The Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA) held its 38
th annual Pro Bono Publico & Children’s Law Awards Ceremony was held on May 17, 2023, at the Louisiana Supreme Court in New Orleans. Louisiana’s seven Supreme Court Justices presided over the ceremony in an official court session to demonstrate their fervent support for pro bono and the efforts of the volunteers being honored.
Welcoming remarks were offered by LSBA President Stephen I. Dwyer and Louisiana Bar Foundation Past President Alan Brackett and Chief Justice John L. Weimer who commended the award recipients for going above and beyond their professional duties to ensure access to legal services for low-income Louisianans, calling them “shining starts in the galaxy of the legal profession.”
Pro bono service is essential to ensuring that all people can access justice in Louisiana, where the number of people eligible for free legal services outnumbers legal aid attorneys by an enormous 11,250 to one. This means that while legal aid providers serve thousands of people each year, they cannot serve everyone who cannot afford an attorney. These awards recognize members of the legal profession who are leading the charge in closing the gap between needed legal services and available legal help through their pro bono service.
The LSBA is pleased to honor the following individuals and organization with the listed awards:
2023 Law Student Pro Bono Award
Madeline N. Meyer Louisiana State University
Max John Loyola University
Theophile Kadia Southern University Law Center
Raquel White Tulane Law
2023 Friend of Pro Bono Award
Lafayette Young Lawyers Section Lafayette
Maggie Simar Lafayette
Richard Gary Higgins, Jr. Covington
David E. Verlander, III Monroe
Dorothy Oliver Harrisonburg
Krishanda Sanders Lake Providence
Amanda Taylor Ferriday
Lawrence W. Pettiette, Jr. Shreveport
Tulane Medicolegal Partnership New Orleans
Jones Walker New Orleans
2023 Pro Bono Publico Award
John Edward McAuliffe III New Orleans
Cynthia Mauroner Petry Covington
Stacey Williams Shreveport
Cornelius Troy Hall Baton Rouge
2023 Career Public Interest Award
Douglas F. Carey New Orleans
2023-David A. Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award
Catherine Lasky New Orleans
2023 Children’s Law Award
Loyola Law Clinic New Orleans
Victor M. Jones New Orleans
2023 LA.FreeLegalAnswers.org Award
Kathleen Legendre Mandeville
2023 Century Club Award
W. Scott Brown New Orleans
Erinn Neyrey Mandeville
Christie Tournet Mandeville
Amber Sheppard Slidell
James F. Shuey New Orleans
Hugh Straub New Orleans
Photos of the ceremony are available
here.