Federal Bar Association New Orleans Chapter

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Federal Bar Association New Orleans Chapter

The FBA is dedicated to promoting the welfare, interests, education, and professional development of attorneys involved in federal practice.

The Federal Bar Association (FBA) is dedicated to the advancement of the science of jurisprudence and to promoting the welfare, interests, education, and professional development of all attorneys involved in federal law. Our members run the gamut of federal practice: attorneys practicing in small to large legal firms, attorneys in corporations and federal agencies, and members of the judiciary. The FBA is the catalyst for communication between the bar and the bench, as well as the private and public sectors.

10/15/2026

There are many ways to make a living with a law degree. As a result, the best career advice can’t be one size fits all. “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder,” Sheryl Sandberg wrote in Lean In. And Dolly Parton once famously said, “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” These tips are true for all lawyers, but especially for women who more often balance practice with caregiving, career pivots, and other everyday plot twists. Three generations of attorneys will share ways, at every age and stage, to climb this jungle gym—from the long hours of building a practice and your reputation, to the mid-career stretch of proving yourself, to the perspective that comes with finally being the boss. At each stop, our panelists share practical, real-world strategies for checking in with yourself, adjusting course, and getting ready for whatever's next — planned or not. Whether you're just clocking in or you've been climbing for decades, this session offers honest, stage-specific guidance for building a legal career you’re proud of. And can live with.

Panel 1: “Pour Myself a Cup of Ambition”: Setting the Foundation & Climbing (30 min.)
Moderator: Sascha Leidecker, Tulane Law School (3L)
Monette Davis; Stone Pigman (Associate)
Eliza Gottfried; Promise of Justice Initiative (Senior Attorney)
Carly McCleskey, Loyola University College of Law (Westerfield Fellow)
Rachel Naquin, JJC Law (Attorney)

Panel 2: “Blood Starts Pumpin’”: Rising to the Top & Branching Out (30 min.)
Moderator: Chloé Chetta; Barrasso Usdin (Member)
Camille Bryant; Ochsner Health (Assistant General Counsel)
Stephanie Graf Gamble; Sessions Fishman (Partner)
Kathryn Munson; Stanley Reuter Alford Owen Munson & Paul (Managing Partner)
Kathlyn Perez; Perez Law (Founding Member)

Panel 3: “Service & Devotion”: View from the Top & Still Growing (30 min.)
Moderator: Hon. Janis van Meerveld; Chief Magistrate Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana
Judy Y. Barrasso, Barrasso Usdin (Founding Member)
Charline Gipson, City of New Orleans (City Attorney)
Alanah Odoms, ACLU of Louisiana (Executive Director)

Co-sponsored by - New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Association for Women Attorneys (New Orleans), Martinet Society, Tulane Women in Law, and Loyola Women in Law Student Association.

1.5 hour CLE, including 1 hour of Professionalism, has been approved in Louisiana
This CLE is offered at no charge, but advance registration is required.
This CLE is offered in person or by Zoom.

To register, scan the QR code or click the link below
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/what-a-way-to-make-a-living-cle-tickets-2002451202451?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/14/2026

In our fast-paced world of work obligations, family commitments, and finding time for yourself, where is the time to build your brand and market yourself as an attorney? How can you stand out in the saturated legal market? As this is often a topic of conversation, we have invited Elizabeth Brick to join us to give some tips and suggestions.

Elizabeth owns Coterie Strategies and is a legal marketing and business development professional with more than a decade of experience helping lawyers build their brands and maximize their revenue potential. She will give advice on advocating for yourself, raising your profile, and building the relationships that drive revenue. Elizabeth will have time for questions, so be sure to bring yours.

This program is open to members and non-members, so grab your friends and colleagues and join us for an evening of interesting conversation and fellowship! To ensure meaningful conversation, seating at this event is limited.

Drink tickets (2) and light bites included.

