Page 75 - BOGmanual_2023april

March 29, 2023

Gerald J.
Hampton Jr.
504-919-1836 Jen France
Executive Assistant
Louisiana Bar Association
601 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, La 70130

Re: Hon. Catherine D. Kimball Award Nominee

Ms. France,

I write this letter to nominate and offer my support to the Honorable June Berry Darensburg
as the 2023 recipient of the Hon. Catherine D. Kimball Award for the Advancement of the
Administration of Justice.

I served as Judge Darensburg’s law clerk from 2013-2015. During my time as Judge
Darensburg’s law clerk, I encountered a judge who worked tirelessly for the administration of
th
justice. She started her term as Chief Judge for the 24 JDC during my clerkship. Despite the
th
added responsibility of being the representative for the judges of the 24 , she never wavered from
her commitment to the Jefferson Parish Drug Court Program. As attorneys and citizens of this
Country and State, we all are too familiar with the impact of drugs on our communities. Louisiana
has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. Our communities are severely impacted by
the high incarceration rate and violence associated with the drug trade. Therefore, it is extremely
important that we have a justice system committed to keeping our communities safe by pursuing
alternatives means, like drug court to reduce our jail population, stop violence and decrease our
recidivism rate. Thus, having committed jurists like Judge Darensburg who take their
responsibility to our communities and public service seriously is truly beyond measure.

Judge Darensburg has done a tremendous job mentoring and training young attorneys
through her judicial clerkships and internships. I often tell people, serving as Judge Darensburg’s
law clerk was the equivalent of getting a master’s degree in the practice of law. But more
importantly, serving as her law clerk gave me a deeper appreciation for my role in the justice
system and to the community at large. One might ask, what does this have to do with the
administration of justice? Well, in a society where many people feel left out and discarded by the
justice system, it is important to have a judge who sees and respects the humanity of all the

650 Poydras Street, Ste. 2107 * New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504) 919-1836 *Fax: (504) 324-0983