FALL EDITION 2019 VOL. 29, NO. 1 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT BY: HON. NANNETTE JOLIVETTE BROWN Greetings! Welcome to the 2019- the chair will hold a leadership position on the Board of 2020 calendar year of the New Directors. I am honored to recently have been appointed Orleans Chapter of the Federal to serve on this very important committee by our national Bar Association. As I said in President, Christian Adams. At a local level, our goal my remarks during the annual is to make everyone feel included in the federal legal meeting in August, during the community and the board and I will make intentional 19 years that I have been a and direct connections with individual lawyers to help member of the New Orleans ensure all members experience the feeling of belonging. Chapter of the FBA, I have lead, supported, and participated in We are well into working with the judges in the EDLA to many award-winning programs and milestone events of provide a rewarding educational experience for attorneys the organization; however, nothing measures up to the in this district through the programs that will be offered honor and excitement I feel about having the privilege to during the 2019 Biennial Bench and Bar Conference to preside as President of the largest and most distinguished be held October 25 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Chapter of the FBA in the country. Orleans. This conference promotes positive out-of-court interaction between the bench and the bar, which is This year, in addition to continuing to provide quality another hallmark of our national leadership. In fact, our CLE and other events, socials, and programs, in own Judge Barry Ashe is a member of the National FBA celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding Board of Directors and one of his many responsibilities of this organization, all CLE programs this year will will be to act as a liaison between the organization and be free to members as a benefit for paying your annual the judiciary. dues. New members will also receive a 20% discount on their first year’s dues. We hope that this benefit This is an amazing organization with the structure, opens the doors to this organization even wider than power, and influence to make a real and lasting positive before and encourages enrollment and participation impact on the greater New Orleans legal community by a wide variety of practitioners to ensure the federal and the 13-Parish community of lawyers served by the legal community fully reflects the rich diversity and judges of the EDLA. I am looking forward to working experiences of the individuals it serves. This is consistent with all of you to make that happen! with the direction of our national leadership. The national FBA Board of Directors, at its annual meeting in early Sincerely, September, approved the transition of the FBA Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, established in 2011, into the FBA Diversity and Inclusion Standing Committee where President EDITORIAL BOARD: LARRY CENTOLA, COLIN CAMBRE, SCOTT STERNBERG, LAURA CANNON NATIONAL MEETING A delegation from the New Orleans Chapter of the Chapter Activity and a Meritorious Newsletter Award Federal Bar Association attended the National Annual during the Saturday Awards Luncheon. Mr. Haedicke Meeting and Convention in Tampa at the beginning of was personally presented with the 2019 Section and September. The delegation included Hon. Nannette Division Outstanding Leader Award, and the Civil Jolivette Brown (Chapter President), Hon. Barry Rights Law Section was honored with a Section Award Ashe (Past Chapter President, Judiciary Director, Vice and Meritorious Newsletter Award. President for the 5th Circuit), Ashley Belleau (Past The final event of the convention was the Leadership National President and Past Chapter President, Delegate Reception and Presidential Installation Banquet on to the ABA, and Foundation Board Member), Donna Saturday, September 7th. During the Banquet, Chief Phillips Currault (Foundation Board Member), Stephen Judge Brown was honored with the prestigious Hon. Haedicke (Chair of the Civil Rights Law Section), Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award, presented by Amanda Kaiser (Chapter Executive Director), Kathryn Martha Hofmeister. Judge Ashe then swore in Christian Knight (Immediate Past Chapter President, Sections and Adams of Hawaii as the 2019-2020 FBA National Divisions Council Member, and Past Chair Labor and President. Next year’s Annual Meeting and Convention Employment Section), and Kelly Scalise (Past Chapter will be held September 9-12, 2019 in Charleston, South President and National Board of Directors). Carolina. The South Carolina delegation previewing the This year’s Annual Meeting and Convention in Tampa exciting events planned for next year’s Annual Meeting featured engaging CLE sessions with distinguished offered this tip: start thinking about dinner reservations speakers and entertaining networking events throughout now, as Charleston’s fabulous restaurants will book up the conference. The