To register, scan the QR code or click the link below.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cocktails-and-career-conversations-tickets-2002065625179?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/08/2026

In our fast-paced world of work obligations, family commitments, and finding time for yourself, where is the time to build your brand and market yourself as an attorney? How can you stand out in the saturated legal market? As this is often a topic of conversation, we have invited Elizabeth Brick to join us to give some tips and suggestions.

Elizabeth owns Coterie Strategies and is a legal marketing and business development professional with more than a decade of experience helping lawyers build their brands and maximize their revenue potential. She will give advice on advocating for yourself, raising your profile, and building the relationships that drive revenue. Elizabeth will have time for questions, so be sure to bring yours.

This program is open to members and non-members, so grab your friends and colleagues and join us for an evening of interesting conversation and fellowship! To ensure meaningful conversation, seating at this event is limited.

Drink tickets (2) and light bites included.

Please scan the QR code or click the link below to register.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cocktails-and-career-conversations-tickets-2002065625179?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/06/2026

Congratulations to all those who recently passed the Louisiana Bar Exam! What an accomplishment!

The New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association will once again be offering our Malcolm W. Monroe Federal Practice Seminar and Swearing In Ceremony on Wednesday, December 2, 2026. Registration will open at 12:00 noon, and the program will begin at 12:45 pm.

Our program details and registration packet will be posted to our website no later than Tuesday, October 13th. (https://www.fbaneworleans.org/)

We have a great agenda of CLEs planned for you, and we look forward to having you join us.

09/30/2026

To Our Law Student Members:

Join us for our second annual Career Speed Dating Event. Come visit in a roundtable fashion with attorneys in the practice areas of Admiralty, Commercial Litigation, Criminal, Personal Injury, and Transactional. We will have representatives on both the Plaintiff/Prosecution and Defense sides. Listen to what they do every day. Bring your questions. Attendees will have time to visit with each of the practice areas. The roundtables will be followed by a reception.

To promote open conversation between our attorneys and participants, space is very limited. It is ONLY open to FBA Student Chapter members. This event is presented at no charge to our members.

If the event is sold out, please join the waitlist by emailing [email protected]. We will do our best to accommodate the waitlist.

Registration required. Please click the link below or scan the QR code.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/career-speed-dating-for-law-student-members-tickets-1999806184130?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/24/2026

The New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association invites all of our law student members from Loyola University College of Law and Tulane University School of Law to join us for an evening of networking, celebration, and thanks. Our FBA and YLD Boards of Directors, as well as representatives from New Orleans area law firms, look forward to coming together to visit with our law school members and thank them for being a part of our organization.

The following sponsoring law firms will have representatives at the event.

Baker Donelson
Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver
Fishman Haygood
Flanagan Partners
JJC Law
Jones Walker
Miller Thibodaux Dysart Veith & Paschal
Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand & Brackett
Peiffer Wolf
Phelps Dunbar
Simon Peragine Smith and Redfearn
Stone Pigman

This event is complimentary to all FBA Law School members. Only FBA Law Student members are invited to attend. If you are not a member, check with your school's FBA chapter, which can give you the link to join. FBA membership for law students is free of charge for your 3 years of Law School and your first year of practice.

Cocktails and light bites provided.

Pre-registration required
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fba-member-appreciation-event-for-our-law-school-members-tickets-1999272728550?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/23/2026

This CLE is TOMORROW. There are still seats remaining, but we would appreciate it if you would please pre-register.

Please join the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. for our 2026 POWER ACT Event - Helping Survivors of Domestic Violence.

Survivors of domestic and family violence frequently encounter complex challenges that extend across multiple practice areas, including medical and legal. This panel features attorneys and advisers who provide direct services to adults and children impacted by domestic and family violence. Panelists will discuss the importance of immediate and appropriate medical care and the participation in the prosecution to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions against vulnerable victims and increase safety in our communities by working together to help prevent future assaults. Attendees will gain an understanding of the critical role of legal advocacy in promoting safety, stability, and justice for survivors, and will leave with ideas on how they can contribute much needed pro bono services. Those already practicing in this field will gain practical insights to inform and enhance their own practice.

