On October 20, 2016, Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt spoke to Mr. Sims’ Law Studies class, a semester elective course offered to Juniors and Seniors. Judge Engelhardt addressed topics such as the differences in the state and federal court systems, the appointment of federal judges, sentencing considerations in federal criminal cases, the types of cases adjudicated in federal court, and various Constitutional issues. Judge Engelhardt is the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. He was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in December 2001, after spending approximately 15 years in private practice. As a 1978 graduate of Brother Martin High School, Judge Engelhardt remains an active supporter of the school.
Mr. Phil Sims, the Law Studies instructor, graduated from Brother Martin in 1991 and graduated from LSU Law School in 2001. He practiced law (civil and commercial litigation) at Chaffe McCall, L.L.P. from 2001 to 2016, prior to coming to Brother Martin.
