Last updated: August 2026
Out-of-state counsel with a matter venued in East Baton Rouge Parish need a Louisiana-licensed attorney of record to sponsor pro hac vice admission and stay actively involved under Louisiana Supreme Court Rule XVII, § 13. This page covers the 19th Judicial District Court, which handles both civil and felony criminal matters in the parish. East Baton Rouge Family Court is a separate court with exclusive jurisdiction over domestic matters.
What’s Operationally Different About the 19th JDC
Three features of this court shape how a visiting attorney should staff a matter here.
One court handles civil and criminal. Unlike Orleans Parish, which splits civil and criminal jurisdiction into two separate courts, East Baton Rouge routes both through the 19th JDC. There are fifteen elected judges, Divisions A through O, supported by four commissioners (Sections A–D) who handle preliminary matters — first appearances, bond hearings, protective orders, search and arrest warrants — to keep the docket moving.
Domestic matters are carved out entirely. East Baton Rouge Family Court holds exclusive jurisdiction over divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, community property partition, and protective orders. It sits on the fourth floor of the same courthouse at 300 North Boulevard, but it is a separate court with its own four judges in Divisions A through D.
A pro hac vice grant does not travel between the two. A visiting attorney handling both a 19th JDC civil or criminal matter and a related domestic issue in Family Court needs a separate motion — and separate local counsel of record — in each court.
Civil filing is electronic. Effective October 1, 2020, the East Baton Rouge Clerk of Court’s civil suit records department stopped maintaining paper files, with one standing exception: probate proceedings remain paper-based. Separately, fax filing for civil and criminal matters was eliminated statewide effective January 1, 2026 under Act 352 of the 2025 Regular Session and Act 694 of the 2024 Regular Session — filings by an attorney must now be made in person on paper or electronically through a clerk-approved e-filing system (in East Baton Rouge, the Clerk’s own e-filing portal or the Louisiana Clerks’ Remote Access Authority system). Worth confirming current accepted filing methods before a first filing.
Clerk of Court contact: East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court, 222 Saint Louis Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 — (225) 389-3950. Note this is a different building from the courthouse at 300 North Boulevard.
The Pro Hac Vice Mechanics That Trip People Up
The full Rule XVII, § 13 walkthrough lives on the Louisiana State Courts hub. Two points deserve emphasis because they are commonly misread and because getting them wrong costs a hearing date.
The 30-day rule runs backward from the hearing, not forward from anything. Absent extraordinary circumstances fully explained in the motion, courts and agencies will not entertain a pro hac vice motion filed within 30 days of the scheduled trial or hearing date. This is a filing deadline measured against the calendar setting — it is not a limit on how often an attorney may appear. Counsel who wait until three weeks before a hearing to start the process should expect the motion to be refused.
The application precedes the motion. The verified application goes to the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board first, with the required fee. Disciplinary Counsel then issues a letter approving or disapproving it, and that letter must be appended to the ex parte motion filed with the court. Build the LADB turnaround into the schedule — the 30-day deadline applies to the motion, which cannot be filed until the letter arrives.
Objections run 20 days. Disciplinary Counsel or any party to the proceeding may object within twenty days of service, supported by a verified affidavit establishing a factual basis for the objection.
Genuine participation is expected. Rule XVII contemplates real local involvement, not a signature on a pleading. Local counsel should be positioned to appear, respond, and advise without the sponsoring firm flying someone in for every routine setting.
The Bench Is in Flux: What to Track in 2026
Two developments — a restructured election map and a mid-term removal — mean older guidance about this court, including prior versions of this page, should not be relied on without a fresh check.
The election map was restructured, and the change survived a challenge — twice. Act 243 of the 2025 Regular Session (House Bill 124, Rep. Barbara Freiberg) replaced the court’s three five-judge election sections with two seven-judge sections plus one judge elected at large:
- Election Section 1: Divisions A, D, J, K, L, M, and O
- Election Section 2: Divisions C, E, F, G, H, I, and N
- Elected at large: Division B
The three-section map it replaced was not an ordinary districting choice. It originated in a 1994 consent decree in federal voting-rights litigation, which created two majority-Black subdistricts and one majority-White subdistrict to bring the parish into compliance with the Voting Rights Act. That history is why the restructuring drew a challenge and why the issue has continued to resurface — including a new federal lawsuit filed by sitting 19th JDC judges in early 2026 arguing the state should have reopened the original consent-decree case before redrawing the lines. As of this writing, the new map remains in effect.
