The Louisiana Supreme Court held the official investiture ceremony for Clerk of Court Veronica Odinet Koclanes on Monday, May 9, 2022, at an evening ceremony in the Supreme Court courtroom at the Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero, Jr. Courthouse. Surrounded by her husband and children, with her parents, close family, and friends in attendance, Koclanes was sworn in by Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer, after an introduction by Justice Jay B. McCallum.
Koclanes earned her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University in 1985, and her juris doctor degree from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1991. She joined the law firm of Milling, Benson, Woodward, and Hillyer and worked as an associate attorney from 1992 to 1995. She served as a Law Clerk/Research Attorney for five Louisiana Supreme Court justices as well as a Research Attorney for the Civil Staff division of the Supreme Court. Additionally, she served as a Law Clerk for three judges on the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal and as a Legislative Clerk in the Office of the Senate President for the Louisiana Legislature. Koclanes is admitted to practice in Louisiana and in the Eastern District, United States District Court. She is a member of the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks, Louisiana Clerk of Courts Association, Louisiana Bar Foundation, Supreme Court of Louisiana Historical Society, American Bar Association, and Louisiana State Bar Association. Koclanes is married to Dr. George Koclanes and they are the parents of two adult children. She is one of 13 children of Kenneth Louis and Rosemary Popich Odinet.
“I am honored to serve as Louisiana Supreme Court Clerk of Court and I appreciate the confidence entrusted in me by the Justices and this court,” said Koclanes. “I am also grateful to my husband and children who inspire me daily; my parents, who instilled in me the fortitude to set and reach goals; and my close family, who consistently supports my efforts. I look forward to years of continued service to the Supreme Court and to the people of our great state.”
Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer stated, “The Justices and I congratulate Veronica and look forward to our continued working relationship. She is not unfamiliar to us; before this appointment she worked as a well-respected attorney at the Supreme Court for 23 years. Her diligence, professionalism, and expertise in matters of the Court heralded her advancement to the office of Clerk of Court. Due to her tenure at the Court and keen understanding of judicial processes, she has made a seamless transition to competently and adeptly serving our citizens as the Clerk of Court of the Louisiana Supreme Court.”
Koclanes succeeded retired Clerk of Court John Tarlton Olivier, the longest-serving Clerk of Court in Louisiana’s history. Olivier retired in 2021.
Original source can be found here.