BATON ROUGE — As domestic violence continues to devastate Louisiana communities, the state’s highest court is taking a major step toward change. On Wednesday, the Louisiana Supreme Court issued a new order requiring all judges statewide to complete one hour of training every other year, focused specifically on domestic violence and trauma-informed court practices.
The training—provided through the Louisiana Judicial College and Protective Order Registry—will cover critical topics such as protective orders, the psychological effects of abuse on both adults and children, and strategies for minimizing re-traumatization in courtrooms.
The move comes as Louisiana ranks 5th in the nation for homicides and maintains a rate of women murdered by men that is 85% higher than the national average, according to the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCADV).
Justice John Michael Guidry, who recommended the training mandate, said these sobering statistics demand action.
“We realize the serious step of mandating judicial coursework on a specific subject,” Guidry said in a statement. “However, domestic violence remains a critical issue for Louisiana. This specialized judicial training will give judges additional insight and perspective into how violence and stress affect all types of people who interact with the Louisiana court system.”
Chief Justice John L. Weimer echoed the urgency, stating that understanding trauma is essential to ensuring fair and compassionate justice.
“While judges must remain neutral arbiters of the facts and law, we also must be cognizant of the painful toll of domestic violence and trauma in our communities,” Weimer said. “Trauma-informed judicial training is a tool that we will use to ensure everyone, including domestic violence victims, have their voices heard in our courtrooms.”
The decision aligns with increasing public calls for deeper awareness and reform within the justice system. In a recent episode of the Louisiana Unfiltered podcast, Kiran Chawla and domestic violence survivor Megan Kelly explored the personal and societal impacts of abuse. Kelly, who has shared her own harrowing experience through her blog series Letters to My Daughters, emphasized that the legal system can often feel re-traumatizing to victims who already fear they won’t be believed.
“No one thinks they are going to die or that this person, who they love, will actually kill them. But if I can go back for even one other victim — if someone hears my story and finds the strength to leave — then none of it was in vain.”
By mandating trauma-informed training, the Louisiana Supreme Court hopes to reshape those experiences—creating courtrooms that are not only fair but also sensitive to the invisible wounds many victims carry.
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