Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§98 Louisiana
Title 28 › Part I— ORGANIZATION OF COURTS › Chapter 5— DISTRICT COURTS › § 98
Summary
Louisiana is split into three federal court districts called the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts. The Eastern District covers 13 parishes, including Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint James, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Washington. Courts sit in New Orleans and Houma. The Middle District covers 9 parishes, including Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Saint Helena, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana, with court in Baton Rouge. The Western District covers 42 parishes, including Acadia, Caddo, Calcasieu, Lafayette, Rapides, Vermilion, and Winn. Courts sit in Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Opelousas, and Shreveport.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §98
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Louisiana is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana. Eastern District (a) The Eastern District comprises the parishes of Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint James, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Washington. Court for the Eastern District shall be held at New Orleans, and Houma. Middle District (b) The Middle District comprises the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Saint Helena, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. Court for the Middle District shall be held at Baton Rouge. Western District (c) The Western District comprises the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, Jefferson Davis, De Soto, East Carroll, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Jackson, Lafayette, La Salle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Tensas, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, and Winn. Court for the Western District shall be held at Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Opelousas, and Shreveport.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 159 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 84, 36 Stat. 1113). Provisions relating to the maintenance of offices by the clerks were omitted as covered by section 452 and 751 of this title. The parishes of Allen, Beauregard, and Jefferson Davis of the Lake Charles Division of the Western District were formed out of part of Calcasieu Parish since the enactment of the Judicial Code. Changes in arrangement and phraseology were made.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–353 inserted “, and Houma” after “New Orleans”. 1978—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–408 struck out par. (1) to (6) designations which had divided the parishes of Western District into six divisions. 1971—Pub. L. 92–208 created a Middle District consisting of the nine parishes formerly making up Baton Rouge Division of Eastern District and designated as the entire Eastern District the thirteen parishes formerly making up New Orleans Division of Eastern District. 1961—Pub. L. 87–36 struck out from enumeration in subsec. (a)(1) the parishes of Iberia and Saint Mary, in subsec. (b)(1) Lafayette, Saint Martin and Vermilion, and in subsec. (b)(5) Acadia, and created sixth division of subsec. (b), consisting of such parishes.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1978 Amendment;
Savings Provision
Amendment by Pub. L. 95–408 effective 180 days after Oct. 2, 1978, with such amendment not to affect the composition or preclude the service of any grand or petit juror summoned, empaneled, or actually serving in any judicial district on the
Effective Date
of this Act, see section 5 of Pub. L. 95–408, set out as a note under section 89 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1971 Amendment Pub. L. 92–208, § 3(f), Dec. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 742, provided that: “The provisions of this section [amending this section and section 133 and 134 of this title and enacting provisions set out below] shall become effective one hundred and twenty days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 1971].” District Judge, United States Attorney, and United States Marshal for Middle District; Designation; Tenure; Appointment Pub. L. 92–208, § 3(b), (c), Dec. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 742, provided that: “(b) The district judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana holding office on the day immediately prior to the
Effective Date
of this section [see
Effective Date
of 1971 Amendment Note above], and whose official station on such date is Baton Rouge, shall, on and after such date, be the district judge for the Middle District of Louisiana. All other district judges for the Eastern District of Louisiana holding office on the day immediately prior to the
Effective Date
of this section shall be district judges for the Eastern District of Louisiana as constituted by this section. “(c)(1) Nothing in this section shall in any manner affect the tenure of office of the United States attorney and the United States marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana who are in office on the
Effective Date
of this section, and who shall be during the remainder of their present terms of office the United States attorney and marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana as constituted by this section. “(2) The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a United States attorney and marshal for the Middle District of Louisiana.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 98
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60