History

In 1969, what had been a loosely knit informal group of attorneys, formalized into the Lafayette Parish Bar Association by the filing of a Charter signed by all 83 lawyers who practiced in the Parish. A composite of photographs of the members of the Lafayette Bar created in 1973 prominently displayed at the courthouse, shows that in five short years, the membership had almost doubled to 151 members.  That composite contains the photographs of 18 members of the LBA Hall of Fame.

The first documented record of formal volunteerism for the indigent of the Parish was the establishment of the Pro Bono Committee in 1985.  By 1987, with the assistance of Acadiana Legal Services, the Lafayette Volunteer Lawyers program became a reality and the Lafayette Bar hired is first staff member. 

Our organization continues to be motivated by justice and inspired by service, as is evidenced by the 1700 hours of attorney time donated to the less fortunate in need of legal assistance through the LVL program in 2016.

As a method of communication with its members and publicizing its achievements, the Association began printing and distributing a newsletter in July 1988 which became titled The Promulgator in October 1988. The Promulgator has grown from a newsletter format into a slick, glossy magazine published bimonthly. 
 
In October 1989, the LPBA established a charitable foundation, the Lafayette Parish Bar Foundation to serve as the umbrella organization for the public service programs of the LPBA.
 
The association was first housed in the old Moss Pharmacy building on the corner of Jefferson and Vermilion Streets.  In January 1991, the association moved to larger quarters in what was then the FNB Towers, a space suitable to accommodate the Lafayette Law Library and three staff members.

Recognizing the need for larger accommodations to supply the room necessary to service its membership, in 2007, the Foundation purchased and began renovations of a highly visible building on Johnston Street, Lafayette’s major thoroughfare. The Association moved into that modern facility, a building with five offices, six conference rooms, the Law Library and a kitchen in 2008.  At that same time, the Association name was changed to the Lafayette Bar Association.

In the 1990's, the LPBA adopted a circular identifying mark displaying the scales of justice and the Acadian Flag. The Lafayette Parish Bar Foundation used a blue box logo. Also in use, throughout the years as an identifier for LVL projects, was an LVL scales of justice logo.
 
Upon changing its name in 2008, the Association revamped its identifying mark to a Fleur de Lis and scales of justice, sometimes accompanied by the Association’s maxim, “Motivated by Justice, Inspired by Service.” 

In 2017, the Association and Foundation boards worked together to unite the organizations, programs and services by the adoption of a new, single emblem to represent the organization's brand. This logo is the one you see today, for recognition by both the members and the public.