The Court hereby vacates Amended COVID-19 General Order 20-1, dated September 28, 2020, setting forth courthouse visitation and access restrictions for the U.S. District Courthouse and the Hale Boggs Federal Building. This order is directed to visitors of the courthouse and non-employees. Each agency shall make its own decision regarding COVID-19 screening policies for its employees. Visitors should contact individual judges and/or agencies about their specific COVID-19 screening policies for entry into those specific premises. View this PDF

On February 18, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana hosted an African American History Month Celebration entitled, “The Community and Legal Battles of the Civil Rights Movement.”  The well-attended event was moderated by the Honorable Nannette Jolivette Brown, Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  Featured speakers were David Dennis, Sr., a Freedom Rider, Freedom Summer of ’64 Organizer, civil rights attorney, and co-author of The Movement Made Us; and his son, David Dennis, Jr., an award-winning journalist and co-author of The Movement Made Us.  Mr. Dennis, Sr., recounted his experiences as an activist on the front lines of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and both he and his son gave heartfelt accounts of what it was like to write The Movement Made Us together.  All in attendance gained a better understanding of the personal sacrifices and traumas of those serving in the movement, and how the movement serves as an inspiration for today’s change-makers.  To view a recording of the event, please select this link.

The Court hereby vacates COVID-19 General Order 21-10, dated July 29, 2021, requiring all individuals to wear a mask or face covering over their nose and mouth to enter the Hale Boggs Federal Building or Courthouse unless they present medical documentation stating that they are unable to wear a mask for health reasons. The Court further amends COVID-19 General Order 21-15, dated October 22, 2021, and Amended COVID-19 General Order 20-01, dated September 28, 2020, to the extent they mandate the wearing of masks while in the Courthouse or Hale Boggs Federal Building. Accordingly, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, masks are no longer required to enter, or while inside, the U.S. Courthouse for the Eastern District of Louisiana or the Hale Boggs Federal Building. When appearing in court, visiting any judge’s chambers, or visiting a particular agency, check in advance regarding the judge’s or agency’s individual preference regarding masks. This order is directed to visitors of the courthouse and non-employees. Each agency shall make its own decision regarding mask mandates for its employees. View this PDF

IT IS ORDERED that effective March 1, 2022, the Local Civil Rules, Local Admiralty Rules, Local Criminal Rules, Local Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement, and Local Rules for Disability Inactive Status of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana are amended as noted in detail in the attached order.   View this PDF