convention began with Professor fast! Shon Hopwood of Georgetown University and author of Law Man: A Memoir of a Jailhouse Lawyer discussing criminal justice reform. Ms. Currault moderated a panel of three speakers for a CLE entitled Noteworthy SCOTUS Decisions for General Counsel, Business Litigators, and Jurists. The panel incorporated perspectives from three practice areas: intellectual property, international law and labor and employment. Robert Mazur, former U.S. federal undercover agent and now president of KYC Solutions, delivered an engaging presentation on his undercover work related to money laundering. The Tampa Bay Chapter hosted an evening reception at the Florida Aquarium. Attendees explored the exhibits, enjoyed live music, and networked with one of the New Orleans Chapter representatives at the resident penguins. FBA Annual Meeting & Convention Meeting in Tampa. During the convention, the Chapter and its members were honored with several recognitions and awards. At the Public Service Luncheon Ms. Knight was inducted as a life Fellow of the Foundation, the latest addition to a committed group of New Orleans Chapter Fellows. During the National Council Meeting Judge Ashe, Ms. Belleau and Ms. Scalise were installed as National Officers for the 2019-2020 Board year; Ms. Belleau and Ms. Currault were sworn in as Foundation Board members; Ms. Scalise was recognized for her work as Chair of the Audit Committee; and Judge Ashe was Stephen Haedicke, Chair of the Civil Rights Law recognized for 20 years of membership. The Chapter Section, received the 2019 Section and Division was awarded a Presidential Excellence Award for Outstanding Leader Award. CHIEF JUDGE BROWN HONORED WITH HON. SARAH T. HUGHES CIVIL RIGHTS AWARD On September 7, 2019, at its Annual Meeting and Convention in Tampa, Florida, the Federal Bar Association presented its prestigious Hon. Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award to Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown. Named after the renowned federal district judge from Dallas, Texas, who was the first female state district court judge in Texas and the first woman to serve as a federal district court judge in that state, the Hon. Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award was created to honor that man or woman who promotes the advancement of civil and human rights amongst us, and who exemplifies Judge Hughes’s spirit and legacy of devoted service and leadership in the cause of equality. As the first African-American female federal judge in Louisiana, and the first African American judge to serve as Chief Judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana, Judge Brown’s life work exemplifies ground-breaking achievement. The Hon. Nannette Jolivette Brown Her public service, volunteerism, and work as a legal educator similarly receiving the Hon. Sarah T. Hughes demonstrate a body of sustained and dedicated work in the areas of civil rights, Civil Rights Award due process, and equal protection. In addition to building a successful law from Martha Hofmeister. practice, Judge Brown taught at three Louisiana law schools. She helped to establish the Mediation Section of the Loyola College of Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice, which provided free mediation services to those unable to pursue traditional legal avenues to resolve their disputes. After Hurricane Katrina, she served as mediator in more than 100 cases as part of the Louisiana Hurricane Mediation Program. And immediately prior to her 2011 appointment to the federal bench by President Obama, she served as City Attorney and Deputy Mayor for the City of New Orleans. In that capacity, she oversaw a team of 75 lawyers and addressed a wide variety of legal issues affecting the City – from permitting disputes to compliance with federal consent decrees. During her first year on the bench, Judge Brown took over a section of the Eastern District’s post-conviction Rise & Recover Reentry Program, which seeks to help offenders return to their communities after release from prison. In 2017, Judge Brown was the chairperson for the Eastern District’s inaugural Bench and Bar Conference; a primary objective for the conference was to reach out to lawyers throughout the district to make sure that the court is meeting their needs for information about practicing in the Eastern District. As Chief Judge, she also is an active supporter of the EDLA Civil Pro Bono Program and the Judges and Lawyer Assistance Program, which provides mental health and medical services to members of the bench and bar unable to afford those resources. In the course of nominating Judge Brown for the award, members of the FBA’s New Orleans Chapter explained how Judge Brown’s career and service to others reflect the legacy of Judge Hughes: Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle: “Titles . are meaningless without progressive actions to build upon great legacies. Throughout a life of service to the public, bar, and judiciary in top positions, [Judge Brown] knew and shared the value of inclusion and diversity in all arenas.