LSU Law alumnae Judge Frances Jones Pitman (’91) became chief judge of the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal on Jan. 1. A formal induction ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 17 at the First Judicial District Court.
“I am honored to serve the people of north Louisiana in this important office,” said Judge Pitman, who was first elected to the Second Circuit in 2012 and was reelected without opposition in 2022. “I am looking forward to serving the people as their new chief judge. I pledge my best work to their service.”
Judge Pitman was promoted to chief by virtue of seniority after Judge D. Milton Moore III (’76) of Monroe completed his term at the end of 2022.
A native of Shreveport, Judge Pitman earned a B.A. in education and speech pathology from LSU Shreveport and a master’s in communications Disorders from LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, and then spent several years as a speech pathologist in local public schools and at LSU HSC. She then went to LSU Law Center, earning her J.D. in 1991, and worked one year as a law clerk at the First Judicial District Court in Shreveport. She then moved to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, where she worked from 1992 to 2008, advancing to Chief of the North Louisiana Civil Division. In July 2008, she ran for an open seat on the First Judicial District Court and served on that court until she was elected to the Second Circuit in 2012.
Judge Pitman is married to Judge Mike Pitman (’91), who has served on the First Judicial District Court since 2003.
