History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

37 judges have served since Mar 3, 1823. Now: Alexander Coker Van Hook RJerry Edwards, Jr. DDavid Cleveland Joseph RJames David Cain, Jr. RRobert Rees Summerhays RTerry Alvin Doughty RS. Maurice Hicks, Jr. R.

Judges
37
22 R · 11 D · 2 W · 1 N( · 1 JR
Longest tenure
35 years
Alexander Boarman
Current
9 months
Alexander Coker Van Hook, since Jan 12, 2026
history/court/district-court-for-the-western-district-of-louisianaEvery holder, newest first
+37
1840186018801900192019401960198020002020John Dick · 1823-03-03 – 1824-04-23 · None (reassignment)Thomas Bolling Robertson · 1824-05-26 – 1828-10-05 · Jeffersonian RepublicanSamuel Henderson Harper · 1829-03-07 – 1837-07-19 · DemocratPhilip Kissick Lawrence · 1837-09-12 – 1841-03-19 · DemocratTheodore Howard McCaleb · 1841-09-03 – 1845-02-13 · WhigHenry Boyce · 1850-08-02 – 1861-02-19 · WhigAlexander Boarman · 1881-05-18 – 1916-08-30 · RepublicanGeorge Whitfield Jack · 1917-03-16 – 1924-03-15 · DemocratBenjamin Cornwell Dawkins, Sr. · 1924-05-05 – 1953-05-17 · RepublicanBenjamin Cornwell Dawkins, Jr. · 1953-08-03 – 1973-08-06 · RepublicanThomas E. Stagg, Jr. · 1974-03-08 – 1992-02-29 · RepublicanTucker L. Melancon · 1994-02-11 – 2009-02-14 · DemocratElizabeth Erny Foote · 2010-06-15 – 2022-01-21 · DemocratJerry Edwards, Jr. · 2023-12-22 – present · DemocratGaston Louis Noel Porterie · 1939-02-09 – 1953-03-24 · DemocratEdwin Ford Hunter, Jr. · 1954-02-10 – 1976-02-19 · RepublicanW. Eugene Davis · 1976-09-21 – 1983-12-09 · RepublicanJohn Malcolm Duhe, Jr. · 1984-06-11 – 1988-11-09 · RepublicanRichard T. Haik · 1991-05-30 – 2015-03-06 · RepublicanTerry Alvin Doughty · 2018-03-07 – present · RepublicanRichard Johnson Putnam · 1961-09-18 – 1975-12-19 · DemocratEarl Ernest Veron · 1977-08-05 – 1990-02-13 · DemocratJames Travis Trimble, Jr. · 1991-09-16 – 2002-09-13 · RepublicanDee D. Drell · 2003-04-10 – 2017-11-30 · RepublicanRobert Rees Summerhays · 2018-09-19 – present · RepublicanNauman Steele Scott · 1970-10-15 – 1984-12-04 · RepublicanDonald Ellsworth Walter · 1985-07-11 – 2001-11-30 · RepublicanPatricia Head Minaldi · 2003-05-09 – 2017-07-31 · RepublicanMichael Joseph Juneau · 2018-10-17 – 2022-02-01 · RepublicanAlexander Coker Van Hook · 2026-01-12 – present · RepublicanJohn Malach Shaw · 1979-09-26 – 1996-11-15 · DemocratRobert Gillespie James · 1998-08-03 – 2016-05-31 · DemocratJames David Cain, Jr. · 2019-06-25 – present · RepublicanF. A. Little, Jr. · 1984-10-12 – 2002-05-30 · RepublicanS. Maurice Hicks, Jr. · 2003-05-21 – present · RepublicanRebecca F. Doherty · 1991-11-05 – 2017-06-05 · RepublicanDavid Cleveland Joseph · 2020-07-31 – present · Republican
Alexander Coker Van Hook R
Jan 12, 2026 – present · 9 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 53–40
Jerry Edwards, Jr. D
Dec 22, 2023 – present · 2.8 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 66–24
David Cleveland Joseph R
Jul 31, 2020 – present · 6.2 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 55–42
James David Cain, Jr. R
Jun 25, 2019 – present · 7.3 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 77–21
Michael Joseph Juneau R
Oct 17, 2018 – Feb 1, 2022 · 3.3 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · senior status Feb 1, 2022 · confirmed 54–41
Robert Rees Summerhays R
Sep 19, 2018 – present · 8.1 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump
Terry Alvin Doughty R
Mar 7, 2018 – present · 8.6 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 98–0
Elizabeth Erny Foote D
