Loulan Pitre Jr.

Loulan J. Pitre Jr. (born December 1961),^[1] is a lawyer in New Orleans, Louisiana whose practice centers upon energy and environmental matters affecting the Gulf of Mexico and its Coastal Zone. He was educated at Harvard University (A.B. magna cum laude, 1983) and Harvard Law School (J.D., 1986). He is particularly known for his work relating to disputes in which landowners and public entities allege environmental damage from the exploration and production of petroleum and natural gas. He is Partner in Charge of Kelly Hart & Pitre, the Louisiana offices of the Kelly Hart law firm. In 2015, he was named New Orleans "Lawyer of the Year" for Environmental Litigation by the group Best Lawyers. In addition to his legal practice, Pitre is a part-time faculty member at the Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans. He has extensive legal publications.^[2] Pitre is a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 54 in his native Lafourche Parish, with one precinct as well in Jefferson Parish, in the southern portion of his state. ^[3]

Background

Pitre is the youngest of four sons born in Cut Off on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, to Loulan Pitre, Sr. (1921-2010), and the former Emelia Chabert (born 1925). The senior Pitre fought in many Pacific battles in World War II, including Iowa Jima. He was present too at the V-J Day Japanese surrender. He was a fisherman and boat captain but relished his other roles as an actor and a debater who went out of his way to stir up controversy. He even gave acting tips to Robert Duvall in the 1986 film, Belizaire the Cajun, in which Duval played a preacher and Pitre a sheriff.^[4] The picture was written and directed by Glen Pitre,^[5] the son of Loulan, Sr., and an older brother of Loulan Jr. Loulan's other two brothers, Holland and Wayne, are physicians who specialized in dermatology.^[4]

Loulan Pitre Jr. attended the highly selective Telluride Association Summer Program in 1978 and was selected as a Presidential Scholar in 1979, one of 121 nationwide. He was also a National Merit Scholar and is an Eagle Scout. He graduated from South Lafourche High School in 1979.

Pitre Jr. was educated at both Harvard University (A.B. magna cum laude, 1983) and Harvard Law School (J.D., 1986) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[2] At Harvard College, Pitre served as Co-Chair of Dunster House's House Committee, its student governing body. While in law school, Pitre was selected for a judicial clerkship on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit by the late Judge Albert Tate Jr., but Judge Tate died before the term of the clerkship. Pitre's Harvard Law School classmates elected him permanent Class Secretary, and he gave the Class Address at Commencement. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Harvard Alumni Association and as President of the Harvard Club of Louisiana.

Legislative elections

Pitre served in the Louisiana House of Representatives during the second administration of Republican Governor Murphy J. Foster Jr., and the following term of Democrat Kathleen Blanco. His policy focus was coastal protection and restoration and related infrastructure issues. He was elected to the House in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 23, 1999, when he narrowly unseated the Democratic incumbent Mitch Theriot, who later switched to the Republican Party. Pitre polled 7,187 votes (51.5 percent) to Theriot's 6,768 (48.5 percent).^[6] In 2003, Pitre again defeated Theriot by nearly the same totals as he had in 1999, 7,618 (52 percent) to 7,035 (48 percent).^[7]

Pitre declined to seek a third term in 2007, and Democrat Jerry "Truck" Gisclair of Larose, a businessman and radio station broadcaster, defeated Theriot, who ran as a Republican, by 121 votes in still another narrow race in the highly competitive district.^[8]

As Pitre completed his eight years in the legislature, the Governor-Elect appointed Loulan as Chair of the Transition Advisory Group on Coastal Restoration and Flood Control. Shortly after Pitre left the state House in 2008, he changed his voter registration to Independent.^[1]

References