Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal holds oral arguments at the Southern University Law Center

A panel of the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal held oral arguments at the Southern University Law Center on Monday, September 18, 2023. 

The First Circuit is one of five Louisiana intermediate appellate courts.  The First Circuit’s territorial jurisdiction extends over sixteen parishes in the southeastern part of Louisiana, excluding the New Orleans metropolitan area. The court is domiciled in Baton Rouge and normally holds oral arguments at its courthouse located at 1600 North Third Street in Baton Rouge.  As part of its educational, community, and professional outreach programs, the First Circuit on occasion travels to various locations within its jurisdiction, such as the law center, to hold court. 

Attorneys representing clients in four appeals pending before the First Circuit presented oral arguments before a three-judge panel comprised of:

• Chief Judge John Michael Guidry, an alumnus of the law center elected out of the 2nd district of the circuit, representing the parish of East Baton Rouge, has been serving on the court since 1997.
• Judge Wayne Ray Chutz, who is elected out of the 3rd district of the circuit, representing the parishes of East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, and West Feliciana, has been serving on the court since 2015; and
• Judge Walter Lanier, III, who is elected out of the 1st district of the circuit, representing the parishes of Lafourche, St. Mary, and Terrebonne, has been serving on the court since 2018.

         The cases argued involved issues of insurance coverage, tax credits, products liability, and property law. The law students and faculty who attended the arguments were provided with a practical appreciation of the practice of law at the appellate level and the importance of building a case at the trial level.

Original source can be found here.