Board of Directors

2024-25 Officers

President

Hon. John C. Davidson (Ret.) (2018-2026)
Davidson received his undergraduate and law degrees from LSU. He is a 1988 graduate of the Paul M. Hebert Law School where he was Order of the Coif (an honor awarded to the top 10% of the graduating class), a member of the Louisiana Law Review, and inducted into the Paul M. Hebert Hall of Fame. He was in private practice until his election as a district court judge for the 9th Judicial District Court in November 2004. He retired in September 2023. He remains active in his community and state as a volunteer with local nonprofits and president of the Louisiana Bar Foundation.

Vice President

Edmund J. Giering IV (2019-2027) Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Giering serves as general counsel to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and his practice emphasizes corporate law & governance, corporate, real estate & complex gift transactions, risk management, and nonprofit & tax-exempt organizations. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1990, a Juris Doctor degree from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1994, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business in 2005.

Secretary

Charles C. Bourque, Jr. (2023-2029) St. Martin and Bourque
Chuck is a New Orleans native, but currently resides in Houma, where he is a partner in the law firm of St. Martin & Bourque. Chuck graduated in Accounting from LSU and received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law in 1990. Prior to entering law school, Chuck served as an officer and helicopter pilot in the United States Army and continued flying helicopters in the Louisiana Army National Guard until he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2011. Chuck is licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in Louisiana and is an active member of the Terrebonne Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana State, Federal, and American Bar Associations.

Immediate Past President

Deidre Deculus Robert (2020-2025) U.S.D.A. Rural Development
Robert is the Director of State Operations for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. She previously served as the USDA State Director of Rural Development – Louisiana. Robert served as the executive counsel for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. She has also served as general counsel for the Southern University System and deputy director of the Litigation Division of the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. Robert obtained her B.A. from Louisiana State University and her law degree from Southern University Law Center, where she serves as an adjunct professor.

2024-25 Board of Directors

Linda Law Clark (2022-2025) DeCuir, Clark & Adams, L.L.P.
Linda Law Clark is a partner in the law firm of DeCuir, Clark & Adams, L.L.P. She is an experienced trial lawyer as well as a certified mediator. Her principal areas of practice are general civil litigation, administrative hearings for quasi-governmental and governmental bodies, education, employment & family law, and small business matters. She serves as Arbiter in Baton Rouge City Court. She is admitted to practice in all Louisiana State and Federal Courts.

Christopher B. Hebert (2022-2025) Louisiana Department of Justice, LSBA House of Delegates Representative
Christopher B. Hebert is the acting Director of the Gaming Division under Governor Jeff Landry. Christopher has served as an Assistant Attorney General for over 10 years. He previously served as a clerk for the Hon. Judge James Best of the 18th Judicial District Court in New Roads. Last year, Hebert was appointed by the President of the National Bar Association to the Council of the Louisiana Law Institute. He is an immediate Past Director of the National Bar Association, Region V, and a former member of the Board of Governors for the National Bar Association. Hebert earned his bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and his law degree from the Southern University Law Center, where he was honored as Alumnus of the Year in 2015.

Hon. Marcus L. Hunter (2023-2027) Court of Appeal, 2nd Circuit State of Louisiana
A lifelong resident of Monroe, Hunter attended public schools there. A graduate of the Julia C. Wossman High School in Monroe, Hunter received in 2002 a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Southern University and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from the Southern University Law Center, both in the capital city of Baton Rouge. After being admitted to the Louisiana Bar Association, Hunter opened a small business, United Title of Northeast Louisiana, and is an attorney in Willie Hunter Jr., and Associates, at which he practiced alongside his father and brother. He is married to Dr. Tonya H. Hunter, an OB/GYN and owner/managing member of The Well Woman Center in Monroe. The couple has two children.

Teresa D. King (2024-2026)
Teresa King founded her law firm in 2016 and remains the sole practitioner at Teresa King, Esquire, LLC, located in downtown Houma. Teresa brings a passion for social justice to her private practice and her work as a public defender for the Lafourche Indigent Defender’s Office. Teresa has spoken for continuing education seminars and non-profit banquets. She has also inspired and fired up local business owners in the Women’s Business Alliance. Her focus remains on helping people, one at a time, and making a difference, one case at a time. Although she primarily represents people in criminal cases, Teresa sees value in advocating for access to justice. Collateral consequences affect many people in the criminal justice system, and, by addressing equal opportunities for access to justice, the Louisiana Bar Foundation makes a difference.

Hon. Page McClendon (2022-2025) State of Louisiana Judiciary (First Circuit Court of Appeal)
Page McClendon is a judge on the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal. Judge McClendon was first elected to the court on October 5, 2002, and her current 10-year term ends on December 31, 2022. McClendon was re-elected to the First Circuit Court of Appeal after running unopposed in 2012. McClendon graduated from Sophie Newcomb College in 1978 with a B.A. After attending the London School of Economics, she enrolled at Tulane University School of Law, receiving her J.D. in 1981. While at Tulane she served on the Moot Court Board. Judge McClendon worked as a lawyer in private practice before becoming a judge. She practiced with the firms of Deutsch, Kerrigan, & Stiles and Porteous, Hainkel, Johnson, & Sarpy. She started her own law firm in 1990. She also worked as a felony prosecutor for the 21st Judicial District.

