Congratulations to All Annual Meeting Award Recipients! Several LSBA members received awards June 5 during the association’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Destin, Fla.President’s Awards Five LSBA members received 2025 President’s Awards. Recipients were chosen by 2024-25 LSBA President Patrick A. Talley, Jr. and were recognized for services to the association. Recognized were attorney Shannon Seiler Dartez of Lafayette, attorney Adam P. Johnson of Lake Charles, attorney Graham H. Ryan of New Orleans, attorney Monica Hof Wallace of New Orleans, and attorney J. Christopher Zainey, Jr. of New Orleans. Dartez was recognized for her leadership as chair of the Task Force to Study the House of Delegates and her overall support of the President and the LSBA. She practices with the Glenn Armentor Law Corporation in Lafayette and earned her BA in 1990 and JD in 1994 from LSU. She was admitted to practice in Louisiana in 1994. Dartez is a member of the House of Delegates, currently serving as chair of the House of Delegates Liaison Committee to the Board of Governors. She also served on the Louisiana State Bar Association’s (LSBA) Board of Governors as the Third Board District representative from 2002-05 and 2017-20. She is a member of the LSBA House of Delegates and the LSBA’s Insurance Committee, previously chairing the Group Insurance Committee. Johnson was recognized for his leadership as chair of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force and his exceptional support of the President and the LSBA. A partner at The Johnson Firm in Lake Charles, he earned a BS in business management from LSU in 2006 and a JD from Southern University Law Center in 2009. After clerking for Judges Wyatt and Ware, he joined his father and brother in practice; he and his brother now run the firm, focusing on family, criminal defense, and personal injury law. Johnson served in the LSBA House of Delegates, co-chaired Leadership LSBA (2014-15), and represented District 4 in the Young Lawyers Division (2015-19). He writes the Criminal Law section of the Louisiana Bar Exam and is a past president of both the SWLBA and its Young Lawyers Division. Ryan was recognized for his leadership as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and his support of the LSBA President. A partner at Jones Walker LLP in New Orleans, he handles complex commercial litigation, appeals, arbitration, and regulatory matters for clients in industries such as tech, banking, energy, and healthcare. He graduated summa cum laude in business finance from LSU, earned his JD from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center (Louisiana Law Review), and completed the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation. A former judicial extern for the Louisiana Supreme Court, Ryan has served on the LSBA Board of Governors, chaired the LSBA YLD, and was a delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. He participated in Leadership LSBA (2014-15) and has served on the LSBA’s Access to Justice, MCLE, and CLE Committees. He also held roles with the Louisiana State Law Institute and the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education. Wallace was recognized for her leadership in organizing the Loyola Ainsworth Lecture featuring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and for her support of the LSBA President. She is the Dean Marcel Garsaud, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where she has taught since 2002 after practicing at Correro Fishman Haygood. A top graduate of Loyola Law, she served on the Law Review and chaired the Moot Court Program. She clerked for Judge Jacques L. Wiener, Jr. (5th Circuit) and Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz (Southern District of California). She serves on the Louisiana Youth Seminar board and has received multiple awards for teaching, scholarship, and service. Zainey was recognized for his leadership as chair of the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program Task Force on Wellness in the Legal Profession and his support of the LSBA President. A partner at Lambert Zainey Smith & Soso, PLC in New Orleans, he clerked for Judge James J. Brady (U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana) after graduating from Loyola Law in 2008. His practice centers on maritime and Jones Act cases, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and complex tort litigation. Zainey chairs the LSBA’s Insurance, Tort, Workers’ Compensation and Admiralty Law Section and has served on the Board of Governors, Nominating Committee, and House of Delegates. Distinguished Service to the Profession Award Monte T. Mollere of Luling received the 2025 Distinguished Service to the Profession Award. Mollere was recognized for his longstanding commitment to the LSBA and his leadership as director of its Access to Justice Department, a role he has held for over 25 years. Working with justice community providers across Louisiana, he has expanded resources for those with legal needs and helped establish the Louisiana Access to Justice Commission, a Supreme Court-created body focused on ensuring justice for all. He collaborates with civil and criminal legal services stakeholders through LSBA committees and statewide initiatives. Mollere earned a BA in accounting from LSU and a JD from Loyola University College of Law. Before joining the LSBA, he practiced at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in Hammond. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association, and the National Association of Pro Bono Professionals. Catherine D. Kimball Award for Advancement of the Administration of Justice Hon. Brian A. Jackson of Baton Rouge received the 2025 Catherine D. Kimball Award for Advancement of the Administration of Justice. Jackson is being honored for over four decades of distinguished public service across Louisiana, California, and Washington, D.C. Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010, he served as chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana from 2011 to 2018. A graduate of Xavier University, he earned his JD from Southern University Law Center (editor-in-chief, Law Review) and an LL.M. from Georgetown. He spent over 16 years with the U.S. Department of Justice, including roles as Assistant U.S. Attorney, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana. In 2002, he joined Liskow & Lewis as a partner, leading its white collar defense group. Jackson is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the Federal Judges Association and National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys. He has served on the Louisiana Bar Admissions Committee and was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts in 2013 to the Judicial Resources Committee of the U.S. Judicial Conference. Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson Trailblazer Award Associate Justice John Michael Guidry of Baton Rouge received the 2025 Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson Trailblazer Award. Guidry is the fourth African American elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court and was the first African American chief judge of the Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, only the second African American judge elected to that court. Committed to justice, diversity, and inclusion, he previously served in the Louisiana House (1991–93) and Senate (1993–97). Early in his legislative career, he joined efforts to support a federal consent decree establishing minority judgeships and later filed legislation creating two minority seats on the Baton Rouge City Court. He also championed access to justice programs. Since joining the judiciary in 1997, Justice Guidry has served on pro bono and domestic violence committees and frequently presents on legal ethics and professionalism. Guardian of Diversity Award The Baton Rouge Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, Inc. in Baton Rouge received the 2025 Guardian of Diversity Award. Established in 1957, the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, Inc. honors the legacy of Louis André Martinet, a pioneering African American attorney who played a pivotal role in challenging segregation laws in Louisiana. Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, Inc. is a diverse and inclusive organization composed of attorneys of varying genders, religions, ages, creeds and national origins. The chapter has also conducted Continuing Legal Education sessions on juvenile justice and eviction law, promoted mental health awareness among attorneys, and provided pro bono services to underserved populations. In addition to legal education and advocacy, the society is active in youth and community engagement. Members have participated in elementary school reading initiatives and judged high school and law school mock trial competitions. The chapter also hosts annual community events, including Christmas toy drives and women’s concealed handgun training courses. Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education’s Judge Benjamin Jones Judges in the Classroom Award Judge Bruce E. Hampton of Farmerville received the 2025 Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education’s Judge Benjamin Jones Judges in the Classroom Award. Hampton, Third Judicial District, earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance, cum laude, at Louisiana Tech University; his JD, magna cum laude, from Tulane University Law School; and LLM in taxation from Southern Methodist University School of Law. He has been licensed to practice law in Louisiana since 1981. Before being elected district judge in 2018, he maintained a private law practice in Farmerville since 1991. Additionally, he served as assistant district attorney for the 3rd Judicial District for 18 years and as a public defender for the 3rd Judicial District for nine years. Judge Hampton is chair of the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana and is currently serving as secretary of the Louisiana District Judges Association, a member of the Louisiana State Law Institute, the American Judges Association, and the Supreme Court Task Force on Judges in the Classroom/Students in the Courtroom. Stephen T. Victory Memorial Award Bradley C. Guin, of Baton Rouge, received the 2025 Stephen T. Victory Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to the Louisiana Bar Journal, the LSBA’s magazine. He was recognized for his article, “Ethical Considerations When Applying for TROs,” published in the April/May 2025 issue of the magazine. Guin is a shareholder in the Baton Rouge office of Roedel Parsons Blache Fontana Piontek & Pisano, A L.C. Primarily an appellate and complex commercial litigator, Brad’s practice focuses on writs and appeals, commercial disputes, and government contract disputes. He also maintains a robust public sector practice and regularly represents governmental bodies. Brad received his Juris Doctor and Diploma in Comparative Law from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. He is a member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association Publications Committee and a prior recipient of the LSBA Young Lawyers Division Top 40 Award. John A. “T-Jean” Hernandez III Memorial Award Georgia D. Chadwick of New Orleans received the 2025 John A. “T-Jean” Hernandez III Memorial Award, presented for achievements in Francophone leadership. A longtime advocate for legal scholarship and access to information, Chadwick currently serves on the Louisiana Supreme Court Historical Society’s Bicentennial Steering Committee for the 1825 Civil Code, helping organize lectures highlighting the Code’s development and the influential role of jurists of French heritage. Chadwick served as director of the Law Library of Louisiana from 2007 to 2016, concluding a nearly 40-year career in legal information. She began her tenure there in 1978, holding key roles including associate director, head of technical services, and documents librarian. Her earlier experience includes positions at law firms in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Dallas, as well as roles at the University of Texas, Southern Methodist University, and the Law Library of Louisiana. Chadwick holds a Master of Arts in Librarianship from the University of Denver and a B.A. in sociology from Tulane’s Newcomb College. LSBA Young Lawyers Division Bat P. Sullivan, Jr. Chair’s Award Joseph T. D. Tran of Metairie received the 2025 LSBA Young Lawyers Division’s Bat P. Sullivan, Jr. Chair’s Award. Tran was recognized for his leadership with the LSBA Young Lawyers Division’s Wills for Heroes Program. He is associate general counsel at LAMMICO, focusing on intellectual property, health and insurance law, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. A CIPP/US, he holds a BS in mechanical engineering from LSU and a JD from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Admitted to practice in Louisiana in 2016, he is also registered before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Tran chairs the LSBA Minority Involvement Section (2024), serves on the Louisiana Bar Journal Editorial Board, and was co-chair of Leadership LSBA (2022–23). He’s a former ABA YLD delegate and sits on the Jefferson Bar Association YLD board. He also serves on the executive boards of the Louisiana Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Vietnamese American Bar Association, and is active in IAPP, ACC, and MPLA. Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Curtis R. Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award Thomas M. Hayes III of Monroe received the 2025 Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Curtis R. Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award. Hayes earned a BA with honors from the University of the South in 1974 and a JD from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1977. He practiced civil litigation in state and federal courts with Hayes, Harkey, Smith & Cascio in Monroe until 2023. Now a full-time mediator and arbitrator with The Patterson Resolution Group, he completed mediation training at Pepperdine’s Straus Institute in 2015. A member of the Louisiana State Law Institute for over 25 years, Hayes currently serves as chair and immediate past president, and sits on several key committees. He chaired a legislative task force on e-filing and records retention in 2022–23. Hayes is a two-term LSBA Board of Governors member and former bar examiner for the Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions. He is a fellow and former regent of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is also a past president of several organizations, including the 4th Judicial District Bar Association and the Fred J. Fudickar Jr. American Inn of Court.