Patrick Talley Begins His Term as LSBA President
NEW ORLEANS – June 25, 2024 – Phelps New Orleans partner Patrick A. Talley, Jr. begins his term this month as the 84th president of the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA). He was installed on June 6, during a ceremony at the LSBA’s annual meeting in Destin, Florida.
The LSBA is the certified bar organization of the state of Louisiana and serves as a resource for both the legal and local community. Pat is the ninth Phelps lawyer elected to the presidency.
Pat practices in the areas of commercial litigation and personal injury defense, focusing on transportation and environmental law with extensive experience within the railroad and chemical industries.
He has served key roles at the LSBA during his career, including president-elect (2023-24), LSBA secretary and editor-in-chief of the Louisiana Bar Journal (2019-21) and member of the LSBA’s Board of Governors (2014-17). He has been a member of the LSBA’s House of Delegates since 1994 and was re-elected in 2017. Pat has also served on the Louisiana Bar Journal’s Editorial Board and the LSBA’s MCLE Committee.
As he begins his one-year term as president, Pat aims to advance the bar association's goals for its more than 23,000 lawyer members and the people of Louisiana.
One of his main goals as president is to improve the LSBA’s access to justice programs to boost the reach of legal services for Louisiana's residents. The LSBA has set up four Legal Help Access Points in libraries across the state, with plans to add another this year. The popular Lawyers in Libraries program will continue in October and a Disaster Law Summit will gather various access to justice stakeholders.
His other goals are to expand services to help those with autism and to examine the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal field. He plans to set up an Artificial Intelligence Task Force to study AI's impact on lawyer regulation and practice. The task force will work with the American Bar Association and other states to identify best practices and next steps.
“I am committed to working for my fellow members and bringing the LSBA to the next level,” Pat said. “The future of the LSBA lies with the next generation of lawyers and I support their growth and development.”
Pat has contributed to the Louisiana Bar Foundation and the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. He is affiliated with several bar associations, including the New Orleans, American, Federal, 5th Circuit, and Baton Rouge bar associations and the State Bar of Texas. He is a member of National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, where he serves as secretary and Executive Committee member and the Maritime Law Association of the United States, where he serves as a Proctor member.
Pat earned a bachelor's degree from Armstrong College (Georgia Southern University), a law degree from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and a master's degree in energy and environmental law from Tulane University Law School.
Pat has been recognized by various publications for his professional excellence as a lawyer. These include an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and rankings in The Best Lawyers in America, including New Orleans Lawyer of the Year in Railroad Law in 2016 and 2021. Other accolades include Louisiana Super Lawyers and New Orleans CityBusiness’ “Leadership in Law.”
