Walt Leger III

Walt J. Leger III
Speaker pro tempore of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Assumed office
January 9, 2012
Preceded by Joel Robideaux
Louisiana State Representative for
District 91 (Orleans Parish)
Assumed office
January 14, 2008
Preceded by Jalila Jefferson-Bullock
Personal details
Born (1978-06-22) June 22, 1978
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Danielle Doiron
Residence New Orleans, Louisiana
Alma mater

Jesuit High School

Louisiana State University
Occupation Attorney

Walter J. Leger, III, known as Walt Leger (born June 22, 1978; surname pronounced leh-ZHAY), is Speaker pro tempore of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the representative for District 91, which includes Central City, Uptown, the Lower Garden District, the Irish Channel, parts of Broadmoor, Gert Town, and Hollygrove in New Orleans, Louisiana.[1] Leger is a member of the Democratic Party.

Leger was the choice of Governor John Bel Edwards to become Speaker, effective January 11, 2016. By custom, the governor chose the House Speaker in Louisiana, but lawmakers on a second ballot instead chose another Republican Speaker, Taylor Barras of New Iberia.[2] The House retained Leger for another term as Speaker pro tempore.[3]

Personal life and education

Leger is the oldest of three children of Walter, Jr., and Cathy Leger. He is married to the former Danielle Marie Doiron of Houma in Terrebonne Parish. A New Orleans native, Leger graduated from Jesuit High School (New Orleans) in 1996 and went on to receive his B.A. in political science from Louisiana State University in 2000. During his time at LSU, his passion for public service was ignited while working for U.S. Senator John Breaux in Washington D.C. After graduating with many honors, he returned to New Orleans and attended Tulane University Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor with a certificate of specialization in Admiralty & Maritime Law in 2003. Additionally, he served as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Judge Morey Leonard Sear, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Since completing his education, Walt Leger has been regularly called upon to lecture at Continuing Legal Education programs for lawyers and has also lectured at Tulane University Law School, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Tulane University, and the Loyola University New Orleans Institute of Politics.

Career

Law

Beginning his career as an Assistant District Attorney in New Orleans, Walt Leger tried countless jury and judge trials. He has prosecuted violent offenders and drug traffickers, maintaining a conviction rate of over 90%. He has held leadership roles in the Louisiana State and New Orleans Bar Associations and is now an attorney at the law firm of Leger & Shaw, where he has a litigation practice focusing on admiralty & maritime law and commercial, insurance, and complex civil litigation.

Politics

In 2007, Walt Leger was elected state representative for Louisiana House District 91 and went on to become the youngest member to ever serve as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Louisiana House of Representatives in January 2011. As Speaker, Walt Leger moderates debate, makes rulings on procedure, announces the results of votes, etc. and is the in the second highest position of the House. In Legislature, he has served on the powerful Appropriations Committee, the Criminal Justice Committee, the Education Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, the House Executive Committee, the Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission, the House Committee on Homeland Security, and the Technology Sub-Committee of the House Executive Committee. Additionally, in October 2012, he was elected to the Chairmanship of the Southern Rail Commission (formerly known as the Southern High Speed Rail Commission),[4] which is made up of representatives of the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Today, Walt Leger's priorities include being tough on crime, creating jobs, fighting for fairness, improving education, protecting New Orleans’ coast, and making smart investments.[5] One recent example of proactive legislature includes his 2013 bill to allow the governing boards of all four public college systems of New Orleans to increase tuition and fees under a uniform policy that would be determined by the Louisiana Board of Regents, which oversees higher education in the state. Walt Leger’s goal was to guarantee a more reliable revenue stream for the institutions, whose state share of funding has been declining in recent years. The bill was approved 13-4 in the House Education Committee. His awards [6] include:

Public service

Walt Leger serves on the board of directors for the St. Bernard Parish Chapter of the American Red Cross, as well as for the Louisiana not for profit DesireNOLA. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Total Community Action, Inc.

Notes

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ The Moon Griffon Show, January 11, 2016
  3. ↑ Melinda Deslatte (January 11, 2016). "Louisiana House rejects John Bel Edwards’ pick for speaker". The Shreveport Times. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
Louisiana House of Representatives
Preceded by
Jalila Jefferson-Bullock (D)		 Louisiana Legislature House District 91
(Orleans Parish)
2007– 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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