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The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana held a naturalization ceremony in which 20 petitioners became United States citizens. The Honorable Darrel J. Papillion, U.S. District Judge, presided over the June 24 ceremony. He welcomed and congratulated the petitioners and invited everyone to stand for the playing of the National Anthem by the Marine Forces Reserve Band and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, led by representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Judge Papillion then invited Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld to provide remarks. Judge van Meerveld spoke of her journey being naturalized 39 years ago at the very courthouse where she would later be appointed a magistrate judge. She reminded petitioners that there are no second-class citizens in America and that they all now have the same rights afforded to native-born Americans.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Schreiber then issued the statement of petitioners’ eligibility for citizenship and presented petitioners’ requests for name change. After granting the requests for name change, Judge Papillion invited the petitioners to announce their names and countries...
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Judge Wendy Vitter became the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on May 15, 2025, succeeding Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, who completed her seven-year term of service to the Court. Per 28 U.S.C. §136, “The chief judge shall have precedence and preside at any session which [s]he attends.” In addition, the chief judge is the Court’s leader of administrative operations who bears many budgetary, financial, and reporting responsibilities.
Chief Judge Vitter was sworn in as a U.S. District Judge for Eastern District of Louisiana on May 30, 2019. Immediately prior to her judicial appointment, she served as General Counsel for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the first in its history. In that role, she provided counsel to the Archdiocese as well as various associated entities, including Catholic Charities, Second Harvest Food Bank, the Clarion Herald, Notre Dame Seminary, and more than 100 elementary and high schools.
Chief Judge Vitter...
more »The Department of Homeland Security has determined that federal courthouses remain exempt from the provisions of the REAL ID Act in order to protect the constitutional right of defendants and other members of the public’s access to court proceedings. State-issued identification cards are and will continue to be an acceptable form of identification for those seeking to access federal courthouses.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana held a naturalization ceremony in which 22 petitioners became United States citizens. The Honorable Jay C. Zainey, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, presided over the May 1 ceremony. He opened the ceremony by inviting everyone to stand for the presentation of the colors by the members of the U.S. Coast Guard and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, led by representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Judge Zainey then invited keynote speaker Mimi Nguyen to provide remarks. Nguyen, an Assistant United States Attorney, noted the ceremony took place one day after the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the Vietnam War, which was the catalyst for her family immigrating to America. Her father worked many difficult jobs to provide for her family while he learned English, and the only week he took off work each year was the week of July 4th. Nguyen said she is reminded of her father’s American pride at the beginning of every court proceeding when she introduces herself as “representing the United States of America.” Brock Dupre, Deputy Chief of the Civil Division of the U.S...
more »Public Notice is hereby given of proposed amendments to the Rule for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana held a naturalization ceremony in which 48 petitioners became United States citizens. The Honorable Greg G. Guidry, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, presided over the March 6 ceremony. He opened the ceremony by inviting everyone to stand for the playing of the National Anthem by the Marine Forces Reserve Band and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, led by representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Judge Guidry then invited keynote speaker Annalisa Miron to provide remarks. Miron, a public defender at EDLA, reflected on her father’s naturalization at this courthouse in 1971. She encouraged the new citizens to embrace their new community through local organizations and elections. Miron emphasized the importance of exercising their freedoms as new citizens to make the country stronger. Peter Mansfield, Chief of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office (EDLA), served as the Attorney General’s designee and certified the petitioners’ eligibility for citizenship. After granting the requests for name change, Judge Guidry had each petitioner announce their name and...
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