ENROLLED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 117
BY REPRESENTATIVES GAINES, BOYD, BRASS, BRYANT, CARPENTER,
WILFORD CARTER, COX, FISHER, GLOVER, GREEN, HUGHES,
JEFFERSON, JENKINS, TRAVIS JOHNSON, JORDAN, KNOX, LAFLEUR,
LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE, DUSTIN MILLER, MOORE, NEWELL,
PHELPS, PIERRE, SELDERS, AND WILLARD AND SENATORS BARROW,
BOUDREAUX, BOUIE, CARTER, DUPLESSIS, FIELDS, HARRIS, JACKSON,
PRICE, AND TARVER
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To designate Monday, May 22, 2023, as the Louisiana Judicial Council of the National Bar
Association Day at the state capitol and to commend the council.
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council is an arm of the National Bar Association
founded in 1971 and is the largest and oldest association of black judges in the world which
has continued its legacy of service, activism, and justice for all; and
WHEREAS, the rapid increase in the number of black judges in the United States
prompted the National Bar Association's national president, Edward F. Bell, to suggest
coordination of an extension of the judicial body within the parent organization to provide
an educational vehicle for judges, to reinforce and aid judges to uphold key principles, and
to encourage judges to mentor others who enter the profession; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council of the National Bar Association has one
hundred forty-six active and retired members, with six members as federal judges, across the
state of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council of the National Bar Association consists
of the following 2022-2024 Officers: Judge Lee V. Faulkner, Jr., 24th Judicial District
Court, chair; Judge Kern A. Reece, Orleans Parish Civil District Court, chair-elect; Judge
Sandra C. Jenkins, 4th Circuit Court of Appeal, secretary; Judge Marc E. Johnson, 5th
Circuit Court of Appeal, treasurer; and the executive board members: Judge E. Adrian
Adams, 24th Judicial District Court, Gretna; Judge Shonda D. Stone, 2nd Circuit Court of
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Appeal, Shreveport; Judge Derrick D. Kee, 14th Judicial District Court, Lake Charles; Judge
Tammy D. Lee, Monroe City Court, Monroe; Judge Trudy M. White, 19th Judicial Court,
Baton Rouge; Judge Vercell F. Fiffie, 40th Judicial District Court, Edgard; Judge Rachel D.
Johnson, 4th Circuit Court of Appeal, New Orleans; Judge D. Nicole Sheppard, Orleans
Parish Civil District Court, New Orleans; Judge Karelia R. Stewart, 1st Judicial District
Court, Shreveport; immediate past chairperson, Judge June B. Darensburg, 24th Judicial
District Court, Gretna; and past chairperson, Justice Piper D. Griffin, Louisiana Supreme
Court; and
WHEREAS, in order to facilitate the provision of justice in Louisiana, the judges of
the Louisiana Judicial Council undertake activities for the improvement of law, the legal
system, and the administration of justice; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council is committed to a more diverse ethnic
and cultural balance of elected and nonelected judges throughout the state of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council is committed to achieving the eradication
of racial and class bias from the judicial process thereby improving the public's confidence
in the judicial system; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council of the National Bar Association aspires
to be the beacon of light for justice in Louisiana and the world as it works to develop a
shared sense of justice that respects the dignity of all human beings; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council fashions effective remedies for
legitimate grievances of the deprived, the oppressed, and the underrepresented in society;
and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council facilitates and hastens the meaningful
integration of the judiciary and of each agency of government controlled by or responsible
to the judiciary; and
WHEREAS, the motto of the Louisiana Judicial Council is "Fiat Justitia Ruat
Coelum" which means "Let Justice Prevail Though the Heavens May Fall"; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Judicial Council provides seminars, conferences, and
forums for the exchange of judicial experiences and for the training and continuing
education of its members; and
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WHEREAS, the principle values of the Louisiana Judicial Council are justice and
integrity, which are reflected by the respect, spirituality, selfless service, and personal
courage of its membership.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
recognize Monday, May 22, 2023, as Louisiana Judicial Council of the National Bar
Association Day at the state capitol and does hereby commend and express enduring
appreciation and gratitude to the Louisiana Judicial Council of the National Bar Association
for its fight for justice and equality within the judicial branch of our government and for its
contributions to the judiciary as a whole.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
chairperson of the Louisiana Judicial Council of the National Bar Association.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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