Judge Scott U. Schlegel was elected to the bench of the 24th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson, Division D, State of Louisiana, in May 2013 and was soon thereafter appointed to the Management Committee. He currently serves as the (1) President of the Louisiana District Judges Association (LDJA); (2) Chair of the Louisiana Supreme Court Technology Commission; (3) Chair of the Technology & Security Committee for the 24th JDC; & (4) sub-committee Chair of the E-Filing Task Force. Judge Schlegel is also a member of the (1) Louisiana Drug Policy Board; (2) Council of Specialty Court Judges of the Louisiana Supreme Court; & (3) Louisiana State Law Institute’s Criminal Code & Code of Criminal Procedure Committee. Judge Schlegel previously served as the Chair of the (1) LDJA Technology Committee, (2) LDJA Criminal Justice Committee; & (3) 24th JDC Specialty Courts Committee.
Judge Schlegel, a pioneer in using technology in Louisiana state courts, received the National Center for State Courts’ 26th Annual William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence, one of the highest judicial honors in the country, and was featured on the cover of the American Bar Association Journal after being named a 2021 Legal Rebel. Judge Schlegel has also been awarded the (1) American Legal Technology Award - Court Innovation; (2) Fastcase 50 Award; (3) Kevin Kane Justice Award -Louisiana Family Forum; (4) Louisiana State Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer Award; (5) Public Service Award - Gillis Long Poverty Center, Loyola University College of Law; (6) the Outstanding Service Award - Louisiana District Judges Association; (7) Business Retention & Expansion Award - Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO); & (8) Judge of the Year - Crimefighters of Louisiana.
As a District Court Judge, Judge Schlegel handles a variety of cases, including criminal, civil and domestic. Judge Schlegel also serves as a volunteer judge for two specialty courts he started in Jefferson Parish; Reentry Court and Swift & Certain Probation. Judge Schlegel works tirelessly to improve the justice system. He has written and spoken about these critical improvements to the justice system on many occasions. Judge Schlegel is a graduate of the prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholars program where he was afforded the opportunity to learn from national leaders, including President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton.
Prior to his election, Judge Schlegel was one of the top felony prosecutors in the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office. He practiced civil law with an emphasis in products liability before becoming a prosecutor. Judge Schlegel graduated with honors from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where he served as the President of the Student Bar Association. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for over 20 years and has one son.
