The Honorable Kern A. Reese, JD ‘77, to Receive 2025 St. Ives Award

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is proud to announce that the Honorable Kern A. Reese, JD ’77, has been named the 2025 St. Ives Award recipient.

\Named after St. Ives of Kermartin, the patron saint of lawyers, the St. Ives Award has been awarded every year since 1995 to a College of Law graduate who represents the highest standards of the profession of law. The award honors those who have volunteered their service to Loyola University or the College of Law or who have furthered the cause of the College of Law or the Law Alumni Association.

Judge Reese is a graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, California, and went on to attend Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. After graduation, he was in private practice for 25 years before being elected in 2001 by the citizens of New Orleans to serve as a trial court judge in Orleans Parish Civil District Court. 

Judge Reese is a member of numerous organizations and commissions including the Louisiana State Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National Bar Association - Judicial Council. He has spent many years as a member of the College of Law’s Alumni Board and served as its president in 2023. This year, Judge Reese was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society.

In 2018, Judge Reese started the first Assistive Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Court in the state. AOT is designed to divert those experiencing mental health issues from the civil and criminal court systems and avoid hospitalization. 

Judge Reese has taught trial advocacy at Tulane University School of Law and at Loyola University College of Law. He has also served for ten years as the coach of the Dillard University Mock Trial Team. 

“We are proud to recognize the Honorable Kern Reese as the 2025 St. Ives awardee,” said Dean Madeleine Landrieu. “Judge Reese’s distinguished career and decades of service to the people of New Orleans reflects Loyola’s Jesuit values of commitment to justice, service to others, and leadership grounded in integrity.”
Judge Reese will be honored during the College of Law Alumni Association luncheon on Friday, January 16, at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans. More information on the luncheon can be found here. 

About Loyola University New Orleans College of Law: 

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is dedicated to promoting justice, providing a well-rounded legal education, and fostering a sense of community among students, faculty, and staff. The college is committed to making a positive impact both inside and outside the classroom, with a focus on social justice, community engagement, and public service. Learn more.