The Louisiana State Legislature approved a constitutional amendment regarding the state supreme court's authority over disciplinary proceedings against attorneys from other jurisdictions for the April 17, 2027, statewide primary election ballot. Legislators passed the amendment on May 6, 2026.
The amendment is the first measure to make the ballot in anystate for 2027.
Senate Bill 68
Introduced as Senate Bill 68 (SB 68) on Feb. 19, 2026, the constitutional amendment would grant the Louisiana Supreme Court original jurisdiction over disciplinary proceedings not only for members of the state bar, but also for:
- other lawyers connected to the state, including those specially admitted for a case;
- lawyers who are not licensed in the state but provide legal services in it;
- lawyers who own or operate a law firm in the state; and
- lawyers who are not licensed in the state who supervise lawyers licensed in it.
As of 2026, Article V, Section 5(B) of the Louisiana state constitution only grants the state supreme court original jurisdiction of disciplinary proceedings against members of the bar within the state.
In Louisiana, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during a single session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 70 votes in the Louisiana House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Louisiana State Senate, assuming there are no vacancies.
The bill was first passed in the state Senate on March 24, 2026, by a vote of 36-0. However, the state House approved an amended version of SB 68 on April 28, 2026, by a vote of 92-0 — with eight Republicans and five Democrats not voting — thereby sending it back to the state Senate. The state Senate approved the amended version on May 6, 2026, by a vote of 37-0, with one Republican and one Democrat not voting.
Louisiana voters previously decided on a ballot measure related to disciplinary actions from the state supreme court when another amendment was on the ballot on March 29, 2025. The measure, named Amendment 1, would have also provided the state supreme court with original jurisdiction to discipline out-of-state lawyers. Additionally, Amendment 1 would have authorized the state legislature to establish trial courts with limited or specialized jurisdiction, through a two-thirds vote in both chambers. Amendment 1 was defeated by voters, with about 65% of the vote cast against it.
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