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