Justice John Michael Guidry

Justice John Michael Guidry, born in Baton Rouge, LA in 1962, earned a B.A. degree from LSU in 1983 and his Juris Doctorate in 1987 from the Southern University Law Center. In 1991 he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives and in 1993 to the Louisiana State Senate. His judicial career began in 1997 when he was elected as a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals where he served for over 27 years. In 2023 Judge Guidry was sworn in as the 15th Chief Judge of the First Circuit Court of Appeals - the first African American to hold this distinguished position. On January 1, 2025 he assumed office as an Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court - only the 4th African American Justice elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Justice Guidry holds membership in numerous legal and judicial professional societies including as President of the Louisiana Judicial College Board of Governors and as Chair of the Louisiana Supreme Court Technology Commission. Justice Guidry is an adjunct professor at Southern University Law Center. In 2025 the Louisiana State Bar Association honored Justice John Michael Guidry with the David A. Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award - the most prestigious pro bono award presented by the LSBA. Also in 2025, Justice Guidry was named one of 100 pioneering Black Lawyers in the history of the National Bar Association. Through his outstanding judicial service Justice John Michael Guidry brings great distinction to the Guédry family.