Keep Civil District Court Downtown
Protect the Prosperity of Downtown New Orleans
Resolutions and Support for Civil Court Retention Downtown
(To Add Your Business or Organization's Name, Email Helena Henderson)
Downtown Community Challenges City Rationale on Move of Civil District Court
New Orleans, LA - November 2007 - New Orleans Bar Association recently learned that the City of New Orleans had a plan that would result in the relocation of all of the Orleans Parish Civil Courts from their present downtown location to the area of Tulane and Broad near the present Criminal Courts. The legal community is a major economic force downtown, employing over 6,700 lawyers and support staff which occupy over 30% of the downtown office space.
Moving the civil courts from the CBD to Tulane & Broad is not the equivalent of opposing a criminal justice mega-complex at Tulane & Broad. In fact, we are FOR a criminal justice complex at Tulane & Broad. The opposition to relocation of the civil courts is about the protection of the business base in downtown New Orleans, the revitalization of the surrounding areas including the French Quarter, and the detrimental impact the relocation would have on these areas.
The Central Business District (CBD) no longer has the big business tenants it used to have. Previously, law firms located in the CBD because of proximity to state and federal courts, and proximity to businesses with headquarters and/or executive offices in the CBD (Freeport, Lykes, Shell, Texaco, Chevron leaves in early 2008, etc.). The latter lure, and justification for paying premium rent prices, no longer exists. Consequently, there is a valid concern that without the anchor of the civil district court in the CBD, law firms may gradually relocate out of parish. (Relatively few lawyers have a federal law practice.) With so many New Orleans lawyers living out of parish, relocating their firms to Jefferson Parish could save them commute time and reduce their overhead. Additionally, most legal support staff lives in Jefferson Parish and they would prefer working closer to home and not have to pay for parking like they do downtown.
The Downtown Development District issued a resolution opposing the relocation as did the New Orleans Bar Association, the Louisiana Restaurant Association, the Greater Hotel & Lodging Association, the French Quarter Business Association, a variety of other law-related organizations, and many businesses and building owners.
How to Help Keep Civil Courts Downtown
Let your voice be heard with the other businesses, professional associations and civic groups who want to keep our civil courts downtown. You can add your name or your business name to the list of supporters. Letters or Resolutions that we can post online are an even stronger show of support.
What follows is information on this plan, the legal community's assessment of the plan and the strong support that resulted from the downtown community when New Orleans Bar Association began the effort to retain the civil courts downtown. For more information or to express your interest in supporting this cause, please email Helena Henderson.
Objection!Legal Community Challenges City at October Forum
Resources on Orleans Civil Court Consolidation & Retention
