He has served as LSBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) secretary and on the YLD Council. He also has served as treasurer of the Federal Bar Association (New Orleans Chapter) Young Lawyers Division and is a former chair of the Louisiana Association for Justice Young Lawyers Division.
He received the LSBA Young Lawyers Division's Bat. P. Sullivan, Jr. Chair’s Award in 2007.
In a ceremony at the United States Supreme Court, he was presented with the 2008 Sandra Day O’Connor Award for Professional Service from the American Inns of Court. The national award is presented to an attorney who has been practicing for fewer than 10 years.
He and his wife, Amy, have been married for six years and are the parents of two children.

338 Lafayette St.
New Orleans LA 70130 
Phone: (504)581-9065 
Fax: (504)581-7635   

Secretary
Maggie Trahan Simar 

Maggie Trahan Simar is a 16th Judicial District Family Court hearing officer in St. Martinville. She received a BA degree in broadcast journalism in 1995 from Louisiana State University and her JD degree in 1998 from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. She was admitted to practice in Louisiana in 1998.
Maggie served as the District 3 representative on the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division Council and is a member of the Louisiana Bar Journal Editorial Board. She is a board member of the Lafayette Bar Association and a former editor of the Lafayette Bar Association’s Promulgator magazine. She is a member and a past chair of the Lafayette Young Lawyers Association.
In her community, she is a member of the Junior League of Lafayette, currently serving as financial vice president.

307 Church St.
St. Martinville LA 70582 
Phone: (337)394-6133 
Fax: (337)394-6166   

Immediate Past Chair
Alainna R. Mire 

Alainna R. Mire is assistant attorney for the city of Alexandria. She received a BA degree in political science in 2000 from Louisiana State University and her JD/BCL degree in 2004 from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. She was admitted to practice in Louisiana in 2004.
Alainna served as the 2010-11 Louisiana State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD) chair, the 2009-10 chair-elect and the 2008-09 YLD secretary. She also served as District 6 representative on the YLD Council.
She is a past chair of the Alexandria Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Council and is a member of the Alexandria Bar Association, American Bar Association and the Crossroads American Inn of Court of Alexandria/Pineville. She is a Louisiana Bar Foundation Fellow. She is a member of the Central Louisiana United Way board of directors and the Central Louisiana Pro Bono Project board (secretary-treasurer). She was an attorney member of the city of Alexandria Human Relations Commission from 2007-09.

P.O. Box 71
Alexandria LA 71309 
Phone: (318)449-5046 
Fax: (318)449-5019   

District One Representative
Eve Sarco Reardon 

Fowler, Rodriguez, Valdes-Fauli
400 Poydras St.
30th Flr.
New Orleans LA 70130 
Phone: (504)595-5190 
Fax: (504)523-2705   

District One Representative
Justin M. Chopin 

Chopin, Wagar, Richard & Kutcher, L.L.P.
3850 N. Causeway Blvd.
Ste. 900
Metairie LA 70002 
Phone: (504)830-3842 
Fax: (504)836-9562   

District Two Representative
Erin O. Braud 

The Law Offices of Robert E. Birtel
3900 N. Causeway Blvd.
Ste. 625
Metairie LA 70002 
Phone: (504)837-7050 
Fax: (504)837-0249   

District Two Representative
Allison L. Becknell 

The Becknell Law Firm, A.P.L.C.
3445 N. Causeway Blvd.
Ste. 736
Metairie LA 70005 
Phone: (504)833-7325, x3 
Fax: (504)833-1160   

District Three Representative
Steven T. Ramos 

The Onebane Law Firm, A.P.C.
P.O. Box 3507
Lafayette LA 70502-3507 
Phone: (337)237-2660 
Fax: (337)266-1232   

District Four Representative
Claude P. Devall Jr. 

Newman, Hoffoss & Devall, L.L.P.
1830 Hodges St.
Lake Charles LA 70601 
Phone: (337)433-2053 
Fax: (337)433-2055   

District Five Representative
Kyle A. Ferachi 

McGlinchey Stafford, P.L.L.C.
301 Main St.
14th Flr.
Baton Rouge LA 70801 
Phone: (225)383-9000 
Fax: (225)343-3076   

District Five Representative
Laura Hart Bryan 

LA Dept of Insurance
1702 N. 3rd Street
Baton Rouge LA 70802 
Phone: (225)219-0103 
Fax: (225)342-1632   

District Six Representative
Derrick G. Earles 

Brian M. Caubarreaux & Associates
144 Tunica Dr. W
Marksville LA 71351 
Phone: (318)253-0900 
Fax: (318)253-5666   

District Seven Representative
Jennifer H. Johnson 

McNew, King, Mills, Burch & Landry, L.L.P.
2400 Forsythe Ave.
Ste. 2
Monroe LA 71201 
Phone: (318)361-3140 
Fax: (318)361-3141   

District Eight Representative
Jerry Edwards 

Blanchard Walker O’Quin & Roberts
Chase Tower, 400 Texas St.
Ste. 1400
Shreveport LA 71101 
Phone: (318)221-6858 
Fax: (318)227-2967   

At-Large Representative
Tamara D. Rahim 

La. Dept. of Social Services
825 Kaliste Saloom Rd.
Ste. 218
Lafayette LA 70508 
Phone: (337)262-2250 
Fax: (337)262-1092   

ABA YLD Representative
J. Lee  Hoffoss Jr. 

Newman, Hoffoss & Devall, L.L.P.
1830 Hodges St.
Lake Charles LA 70601 
Phone: (337)439-5788 
Fax: (337)436-5430   

YLD Representative to the ABA House of Delegates
Chauntis T. Jenkins 

Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson, L.L.P.
704 Carondelet St.
New Orleans LA 70130 
Phone: (504)581-3838 
Fax: (504)581-4069   


 

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