McClelland honored with La. State Bar award

James R. McClelland of Franklin was honored posthumously as the 2015 recipient of the Catherine D. Kimball Award for Advancement of the Administration of Justice.
The award was presented during the Louisiana State Bar Association’s annual meeting.
The award — established to honor Catherine D. Kimball, the first woman to serve as chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court — recognizes attorneys and judges who have conducted exceptional outreach activities that support the goals and purposes of the judicial branch.
Judge McClelland was recognized for his exemplary service to the legal profession and the public throughout his distinguished career: as a district judge, as an attorney, as an assistant district attorney and as a public defender.
He started his career in 1975 with Aycock, Horne & Coleman in Franklin, becoming a partner in 1978. He was the founder of the local Public Defender Board and served as a public defender from 1975-81. He was an assistant district attorney in the 16th Judicial District Court from 1981-2008.
Judge McClelland began serving as judge for the 16th JDC on Jan. 1, 2009. He also presided over the St. Mary Parish Adult Drug Treatment Court, the DWI Court and the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court.
Active in the LSBA, he served as secretary and Louisiana Bar Journal editor from 2003-05. He was a member of the Executive Committee, the Board of Governors, the House of Delegates and the Budget Committee. He chaired the Criminal Law Section and co-chaired the Section Council.
He was president of the St. Mary Bar Association in 1978-79. He was a charter member of the Inn on the Teche American Inn of Court, serving as president in 2010-11. He also served on the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors.
He received a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering in 1969 and an MBA degree in 1971, both from Louisiana State University. After active duty in the U.S. Army, he received his Juris Doctor degree, with honors, in 1975 from LSU Law School (member of the Order of the Coif and Louisiana Law Review).
Judge McClelland retired from the 16th JDC bench on March 1, 2015. He died on March 15, 2015, at the age of 68, after a three-year battle with ALS.