Judge Charlie Fitzgerald, '92

Judge Charlie Fitzgerald, ’92, is shown here with his oldest son, Patrick Fitzgerald, ’24, as Patrick wrapped up his golfing career as an ESA Falcon.

“There are two things that ESA gave me,” Charlie told us. “First, a strong work ethic. And second, a rock-solid educational base. Both of these have served me well in life.” 

Charlie earned a bachelor of science degree in microbiology from Louisiana State University in 1997. He attended the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU, and graduated with a Juris Doctorate in 2001. While in law school, Charlie was selected to the Order of the Coif, and was a member of the Louisiana Law Review. A founding member of the law firm Cox Fitzgerald, LLC, Charlie’s practice focused on family law, with an emphasis on complex financial and community partition matters and litigation in those areas. His judicial career began when he was elected District Judge of the Fifteenth Judicial District Court, Division M, in November of 2014. He served as a district court judge for six years, from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2020. In July of 2020, he was elected without opposition to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. 

Judge Fitzgerald is a member of numerous professional associations, foundations, and organizations. While in private practice and since taking the bench, he has been a frequent presenter at regional, state, and local continuing legal education seminars, with topics such as ethics, professionalism, business valuations, and evidence. He is an annual participant in the Judges in Classrooms and Judicial Ride-Along programs, and has hosted numerous educational presentations for students throughout Acadiana. He regularly participates in the LBA Young Lawyer’s Mock Trial competition for high school students. 

Thanks, Charlie!