Judge Burrell Carter to address Southeastern graduates
Contact: Rene Abadie
Date: April 23, 2013 
HAMMOND – Retired Chief Judge Burrell J. Carter of the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals
will serve as commencement speaker at Southeastern Louisiana University's graduation
ceremonies on Saturday, May 18.
Scheduled at 10 a.m. at the University Center, the ceremony will recognize approximately
1,250 students receiving bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.
Carter has served on the First Circuit Court of Appeals since 1982 and served
as chief judge from 1999 to his retirement. He has also served as Justice Ad Hoc for
the State Supreme Court in 1982 and 1995 and Justice Ad Hoc for the Fourth Circuit
in 1989.
A resident of Greensburg, he graduated from LSU where he was elected to the Phi
Kappa Phi Honor Society. He graduated first in his class at LSU Law School in 1958,
where he served as associate editor of the Louisiana Law Review, was a member of the
Order of the Coif, and received the School of Law Honors Award and the Criminal Law
Award. He was named to the Paul M. Hebert Law Center Hall of Fame in 1987.
A veteran of the U.S. Army, Carter served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps
on both active and reserve duty and achieved the rank of captain. He is a member of
the Reserve Officers Association and the Military Order of World Wars.
Shortly after his graduation from law school, he began his legal career as a
practicing general attorney in Greensburg. He served as a law clerk for Judge Robert
Ellis of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, served on the Board of Aldermen and as
mayor for the Town of Greensburg.
Carter served as a judge on the 21st Judicial District Court, having been appointed
to fill a vacant seat in 1974. He was elected to the position in 1975 and 1978 and
then served as chief judge from 1979-1981 when he joined the Court of Appeals.
A member of numerous professional associations, he has served as president and
vice president of the 21st Judicial District Bar Association, the American Judicature
Society, the National Council of Juvenile Court Judges, and the American Judges Association.
He is a Judicial Fellow of the Louisiana Bar Association and served as a member of
the Judicial Division Committee on Ethics and Professionalism for the American Bar
Association.
His civic involvement includes serving as Past Commander of the American Legion
Post 187, as a member of the Board for the Capital Area Agency on Aging, and on the
Southeastern Louisiana University Development Foundation Board.
Commencement Traffic Information
