Jessica Orgeron

Jessica Orgeron (she/her) joined Rutherford Law in December of 2021, bringing with her more than a decade of experience as an appellate clerk and public lawyer. A New Orleans area native and former public servant who cares deeply about the well-being of others and of the planet, Jessica is dedicated to providing first-rate advocacy services and to achieving equity for her clients.

 

Immediately prior to joining the firm, Jessica clerked at the Louisiana Supreme Court for eight years, serving in the chambers of Justice Jeannette Theriot Knoll and Justice James T. Genovese. Through her time with these esteemed members of the judiciary, she cultivated proficiency in evaluating and refining legal arguments, as well as an intimate understanding of judicial decision-making and the inner workings of the Court. Jessica enjoys a comfortable familiarity with nearly every area of state law, having reviewed thousands of writ applications and assisted in the drafting of numerous opinions, dissents, concurrences, and per curiams.

 

The pursuit of social and environmental justice has been the driving force behind Jessica’s legal career from its inception. She began her career as assistant counsel at the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, supporting the agency’s operations with legal assistance in areas including governmental ethics, public records, open meeting laws, permitting, public bid law, and contracts.

 

When the Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the Gulf Coast in 2010, Jessica was assigned to a full time position in a dynamic, multi-agency team of government attorneys and outside counsel. For nearly three years, she and her co-counsel aided the Governor’s office, agency leaders, and scientists in quantifying and presenting the state’s staggeringly complex ecosystem and economic injuries through the statutorily-mandated Natural Resource Damage Assessment process and related multidistrict litigation. This experience honed one of Jessica’s greatest strengths: her capacity to understand and present highly technical claims. She is grateful for the opportunity to use her skills, knowledge, and experience in service of her clients.

 

Jessica is admitted to the Louisiana Bar and to the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana. She is also an avid lover of local music who proudly serves on the board of the Music and Culture Coalitions of New Orleans.