A Law Library of Louisiana FREE CLE
Co-sponsored by the Supreme Court of Louisiana Historical Society
Presented by James G. Derbes, Esq.
Wednesday, October 30 ♦ 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Louisiana Supreme Court Courtroom
400 Royal Street, 4th Floor, New Orleans, LA
1.0 Hour CLE credit
Around 1917 a modest Spanish Colonial Cottage that had survived the fires of 1788 and 1794 was demolished before historic preservation laws were in place to protect it. This event led to the establishment of the Vieux Carre Commission being established in 1925. In his presentation, James Derbes will place in historical and legal context some of the more significant developments that have occurred leading up to the establishment and protection of the Vieux Carre Commission. The cottage was replaced by a gas station, and in 1941 controversy over the signage for the service station resulted in an important precedent in the legal authority of historic preservation in Louisiana and in courts beyond the state.
Speaker
James G. Derbes, Esq. earned a B.B.A. from Tulane University in 1967 and his J.D. from Tulane University School of Law in 1968. He taught Historic Preservation Law at the University of New Orleans, and from 1970-1973 published the Vieux Carre Courier weekly newspaper. Mr. Derbes served as president of Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents & Associates, Inc. and is a former president of the Louisiana Landmarks Society. In 1985 he received the Honor Award for Residential Rehabilitation from the Historic Districts Landmarks Commission for the restoration of the Benachi-Torre-Derbes House (now the Derbes Mansion); and in 1997 was the recipient of the Louisiana Landmarks Society’s Harnett T. Kane Award. Mr. Derbes retired from the practice of law in 2023.
RSVP to cle@lasc.org
