In 1969, what had been a loosely knit informal group of attorneys, formalized into the Lafayette Parish Bar Association by the filing of a Charter signed by all 83 lawyers who practiced in the Parish. In five years, the membership had almost doubled to 151 members. 

The first record of formal volunteerism for the indigent of Lafayette Parish was the establishment of the Pro Bono Committee in 1985.  By 1987, with the assistance of Acadiana Legal Services, the Lafayette Volunteer Lawyers program became a reality and the Lafayette Bar hired its first staff member. 

The Bar Association was first located in the old Moss Pharmacy building on the corner of Jefferson and Vermilion Streets.  In January 1991, the association moved to larger quarters in what was then the FNB Towers, a space suitable to accommodate the Lafayette Law Library and three staff members.

In 2007, the Lafayette Parish Bar Foundation purchased and began renovations of its current building on Johnston Street, across from Albertson’s. This facility contains six conference rooms, the Law Library, and is open to the public in need of legal forms when they represent themselves in divorce matters or other common legal matters. 

Information garnered from the Lafayette Bar Association site at https://www.lafayettebar.org/history.