Jun 15, 2010 – Jan 21, 2022 · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Jan 21, 2022
S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. R
May 21, 2003 – present · 23 years · appointed by George W. Bush · confirmed 86–0
Patricia Head Minaldi R
May 9, 2003 – Jul 31, 2017 · 14 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Jul 31, 2017
Dee D. Drell R
Apr 10, 2003 – Nov 30, 2017 · 15 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Nov 30, 2017 · confirmed 99–0
Robert Gillespie James D
Aug 3, 1998 – May 31, 2016 · 18 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status May 31, 2016
Tucker L. Melancon D
Feb 11, 1994 – Feb 14, 2009 · 15 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Feb 14, 2009
Rebecca F. Doherty R
Nov 5, 1991 – Jun 5, 2017 · 26 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Jun 5, 2017
James Travis Trimble, Jr. R
Sep 16, 1991 – Sep 13, 2002 · 11 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Sep 13, 2002
Richard T. Haik R
May 30, 1991 – Mar 6, 2015 · 24 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Mar 6, 2015
Donald Ellsworth Walter R
Jul 11, 1985 – Nov 30, 2001 · 16 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Nov 30, 2001
F. A. Little, Jr. R
Oct 12, 1984 – May 30, 2002 · 18 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status May 30, 2002
John Malcolm Duhe, Jr. R
Jun 11, 1984 – Nov 9, 1988 · 4.4 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
John Malach Shaw D
Sep 26, 1979 – Nov 15, 1996 · 17 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Nov 15, 1996
Earl Ernest Veron D
Aug 5, 1977 – Feb 13, 1990 · 13 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Feb 13, 1990
W. Eugene Davis R
Sep 21, 1976 – Dec 9, 1983 · 7.2 years · appointed by Gerald Ford
Thomas E. Stagg, Jr. R
Mar 8, 1974 – Feb 29, 1992 · 18 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Feb 29, 1992
Nauman Steele Scott R
Oct 15, 1970 – Dec 4, 1984 · 14 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Dec 4, 1984
Richard Johnson Putnam D
Sep 18, 1961 – Dec 19, 1975 · 14 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy · senior status Dec 19, 1975
Edwin Ford Hunter, Jr. R
Feb 10, 1954 – Feb 19, 1976 · 22 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Feb 19, 1976
Benjamin Cornwell Dawkins, Jr. R
Aug 3, 1953 – Aug 6, 1973 · 20 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Aug 6, 1973
Gaston Louis Noel Porterie D
Feb 9, 1939 – Mar 24, 1953 · 14 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Benjamin Cornwell Dawkins, Sr. R
May 5, 1924 – May 17, 1953 · 29 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge · senior status May 17, 1953
George Whitfield Jack D
Mar 16, 1917 – Mar 15, 1924 · 7 years · appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Alexander Boarman R
May 18, 1881 – Aug 30, 1916 · 35 years · appointed by James A. Garfield
Henry Boyce W
Aug 2, 1850 – Feb 19, 1861 · 11 years · appointed by Zachary Taylor
Theodore Howard McCaleb W
Sep 3, 1841 – Feb 13, 1845 · 3.4 years · appointed by John Tyler
Philip Kissick Lawrence D
Sep 12, 1837 – Mar 19, 1841 · 3.5 years · appointed by Martin Van Buren
Samuel Henderson Harper D
Mar 7, 1829 – Jul 19, 1837 · 8.4 years · appointed by Andrew Jackson
Thomas Bolling Robertson JR
May 26, 1824 – Oct 5, 1828 · 4.4 years · appointed by James Monroe
John Dick N(
Mar 3, 1823 – Apr 23, 1824 · 14 months · appointed by None (reassignment)

Dates are from the Federal Judicial Center (commission to senior status or departure). Consecutive terms of one person are merged.