Barbara Bell Melton (2023-2026) Faircloth Melton and Sobel, LLC
Barbara Bell Melton is a Member at Faircloth Melton Sobel & Bash, LLC, and her practice primarily consists of commercial litigation and transactions for both small businesses and large companies. She received her undergraduate degree from University of Louisiana in Lafayette and her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Barbara has served on numerous committees and boards for local and state bar associations.

Paula E. Miles (2023-2027) Louisiana Public Defender Board
Miles currently serves as General Counsel at the Office of the State Public Defender. She previously served as President of the Alexandria Bar Association, Executive Board member of the Crossroads Inns of Court and Chairperson of the Rapides Parish Domestic Violence Task Force. She received her B.A. from Xavier University of New Orleans and her J.D. from Loyola Law School of New Orleans. Miles is happily married to her husband Russell and they have two children, Jessica and Joshua.

Sheri Morris (2023-2027) Daigle Fisse & Kessenich
Morris is a partner with Daigle, Fisse & Kessenich, where she manages the Baton Rouge Office. Her practice is focused on representing local and state agencies in a broad range of civil matters. She previously served as General Counsel to the Louisiana Secretary of State, an Assistant Attorney General, and the City Attorney for the City of Central. She received a B.S. in Psychology from Louisiana State University and a J.D. degree from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1991.

Maggie Simar (2024-2025) Philanthropic Community-at-Large, 16th Judicial District Court
Maggie is the Family Court Hearing Officer for the 16th Judicial District Court in St. Martinville. In this position, she handles all family court litigation including custody, child support, community property, spousal support, non-support proceedings, and protective orders. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Louisiana State University and her JD from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert School of Law. In her spare time, she volunteers for many non-profit organizations in her community including the Junior League of Lafayette, Lafayette Bar Association, Lafayette Bar Foundation, Krewe of Xanadu, and Maddie's Footprints. She is also an active Editorial Board member on the Louisiana Bar Journal and a House of Delegates member for the 16th Judicial District.

Shayna L. Sonnier (2022-2025) Member-at-Large Designee, Vernon Bice
Shayna earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and ultimately, a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. Since 2005 she has focused on general litigation, family law, estate planning, and successions, and licensed both in Louisiana and Texas. Shayna recently joined Veron Bice, LLC and became the President-Elect of the Louisiana State Bar Association. Early in her life, Shayna witnessed the value of a skilled attorney as her family faced a significant legal battle, and this experience inspired her to pursue a career in law. She is passionate about her faith, family, community, and work and volunteers her time as part of numerous organizations and associations. Peers will attest some of the many characteristics that set Shayna apart are both her ability to establish trust with her clients as well as her hands-on approach to every case. In her free time, Shayna enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and animals, and traveling. Her favorite quote is, “We live as though the world were as it should be, to show it what it can be.”

Anthony J. Staines (2023-2026) Staines, Epplining & Kenney, LLC
Anthony J. “Tony” Staines was born in Belize, British Honduras. He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Orleans in 1976 and earned a Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University Law Center in 1980. Following law school, Tony served a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Frank J. Poloza, United States District Court, Middle District of Louisiana. In addition to his regular practice, he has served as a delegate to the Louisiana State Bar Association; has been a member of the faculty for the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy; a participant in Professionalism Orientation for the Louisiana State Bar Association; has presented articles to the admiralty committee of the Maritime Law Association and has presented at the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute Seminar. Tony has also participated in pro bono litigation in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, and is a Board Member of the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy. Tony is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeal, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, United States District Courts, Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, and all Louisiana state courts. He is married and the father of three sons.

Hon. Karelia R. Stewart (2024-2025) Judicial District Judges Association Designee, First Judicial District Court
In August of 2014, Judge Karelia R. Stewart was elected without opposition to Section 1, Division D of the First Judicial District Court. By Order of the Louisiana Supreme Court, she took the bench in her official capacity on October 1, 2014. She is currently assigned in the Family Court Division. She is a merit scholar and 2004 honor graduate of Loyola School of Law in New Orleans and a 2001 cum laude graduate from Dillard University in New Orleans.

Patrick A. Talley, Jr. (2023-2024) Phelps Dunbar LLP
Patrick Talley practices primarily in the area of commercial litigation and personal injury defense, with a focus in transportation and environmental law. Pat has worked extensively within the railroad industry, and is well-known both regionally and nationwide in that area. He has successfully represented railroads, including three Class I and two Short Line railroads, in matters involving cargo and freight claims, derailments, crossing litigation, and employee personal injury and death (FELA), as well as real estate, expropriation and environmental matters. He also serves as an officer and member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel. In the realm of environmental law, Pat represents companies in litigation and compliance matters and toxic tort exposure claims, particularly benzene and other chemical exposures. He also represents companies in general business litigation, contract disputes and other commercial litigation matters.

Edward J. Walters, Jr. (2024-2025) LSBA Board of Governors Designee, Walters Papillion Thomas Cullens
A partner in the Baton Rouge law firm of Walters, Thomas, Cullens, received his B.S. from LSU in 1969 and his J.D. from the LSU Law School in 1975. He has practiced in the Baton Rouge area for over 48 years representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocates and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is an Adjunct professor of law at the LSU Law School where he and Mike Patterson have jointly taught a trial skills course entitled “Advanced Trial and Evidence Seminar” for over 25 years. He is on the faculty of the LSU Law School’s Trial Advocacy Program since its inception some 25 years ago. He is a frequent lecturer and writer on litigation, evidence, ethics and professionalism topics. He was the editor of the Baton Rouge Bar Association's monthly magazine for over 34 years. He is the current President Elect of the Louisiana State Bar Association.