Panelists -
Mary Glass - Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Division Chief, Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office
Heidi Martin - (BSN, RN, SANE-A), Forensic Clinical Supervisor University Medical Center
Jordan Pedalino (PhD) - Sexual Assault Specialist with New Orleans Health Dept, Adjunct Professor at Loyola, Founder & Principal Consultant of Pedalino & Co.
Elizabeth Heron - Felony Domestic Violence Advocate

The in-person program will also be accessible via Zoom. There is no charge to attend either in person or by Zoom. Pre-registration is requested.
This program is being co-sponsored by the Association for Women Attorneys, Louis A. Martinet Society, Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and the New Orleans Bar Association.

Approved for 1 Hour CLE Credit or 1 Hour of Family Law Specialization Credit

To register - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-usdc-edla-power-act-cle-event-tickets-1998380053535?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/17/2026

Lunch with the Court with U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Magistrate Judge Karen Wells Roby is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. The lunch, which is arranged by the Younger Lawyers Division of the Federal Bar Association, is open to FBA members at no cost. Guests are welcome for a small fee. The Lunch with the Court program is an excellent opportunity to meet federal practitioners, socialize with other attorneys, and gain valuable insights and perspectives from a member of the federal bench.

Judge Roby is retiring at the end of the year, and this will be her last Lunch with the Court. Please join us to celebrate her time on the Bench.

This event is designed to be small to promote open conversation between our guest judge and participants. Space is limited. If the event is sold out, you can join the waitlist by emailing [email protected].

To register - scan the QR code or click the link below
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunch-with-the-court-with-judge-karen-wells-roby-tickets-1999271469785?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/15/2026

** This program is this Friday. A few seats still remain. Please register soon if you would like to attend. This is an opportunity to learn from the best and one you don't want to miss! **

Join the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and The American College of Trial Lawyers on Friday, September 18, 2026, for a day of continuing legal education on the anatomy of a trial.

This program will feature a faculty of preeminent trial lawyers and judges who will discuss and demonstrate opening statements, direct examination, cross-examination, and closing arguments. This program will use the facts of the historic Rosenberg Spy Case as the basis for the trial. While this program may look similar to ones presented in the past, this CLE has been designed by a different leadership group. The program has been restructured and features a unique judicial panel at the end of the day. Expect insightful conversation during this session where participants will get useful tips and insights from our panelists.

Step back into 1951 and into one of the most polarizing trials in American History. This live mock trial revisits that prosecution, focusing on the charges against Ethel Rosenberg - accused of conspiring with her husband and others to commit espionage against the United States. Using historical transcripts, declassified evidence, and modern legal analysis, seasoned attorneys will argue over her guilt or innocence, a question that continues to divide historians and lawyers. This program will also feature lectures from experienced litigators on trial strategies involving opening statements, witness examinations, and closing arguments, along with several panel discussions with federal and state judges on trial practice and what they want from trial lawyers. Throughout the day, a dynamic Q&A will allow attendees an opportunity to pose questions to the participants.

This program was designed by the American College of Trial Lawyers, which is an invitation-only organization limited to those who have demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism, and collegiality.

This CLE is approved for 5 1/2 hours of CLE credit.

Details on the agenda and presenters can be found on our Eventbrite page by following the link below or scanning the QR code. Lunch and refreshments along with a reception after the program will be provided. Registration is a must, and space is limited, so grab your seat today.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boot-camp-for-trial-attorneys-tickets-1998388052460?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/10/2026

We are aware of a phishing scam email being sent by persons alleging to be Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.

These emails are scam attempts. The FBA does not need money or bills to be paid. Please be vigilant and aware. Please don't send any money to anyone via Venmo or Zelle on our behalf.

If you ever have a question about an email related to the FBA, please email or call the office.

Address

500 Poydras Street, Room B245, Second Floor, Hale Boggs
New Orleans, LA
70130

Website

http://www.nofba.org/

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