A Baton Rouge judge upheld the new lines ahead of the fall 2025 special election for the Division O seat, rejecting an attempt to revert to the map that had governed for roughly three decades. The practical effect was immediate: the winning candidate in that race described her voting electorate expanding from roughly 54,000 to about 134,000 voters mid-campaign.
A 2026 rollback attempt died in committee. House Bill 1097 of the 2026 Regular Session (Rep. C. Denise Marcelle) would have reapportioned the court back to three election sections electing five judges each. It was referred to House Judiciary on April 1, 2026, considered in committee on May 7, 2026, and never reported out. A companion measure, House Bill 442, addressing election sections for East Baton Rouge Family Court judgeships, was considered in House and Governmental Affairs on May 19, 2026 and likewise never advanced. The 2026 Regular Session has since adjourned, so both bills are dead for this session. The two-section-plus-at-large structure from Act 243 stands.
All fifteen seats are on the November ballot. Every 19th JDC judgeship’s term expires at the end of 2026, so the entire bench stands for election this cycle under the new map. District judges are not among the offices moved to Louisiana’s closed party primary — that change applies to U.S. Senator, Supreme Court, Public Service Commission, and BESE races. Judicial candidates run in the open primary on November 3, 2026, and if no candidate clears fifty percent, the top two advance to a runoff on December 12, 2026.
For a matter expected to run into 2027, that means the assigned judge may change. Turnover could be substantial: four sitting judges will be past seventy when their terms end. Louisiana voters had a chance to change that calculus — a constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 75 went to the ballot on May 16, 2026 — but it failed. The retirement age stays at 70, so those four judges are barred from running for another term.
One division’s status needs a fresh check before filing. On December 11, 2025, the Louisiana Supreme Court removed Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts from judicial office in the 19th Judicial District Court. She presided over Division M, Civil Sections XXVII, XXVIII, and XXXI. As of this writing, no special election has been called for the remainder of her term — likely because the term expires December 31, 2026 regardless, folding the seat into the regular November election alongside the other fourteen divisions. What isn’t publicly confirmed is which judge or commissioner is covering Division M’s active docket in the interim. If your matter sits in Division M, confirm current interim coverage directly with the Clerk of Court rather than relying on a prior filing’s judge of record.
Nothing about the removal changes the Rule XVII framework, and the remaining fourteen elected judges continue as before.
What Local Counsel Actually Does Here
Beyond the statewide admission mechanics, the 19th JDC-specific work right now comes down to four things:
- Confirm division and section assignment with the Clerk of Court. With the redistricting and the Division M vacancy both in play, a prior filing’s designation is not reliable.
- File correctly under the electronic civil system. Confirm current accepted filing methods, particularly given the January 2026 elimination of fax filing.
- File separately in Family Court. A related domestic matter requires its own pro hac vice motion and its own local counsel appearance.
- Actually participate. Rule XVII expects local counsel positioned to appear, respond, and advise — not a name on a caption.
19th Judicial District Court vs. East Baton Rouge Family Court
| Feature | 19th Judicial District Court | East Baton Rouge Family Court |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | General civil and felony criminal matters arising in East Baton Rouge Parish | Divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, community property partition, and protective orders |
| Bench size | 15 elected divisions (A–O), Division M currently vacant following the December 2025 removal, plus four court-appointed commissioners | 4 judges, Divisions A–D |
| Clerk / filing | East Baton Rouge Clerk of Court, 222 Saint Louis Street; civil suit records electronic since October 2020 (probate excepted) | Same Clerk of Court |
| Location | 300 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge | 300 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge — fourth floor of the same courthouse |
| Appeals route | First Circuit Court of Appeal | First Circuit Court of Appeal |
| Pro hac vice | Rule XVII, § 13 motion required | Separate Rule XVII, § 13 motion required — a 19th JDC grant does not carry over |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the new election map affect a pending case already assigned to a division? No. The redistricting governs how judges are elected, not how cases are allotted. Confirm current division assignment with the Clerk of Court regardless.
Is the two-section-plus-at-large structure final? It is the structure in effect for the November 2026 elections. It survived a court challenge in 2025 and a second legal challenge filed by sitting judges in early 2026, and a 2026 bill to revert to three sections died in committee. Because this has now drawn both litigation and legislation more than once, confirm no further challenge or bill has emerged before relying on it for planning.
