First Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Jimmy Kuhn announced his candidacy for Justice of the Louisiana State Supreme Court. The seat is being vacated by retiring Chief Justice Pascal Calogero Jr. A native of Ponchatoula, Kuhn was admitted to practice law in 1973.

“I’m running to bring leadership to the Supreme Court. My background, legal experience and lifetime of community service have prepared me for the exciting challenges the Supreme Court faces every day,” said Kuhn.

Before being elected to the 21st Judicial District Court in 1990, Kuhn was an attorney in private practice for 17 years, trying hundreds of cases and serving 10 years as assistant district attorney. Raised in a family of nine children, Kuhn’s appreciation for just and impartial decisions was well formed before law school. During his tenure on the district bench, Kuhn took special interest in juvenile offenders and established a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program and also created a juvenile intervention program for non-violent offenders for at-risk children. The success of these initiatives resulted in the tri-parish district having one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country.

Kuhn

Kuhn was elected to the First Circuit Court of Appeal in 1994. For the past 14 years he has served with distinction on the appellate court, participating in nearly 2700 decisions and being recognized in a national study of Louisiana courts in recognition of his strict application of the law.

Kuhn serves on the adjunct faculty of Southeastern Louisiana University for 17 years. He has also lectured before the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and taught young attorneys at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.

A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University and Loyola Law School, Kuhn served in the Army National Guard and attended the Army War College National Security Seminar at Carlisle Barracks, PA. He is married to Cheryl Aucoin Kuhn, and they have twin children, Jimmy and Jennifer.