Corridor lawyer heads state bar

A corridor lawyer is the new president of the Louisiana State Bar Association. Kim M. Boyle, a partner at Phelps Dunbar in New Orleans, was installed this week at the organization’s annual meeting in Florida. She is a former judge pro tempore for Division I of Orleans Parish Civil District Court and is a former assistant professor of law at Loyola University Law School. She received an AB degree in politics and a teaching certificate in secondary education in 1984 from Princeton University and her law degree in 1987 from the University of Virginia School of Law. Boyle vows to tackle member outreach and access to justice. “We are concerned that, based on the current economic climate, many more people nationwide and in Louisiana have lost jobs and have had full-time jobs turn into part-time jobs,” she says. “Individuals who did not previously need or qualify for legal service assistance now need legal assistance to address issues such as evictions, custody disputes and other family matters. We have met with the legal services directors in the state to ensure that the LSBA continues to have a meaningful role related to the provision of quality civil legal services regardless of income.” Boyle serves on the governing body of Tulane University, the boards of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, Touro Infirmary and the United Negro College Fund, and is a trustee and former secretary of the Greater New Orleans Foundation.