US Senate confirms Shreveport attorney as first Black judge in Louisiana’s Western District

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A north Louisiana attorney is now the first Black federal judge to serve on the state’s U.S. Western District Court following confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Jerry Edwards Jr., of Shreveport, was one of two judicial nominations by Democratic President Joe Biden. Brandon Scott Long of New Orleans was the other nomination approved Thursday. The Shreveport Times reports Edwards will serve the district in the court based in Alexandria, while Long will serve on Louisiana’s U.S. Eastern District Court based in New Orleans. Edwards has worked as first U.S. attorney in the Western District since 2022. Long most recently served as an assistant U.S. attorney in New Orleans.