The Shreveport Bar Association has been a driving force on the legal front to organize and educate attorneys to maintain proficiency and accuracy in the legal profession. We are dedicated to providing support for area attorneys through Continuing Legal Education, Krewe of Justinian fundraising, and through the Shreveport Bar Foundation.

Shreveport Bar Association Offices
The Shreveport Bar Association offices are located in the American Tower at 401 North Market Street, Suite 950 in downtown Shreveport. There is a large conference room which is available for the various committees of the association and the foundation.

Continuing Legal Education
The Bar Association's Continuing Legal Education programs help attorneys obtain their mandatory legal education requirements by offering seminars and CLE speakers throughout the year. The SBA conducts a Recent Developments by the Judiciary Seminar in October, which is a two-day seminar (13 hours of Louisiana CLE credit, including ethics, and professionalism, and 13 hours of Texas credit, including ethics). Another two-day CLE By the Hour Seminar is held in December, where lawyers can get up to 13 hours of Louisiana CLE credit, including professionalism and ethics. Throughout the year, there are several one-hour CLE sessions available in connection with the SBA's monthly luncheon meetings.

The Bar Review
The Bar Review, is a monthly publication of the Shreveport Bar Association (except July and August). This publication informs SBA members of upcoming events and continuing legal education programs. It also contains articles written by local attorneys, judges and other professionals with regard to recent legal developments, changes in court rules, ethics, and many other areas of the law. The publication includes a regular legal history column and an article entitled "How Write You Are," designed to help attorneys and judges improve their writing skills. The Bar Review also offers local businesses a targeted and effective means of advertising to members of the SBA.

The SBA Pictorial Membership Directory
The Shreveport Bar Association Membership Directory is published every other year and is a valuable tool for members and anyone working with or in the legal profession. The publication contains a roster of area judges and key courthouse personnel, along with a pictorial roster of all SBA members, their addresses, telephone numbers and fax numbers.

Monthly Luncheon Programs
Each month (except July, August and December), the SBA has a luncheon program featuring dynamic speakers, whose topics deal with some aspect of the law. Many of these programs qualify as a one-hour CLE credit for attorneys attending. The luncheons are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 12 Noon at The Petroleum Club of Shreveport.

SBA Benefit Golf Scramble
Each spring, the annual SBA benefit golf scramble raises money for the many worthwhile projects undertaken annually by the Shreveport Bar Association. Attorneys, sponsors and clients enjoy a day of golfing and an evening awards party.

Krewe of Justinian
The Krewe of Justinian, one of the few legal Krewes in the United States, raises money for and encourages camaraderie among local attorneys. Membership is open to SBA members and sponsored non-attorneys. Royalty is selected from the active participants of the Krewe, and the Mardi Gras season is filled with numerous parties, a grand Bal, and float rides in the Krewe of Centaur parade, which is viewed by over 400,000 Ark-La-Tex spectators. The Krewe raises approximately $20,000 each year to support the many worthwhile projects of the SBA.

Law Week
Law Week celebrates the involvement of attorneys in the community and recognizes individuals or organizations for outstanding community service via the presentation of the annual Liberty Bell Award. Other Law Week events include free legal seminars, a telephone hot line for the public to call and get free legal advice from volunteer attorneys, mock trials and essay contests for area youth, and an annual community service project, such as the Adopt-A-Family Program. Law Week events culminate on Friday with the annual Red Mass, held at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Judges throughout Northwest Louisiana participate in the Mass.

Young Lawyers' and Women's Sections
These two sections of the SBA are involved in various events and service projects such as the Easter party for children at the YWCA Family Violence Center and Providence House; collecting stuffed animals for the children of Gingerbread House, a counseling center for abused children; conducting Mock Trials, Teen Court and Law Magnet programs for area high school students; providing books for the children at the Shriner's hospital, and numerous other projects. The Young Lawyer's Section also sponsors a Mentoring Program for new attorneys in the area.

Northwest Louisiana Paralegal Association and Shreveport-Bossier Legal Secretaries Association
Both of these organizations work with and support SBA fundraisers, Law Week events, and legal seminars. The NWLPA hosts their own seminars and programs for continuing legal education and the SBLSA provides scholarship programs and offers a referral service for secretaries and paralegals.

Memorial and Recognition Committee
This committee is responsible for the annual ceremony memorializing deceased attorneys and recognizing newly admitted attorneys, and for other such special programs that may be appropriate from time to time.

Professionalism Committee
This committee is responsible for monitoring public perception of the legal profession and for planning and implementing such actions as may contribute to a better public understanding of the legal profession. A Professionalism award is presented each year to an SBA member who exhibits all of the qualities of a true professional in the practice of law.

Military Affairs Committee
This committee is responsible for maintaining a liaison between the members of the Shreveport Bar Association and the members of the Judge Advocate General's Corps. The chairman of this committee must be an active duty officer, reserve officer, or retired officer of the United States Armed Forces.

Court Liaison Committee
This committee is responsible for maintaining and improving effective communication between the bench and the bar, as well as continuing to foster a good relationship between the bench and the bar. The chairman of this committee is an active judge of the First Judicial District Court.

Other SBA Committees include , CLE, Criminal Law, Lawyer Referral, Library and Archives, Membership, Program, and Law Day.