Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society records

Collection — Container: 5 Boxes

Identifier: ##6jb

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records of the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society are comprised mainly of documents generated during the presidencies of Ernestine Gray and Cheryl A. Gray, and date from 1973-2005. The records for the terms of these two presidents are not complete, but consist of correspondence, articles of incorporation and by-laws, financial records, membership lists, committee and society agendas and minutes, newsletters, photographs, brochures, invitations, and programs. Of note are documents related to the Society’s Young Lawyer section and its Mini Law Camp.

In addition to the Society’s records there are materials related to the affiliated Louis A. Martinet Legal Society Foundation, which consists of a small amount of correspondence, agendas, articles of incorporation, and membership lists. Also present are an earlier set of records, likely of the statewide Martinet Society or Baton Rouge chapter during the presidency of Etta Kay Hearn. These documents consist of correspondence, articles of incorporation and by-laws, and minutes and date from 1973-1978.

Dates

Created: 1973-2014
Other: Date acquired: 02/13/2009

Creator

Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Society (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

The Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society Records are open and available for research. Records such as scholarship applications that contain sensitive personal information and student academic records are restricted.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright to these papers has not been assigned to the Amistad Research Center. It is the responsibility of an author to secure permission for publication from the holder of the copyright to any material contained in this collection.

Biographical / Historical

The Louis A. Martinet Legal Society is a professional organization for African American attorneys. It was formed on May 13, 1957 through the efforts of Earl J. Amedee, Israel M. Augustine, Louis Berry, Lionel Collins, Robert F. Collins, Nils R. Douglas, Norman C. Francis, Benjamin J. Johnson, Alvin Jones, Vanue B. LaCour, Ernest N. Morial, Justice Revius Ortique, Jr., J. T. Powell, James Smith, A. P. Tureaud, Freddie Warren, and Lawrence Wheeler.

The New Orleans chapter was formed simultaneously with the statewide organization, and other local chapters were formed later. The organization was named in honor of attorney and activist Louis Andre Martinet who was the first African American graduate of the Straight University Law School, which is now Dillard University. The goal of the organization was to offer professional support to attorneys and to hone their skills and training to combat Jim Crow segregation in the courtroom. The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling had been recently passed, which made the end of segregation a more tangible outcome for the founders of the organization. A.P Tureaud was elected as the first president of the statewide organization and the New Orleans chapter.

Today, the Martinet Legal Society continues to provide professional support to African American attorneys and aspiring attorneys and to conduct community outreach. Its objectives are to “encourage the interchange of ideas, promote legal scholarships, advance the science of jurisprudence, promote the administration of justice, uphold the order and ethics of the courts, and the profession of law in Louisiana. In 1998, the New Orleans Martinet Legal Foundation was incorporated as the 501(c)(3) arm of the organization, which awards scholarships and sponsors community projects. It was originally called the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society of New Orleans Charity before changing its name in 1999. The Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society is an active affiliate of the National Bar Association.

Extent

3.09 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

The records are arranged in sections. The first section includes administrative materials which includes correspondence, membership applications, and materials related to programs and events hosted by the Martinet Society. The second section contains materials generated by the Young Lawyers Section, and the third section is comprised of the organization’s financial Records, Louis A. Martinet Legal Foundation materials, National Bar Association materials, photographs, and collected materials.

Technical Access Requirements

Audiovisual material in this collection has been digitized.

Source of Acquisition

Cheryl A. Gray

Method of Acquisition

Gift

Related Materials

The Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society records are closely related to the papers of Nils Douglas, which are also located at the Amistad Research Center.

Processing Information

The Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society records were processed August 2018 to October 2018 with funding assistance from the Keller Family Foundation.