SLS 22RS-599 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 44
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
CONDOLENCES. Expresses sincere and heartfelt condolences on the passing of Steven J.
Dupuis Sr.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere and heartfelt condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of
3 Louisiana upon the passing of Steven Joseph Dupuis Sr.
4 WHEREAS, it is with great sorrow that the citizens of Lafayette, Louisiana, learned
5 of the passing of Steven J. Dupuis Sr. on January 20, 2022, at the age of seventy-three; and
6 WHEREAS, he was born June 3, 1948, in Lafayette to Genevieve Houssiere Dupuis
7 and Dr. John Willis Dupuis Jr; and
8 WHEREAS, Dupuis grew up to become a strong faith-filled Catholic who
9 wholeheartedly believed in God, attended mass daily, and believed in the power of prayer
10 and healing; and
11 WHEREAS, Dupuis married Melissa (Missy) Leger and was blessed with eight
12 children: Steven J. Dupuis Jr., Jeffrey P. Dupuis, Dr. Gregory M. Dupuis, Katherine E.
13 Dupuis Martin, Paul L. Dupuis and wife, Mara Malherbe, Grant J. Dupuis, Amelie H.
14 Dupuis, and Angelle G. Dupuis; and
15 WHEREAS, Dupuis received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of
16 Louisiana-Lafayette, his Juris Doctorate degree from the Louisiana State University School
17 of Law, and was admitted to the Louisiana State Bar in 1975; and
18 WHEREAS, he spent his entire professional career practicing law in Lafayette,
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SLS 22RS-599 ORIGINAL
1 Louisiana, for forty-six years specializing in the areas of Commercial and Casualty
2 Litigation, Business Law, Commercial Disputes, Governmental Law, Indian Law – often
3 representing the Coushatta Tribe in Louisiana, Banking, Corporate Transactions, Personal
4 Injury, Commercial Real Estate Law, and General Civil and Criminal Practice; and
5 WHEREAS, as a litigator on behalf of his clients, Dupuis has handled complex state
6 and federal civil court cases in which he received multi-million dollar verdicts for the
7 plaintiffs or he defeated multi-million dollar claims for the defense; and
8 WHEREAS, he has been involved in litigation matters on behalf of the state of
9 Louisiana, the parish of Lafayette, the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, the
10 Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Office of the District Attorney for the 15th Judicial
11 District Court; and
12 WHEREAS, Dupuis has served as an assistant parish attorney for the Lafayette
13 Parish Government, as first assistant city-parish attorney, and chief legal counsel for the
14 Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government; and
15 WHEREAS, Dupuis handled the transition of the city of Lafayette and the parish of
16 Lafayette into the Lafayette Consolidated Government as its primary attorney who handled
17 the restructure of all boards and commissions for the city of Lafayette and the parish of
18 Lafayette during the consolidation; and
19 WHEREAS, while serving as chief legal counsel and eventually as city-parish
20 attorney, Dupuis worked on a daily basis with the chief administrative officer and helped
21 accomplish a two hundred million dollar bond issue election which was successful in
22 funding numerous infrastructure projects which had not been accomplished prior to the
23 consolidation; and
24 WHEREAS, he also served as special counsel to the Lafayette Airport Commission
25 and was appointed and served on numerous occasions as a special assistant attorney general
26 for the State of Louisiana; and
27 WHEREAS, since January 2004, Dupuis has represented private clients having
28 litigation and transactional interests potentially adverse to local governmental agencies; and
29 WHEREAS, he represented private clients involving expropriation matters,
30 allegations of alleged breach of ordinances, employees having work-related claims against
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SLS 22RS-599 ORIGINAL
1 the governmental entity, individuals having personal injury matters arising out of liability
2 incurred by the governmental entity, commercial real estate development coming within the
3 jurisdiction of the governmental entity, and other such related matters, winning settlements
4 in excess of one million dollars against government entities for his clients; and
5 WHEREAS, Dupuis was a past director of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association,
6 member of the American Bar Association, the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, the
7 American Trial Lawyers Association, and the city attorney division of the Louisiana
8 Municipal Association; and
9 WHEREAS, he is survived by his loving wife, Melissa Leger, their eight children,
10 six grandchildren: Steven J. Dupuis, III, Lily K. Dupuis, Evans B. Dupuis, Alexander S.
11 Dupuis, Charlotte R. Martin, and Lincoln J. Martin; a brother, James H. Dupuis and his wife,
12 Debbie; his father- and mother-in-law, Merlin and Joanne Leger, and numerous nieces and
13 nephews; and
14 WHEREAS, he was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, John Willis
15 Dupuis III; and
16 WHEREAS, Steven J. Dupuis Sr's. personal impact on the Lafayette City-Parish
17 Consolidated Government, his contributions to the development of the Lafayette community
18 are legendary; and the many appreciative family and friends he was often surrounded by,
19 will never forget him.
20 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
21 does hereby express sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family of Steven Joseph Dupuis
22 Sr. upon the occasion of his passing.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to his
24 wife, Melissa Leger.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Ann S. Brown.
DIGEST
SR 44 Original 2022 Regular Session Boudreaux
Expresses condolences upon the passing of Steven Joseph Dupuis Sr.
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