Piper D. Griffin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piper Griffin
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| Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Bernette Joshua Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Piper Dinita Griffin
February 2, 1962 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BA) Louisiana State University (JD) |
Piper Dinita Griffin (born February 2, 1962) is an American lawyer and judge. She has served as an important judge, called an associate justice, on the highest court in Louisiana, the Louisiana Supreme Court.
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Growing Up and School
Piper Griffin grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has lived there her whole life. She went to Xavier University Preparatory School.
In 1984, she earned a degree in Government from the University of Notre Dame. Later, in 1987, she received her law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from Louisiana State University's Paul M. Hebert Law Center. This degree allowed her to become a lawyer.
Her Career as a Judge
Starting in District Court
In 2001, Piper Griffin was elected to be a judge on the Orleans Parish Civil District Court. This court handles civil cases, which are legal disagreements between people or groups.
During her time there, she led many important court groups and even served as the chief judge. In 2019, other judges chose her to be the Second Vice President of the Louisiana District Judges Associations.
Joining the Louisiana Supreme Court
In July 2020, Judge Griffin announced she wanted to become an associate justice on the Louisiana Supreme Court. This is the highest court in the state.
In November 2020, she won the election for this important role. Her opponent decided to drop out, which meant she won without needing a second election, called a runoff.
Awards and Special Recognition
Piper Griffin has received many awards for her hard work and service. Here are some of them:
| Year | Award | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Service Award | Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society |
| 1997 | Distinguished Black Exemplar: Top 50 Most Distinguished African American Graduates | Notre Dame University |
| 2003 | Ernest N. Morial Judicial Pacesetter Award | Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society |
| Civic Award | Alliance for Good Government | |
| 2004 | Award for Exemplary Community Service | Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc |
| 2018 | Women of Achievement Nominee | NBA Women’s Lawyer Division - National Bar Association |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society | |
| 2019 | Sarah J. Harper Humanitarian Award | Louisiana Judicial Council |
| Woman of the Year Award | First District Missionary Society, Women’s Department | |
| 2020 | Thomas Jefferson Justice By the People Award | American Board of Trial Advocates |
Community Involvement
Judge Griffin has been a leader in many different groups. She was the first African American woman to lead the Young Lawyers section of the New Orleans Bar Association. She was also the first African American woman to help write and grade the exams for new lawyers in Louisiana.
She has served on the board of St Katharine Drexel Preparatory School, which used to be Xavier University Preparatory School, and was its president from 2015 to 2019. She was also the president of the Crescent City Chapter of Links from 2015 to 2019. She has been a part of other important community groups like the United Way, the Greater New Orleans YWCA, and Catholic Charities of New Orleans.
