The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana seeks applicants for a potential expanded mediation panel for its streamlined settlement program for Hurricane Ida property insurance cases. Given the approaching August 29, 2023 deadline to file such cases, the Court anticipates a substantial number of new lawsuits in the coming 60 days. Accordingly, the Court is preparing to expand the panel of neutrals if the number of new filings makes such expansion necessary and is inviting qualified mediators to apply for inclusion on such an expanded panel. More information, including the minimum requirements for mediators and instructions for applying, is available here.
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News & Announcements: 2023-06
Check this page, or the News and Announcements box on the homepage, for the latest official news and announcements released by the court. You can also access archived news and announcements from this page.
June 27, 2023
June 23, 2023
On Thursday, June 15, 2023, the Clerk’s Office Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee honored LGBTQ+ Pride Month by hosting an event focused on the Upstairs Lounge tragedy. The tragedy occurred on June 24, 1973, when a fire broke out at the Upstairs Lounge, a gay bar in the French Quarter. The arson-induced fire claimed the lives of 32 people, making it the deadliest incident of violence against the gay community in the United States prior to the Pulse Nightclub shooting. At the Pride Month event, a documentary film entitled, “Pride and Prejudice: Fire at the Upstairs Lounge,” was shown. After the film, French Quarter and LGBTQ+ historian, Frank Perez, gave a presentation on the tragedy and told the stories of men whose lives were claimed in the fire, as well as those who survived and later became leaders in the local LGBTQ+ movement.
June 21, 2023
The en banc Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana has issued an addendum to its Hurricane Ida Case Management Order to address the withdrawal of McClenny, Moseley & Associates from cases and claims concerning Hurricane Ida insurance disputes. The addendum establishes a framework that (1) encourages the representation of policyholders, (2) ensures policyholders are protected by permitting the filing of lawsuits on their behalf before the prescriptive period expires, and (3) protects attorneys taking over their cases by providing counsel with post-filing “breathing room” to investigate and vet claims without fear of sanction. Subject to conditions detailed in the addendum, the order provides for an automatic stay for certain cases, an extension of time for service, and a waiver of Local Rule 83.2.11 for counsel enrolling in cases in which MMA attorneys were previously enrolled.
Further details can be found in the complete addendum.
June 16, 2023
Attorney admissions will not be held on July 5, 2023, due to the Independence Day holiday. Attorney admissions will resume on July 12.