Louisiana’s Senate Bill 1, introduced during the recent 2024 Third Extraordinary Legislative Session, aims to establish specialized business courts in Louisiana through a state constitutional amendment. The bill seeks to amend the constitution and give the legislature the authority to create “specialized” courts. This proposed amendment must first receive two-thirds approval in both the Louisiana Senate and House. If passed, the amendment will appear on voters’ ballots on either March 29th or November 15th of 2025. The legislature would need to then attempt to pass additional laws to create specialized courts designed specifically to handle complex business disputes, such as commercial, corporate, and banking cases, streamlining the process and making it more efficient. Proponents suggest the establishment of business courts could be a significant development for the legal and business communities in Louisiana. Several other states already have similar business courts, including Delaware, New York, Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia.
For bill text see: SB1
Louisiana legislators consider giving themselves the authority to set up ‘business’ court
This Louisiana lawmaker wants a new means of settling business disputes