James L. Dennis

Who is James L. Dennis?

James L. Dennis is a United States federal judge currently serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. His chambers are in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Born in Monroe, Dennis was in the United States Army from 1955 to 1957, then received a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana Tech University in 1959, a J.D. from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1962, and an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1984. He was in private practice with the law firm of Hudson, Potts & Bernstein in Monroe, Louisiana from 1962 until 1972. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1968 to 1972. He was succeeded in that position by his fellow Democrat, later Republican, John C. Ensminger, a Monroe businessman.

Dennis became a judge on the Fourth Judicial District Court of Louisiana, based in Monroe, from 1972-1974. He then served on the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal, Second Circuit, Louisiana from 1974 to 1975, and became an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana from 1975 to 1995.

On January 31, 1995, Dennis was nominated by U.S.