ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 91
BY REPRESENTATIVE JAMES
A RESOLUTION
To commend the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society for its contributions to the legal
profession and community and to designate Thursday, May 21, 2015, as Louis A.
Martinet Day at the state capitol.
WHEREAS, the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society is the result of the efforts of Earl
J. Amedee, Israel M. Augustine, Norman C. Francis, Benjamin J. Johnson, Alvin Jones,
Ernest N. Morial, Justice Revius Ortique, A. P. Tureaud, and others in seeking to combat the
injustices and inequalities that existed in the 1950s in the legal profession; and
WHEREAS, during that tumultuous time, Jim Crow laws dominated every aspect of
African-American life, and African-American attorneys were barred from participating in
the mainstream of the nation's legal profession; and
WHEREAS, the founding members of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society organized
for professional support and to focus their skills and training to combat Jim Crow laws in
their communities and in the courtrooms; and
WHEREAS, the society is named in honor of a pioneer in the legal profession, Louis
Andre' Martinet, the first African-American graduate at Straight University Law School,
now known as Dillard University; and
WHEREAS, Louis A. Martinet graduated from law school in 1876 and, one year
later he passed the Louisiana Bar Examination; and
WHEREAS, in addition to being an attorney, Martinet was a politician, educator,
activist, journalist, medical doctor, notary, and a key figure in civil rights activities at the end
of Reconstruction; and
WHEREAS, many of the Martinet Legal Society's founding objectives remain the
same today: members are encouraged to exchange ideas, promote legal scholarship, advance
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the science of jurisprudence, promote the administration of justice, and uphold the order and
ethics of the courts to promote the welfare of the legal profession, and there are Louis A.
Martinet Legal Society chapters across Louisiana engaged in these activities; and
WHEREAS, the society is greatly involved in Louisiana communities through
activities and events such as the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, the
Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala, the Pro Bono Project, the Reading Project, and the
Bar Scholarship Program, and through various programs of the National Bar Association,
the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the Louisiana
Legislative Black Caucus, the Black Law Students Association, and the Louisiana Judicial
Conference; and
WHEREAS, the Martinet Society has provided hundreds of students with
scholarships to attend undergraduate and law schools within the state of Louisiana and has
served as a backbone and resource for civil rights litigation, education initiatives, and the
professional development of many African-American and other minority attorneys.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society for its
contributions to the legal profession and community; does hereby express best wishes and
hopes for continued success in its efforts; and does hereby designate Thursday, May 21,
2015, as Louis A. Martinet Day at the state capitol.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that suitable copies of this Resolution be transmitted
to Rolando Urbina, president of the Baton Rouge chapter of the Louis A. Martinet Legal
Society, and to Rachael Johnson, president of the New Orleans chapter.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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