New Orleans Chapter

www.nofba.org

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A Message from the Chapter President

2010: New Orleans is FBA Central

As we all learned at the annual meeting, with the great support of the national organization, New Orleans has won the bid to host the 2010 National Federal Bar Association Convention. Both the national organization and our chapter know it will be a success. Many thanks to Jack Lockridge and the members of the national team and Board of Directors for allowing New Orleans to host this great event. Also many thanks to the members of the New Orleans Chapter, particularly Ashley Belleau, Matt Moreland, Patrick O’Keefe and Virginia Schlueter for their efforts in making this project happen. We will have a chance to show the National office of the Federal Bar Association what our City has to offer as well as highlight the quality and energy of the nation’s largest Federal Bar Association Chapter – New Orleans. All members of the chapter are invited to participate in this gathering, be it as an attendee, speaker, or volunteer. We will endeavor to put on a cutting edge continuing education program as well as showcase and introduce and, in many occasions, reintroduce, members of other bars and benches to our great City, and diverse practices.

The ancient Chinese proverb (and possibly curse) “May you live in interesting times” was in fact followed by two more proverbs:

            May you come to the attention of those in authority.

            May you find what you are looking for.

We have certainly had the opportunity to live in “interesting times” as we all participate in the recovery, rebuilding, and remaking of New Orleans in the post-Katrina years. The national convention will certainly allow our chapter to show our brethren from across America what New Orleanians are made of, remind them of the scope of the project of rebuilding New Orleans and call to their attention the quality of our practice and lawyers. New Orleanians, and I say this as a native, seem much more negative about our City and practice than those from afar.   Truth is, we have much about which to be thankful and proud, and the quality of the lawyers – from my personal perspective – equals or exceeds any in America. We practice at a level that rivals the largest of American cities, both from the standpoints of intellectual depth and litigational complexity. The national convention will allow us to share our experiences and practice with lawyers and judges nationally. Please help with this showcasing of our Federal Bar National and Chapter as we call to the attention of many around America the quality of our bar and uniqueness of our experiences.

At the annual meeting, I asked all of us to remember the days that immediately followed Hurricane Katrina. It was a time when professionalism hit an all time high in southeast Louisiana. Lawyers who sometimes have a propensity to fight over anything and everything, regardless of whether it advances the litigational ball, worked together as true professionals and as members of a bar that were all looking for the same thing – the efficient and timely resolution of disputes. The Bar should hearken back to those days when we all realized how fragile both life and our existence are and that working together, while advocating and butting heads, could happen. I ask all of us to work together to make the 2010 National Convention a true success for our Chapter, National Organization, the City of New Orleans and our own individual practices. Sitting here today, we have weathered, survived, and in most cases thrived in the wake of Katrina. Our chapter, which was the largest pre-Katrina, maintains that distinction and continues to grow. In addition to being the largest chapter in the nation and certainly one of the best in terms of quality of practice, I hope we can all strive to be paragons of professionalism. Thanks in advance for your support and involvement in the 2010 National Convention.

James M. Garner
New Orleans Chapter President

2009 New Orleans Chapter Board Members

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Newsletter: Spring 2009
Newsletter: Winter 2009

Upcoming Events

August 21, 2009
Annual Meeting and Luncheon, with Keynote Speaker Hon. Catherine D. Kimball, Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court
Hosted by the New Orleans Chapter of the FBA
Time: 11:00 a.m. Cocktail Hour; Noon Luncheon
Location: The Plimsoll Club, 30th Floor of the World Trade Center, 2 Canal Street, New Orleans
Cost: $50 per person, with validated parking is available at the Hilton Hotel
Registration: Please call Camille at (504) 589-7990 to reserve a seat.

September 10, 2009
Mediation Workshop Seminar
Hosted by the New Orleans Chapter of the FBA
Members of the federal judiciary along with private mediators and practitioners will discuss the practice ofmediation.
More information to come.

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Recent Events

June 26, 2009
A Federal Roundtable Discussion
Presented by the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
Featured speakers include Hon. Carl Barbier, Hon. Daniel E. Knowles, III, Stevan C. Dittman, and Peter L. Hilbert, Jr.
Time: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
CLE: 2 hours of CLE credit
Registration: For more information or to register contact Camille Zeller at 589-7990.

May 14, 2009
17th Annual Judge Alvin B. Rubin Symposium
Time: 2:00–4:00 p.m.
There will be an interesting and timely discussion of ethics and professionalism with speaker Professor David Wilkins, Lester Kissel Professor of Law, Harvard Law School.

February 3, 2009
Commercial Litigation Seminar
Registration: Please contact Camille Zeller to RSVP or for more information at (504) 589-7990 or fbano@bellsouth.net.

December 4, 2008
New Orleans Chapter Younger Lawyers Division Bankruptcy Seminar
Registration: Please contact Camille Zeller to RSVP or for more information at (504) 589-7990 or fbano@bellsouth.net.

December 9, 2008
Last Chance Seminar
Registration: Please contact Camille Zeller to RSVP or for more information at (504) 589-7990 or fbano@bellsouth.net.

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