Does one pro hac vice motion cover both the 19th JDC and East Baton Rouge Family Court? No. They are separate courts. Each requires its own motion and its own local counsel of record, even though they share a building and a Clerk of Court.
Is there a 19th JDC-specific pro hac vice deadline? No. The 19th JDC follows the same Rule XVII, § 13 timeline as every other Louisiana state court — including the rule that a motion filed within 30 days of the scheduled trial or hearing date will not be entertained absent extraordinary circumstances.
What happens to my case if the assigned judge loses in November, or doesn’t run because of the retirement age? Cases are reallotted or assumed by the incoming judge for that division; the case itself does not move. If your matter is set for trial near the turn of the year, confirm the division’s coverage and calendar with the Clerk of Court well in advance.
Work With Bloom Legal as Local Counsel
Bloom Legal serves as local counsel for out-of-state firms with matters in the 19th Judicial District Court and East Baton Rouge Family Court — sponsoring pro hac vice admission, handling routine settings, and staying meaningfully involved as Rule XVII requires.
[PHONE] · [EMAIL] · [CONTACT FORM LINK]
This page is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. The 2025 redistricting, the November 2026 elections, and the December 2025 judicial vacancy described above can all shift before a motion is filed. Confirm current requirements with the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court or Bloom Legal before relying on this page for an active matter.
Citation Reference Table
| Claim | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Act 243 (HB 124), election section reassignment, effective June 11, 2025 | Résumé Digest, Act 243 (HB 124) 2025 R.S., legis.la.gov | ✅ Confirmed — division assignments match exactly |
| Consent decree origin (1994, Voting Rights Act) | nola.com, “Baton Rouge judicial voting districts could soon change,” May 2025 | ✅ Confirmed (note: some later coverage dates the underlying consent decree to 1986/Clark v. Edwards — worth a follow-up check before publication) |
| New 2026 federal lawsuit by sitting judges challenging Act 243 | WAFB, “I-TEAM: Baton Rouge district judges file new lawsuit,” March 3, 2026 | ✅ Confirmed |
| HB 1097 (2026 R.S.), referred 4/1/26, considered in committee 5/7/26, not reported out | legis.la.gov Bill Info, HB1097, 2026 Regular Session | ✅ Confirmed via live bill tracker |
| HB 442 (2026 R.S.), considered in committee 5/19/26, not reported out | legis.la.gov Bill Info, HB442, 2026 Regular Session | ✅ Confirmed via live bill tracker |
| 2026 Regular Session adjourned (both bills dead for session) | Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, 2026 Legislative Session recap | ✅ Confirmed |
| Fax filing eliminated statewide effective 1/1/2026 (Act 352 of 2025 R.S., Act 694 of 2024 R.S.) | Louisiana State Bar Association news; Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court; legis.la.gov Act 352 enrolled text | ✅ Confirmed |
| Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts removed 12/11/2025, Division M declared vacant | 19th JDC official site (19thjdc.org); FindLaw, In re: Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts (La. 2025) | ✅ Confirmed |
| No special election called for Division M as of this check | No corroborating source found calling one | ⚠️ Absence of evidence, not confirmed absence — recheck close to publication |
| Four commissioners (Sections A–D) | 19th JDC official site, Commissioners’ Court page and 2024 site update | ✅ Confirmed — supersedes the “two commissioners” figure on the court’s own About page, which appears stale |
| Civil suit records electronic since 10/1/2020, probate excepted | East Baton Rouge Clerk of Court official site (ebrclerk.com, Civil Suit Records / Suit Accounting pages) | ✅ Confirmed verbatim |
| Judicial retirement-age amendment failed, voted May 16, 2026 (not April 18 as originally scheduled) | Wikipedia, “2026 Louisiana Amendment 5”; Ballotpedia, “Louisiana Amendment 5 (May 2026)” | ✅ Confirmed |
| November 3, 2026 open primary / December 12, 2026 runoff for district judge races | Ballotpedia, “Louisiana elections, 2026” | ✅ Confirmed |
| Election Section 1 majority-Black, Election Section 2 majority-White under Act 243 | nola.com, “Baton Rouge court system part of fight over Louisiana voting maps,” August 2025 | ✅ Confirmed |
| Amendment/repeal flag | Act 243 repealed and replaced the three-section map created under Act 145 of 1994 3rd Ex. Sess. and codified division assignments under R.S. 13:477(19) and 13:621.19. HB 1097’s proposed repeal of Act 243 did not pass. | — |
