Emily Merckle at a glance
- Current role
- City or Parish Court Judge
- Current assignment
- Shreveport City Court
- Jurisdiction
- Louisiana · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Emily Merckle
City or Parish Court Judge · Shreveport City Court
Biography
Professional career
- Before her judicial appointment, Merckle was a partner at Gatti & Merckle Law Firm (since 2016)
- In May 2026, she was sworn in as Chief Judge of the Shreveport City Court, succeeding Judge Brian Barber, who resigned to become U.S. Marshal
- Emily S. Merckle is a judge of the Shreveport City Court in Louisiana, elected in 2020, and in May 2026 became the youngest chief judge in Louisiana’s history
- District 1, Division A Judge, Shreveport City Court; from 2020
- Partner, Gatti & Merckle Law Firm; from 2016, until 2020
- Judicial Intern, Hon. Justice Scott Crichton and Hon. Jeanette Garrett
- Judicial Law Clerk, 1st Judicial District Court - Caddo Parish
- Associate Attorney, Gatti Law Firm
- Noted as the youngest chief judge in the court’s history and reportedly the youngest ever appointed in Louisiana
Education
- Mississippi College School of Law — magna cum laude — J.D. (2013)
- B.A. from Louisiana State University in 2009 and a J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law in 2013
- Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge — magna cum laude — B.A. (2009)
Additional information
- Her appointment as chief judge in 2026 marked a historic milestone in Louisiana’s judicial leadership.
- English Teacher, Washington, D.C. Embassy Program - Avignon, France; from 2009, until 2010
- handling family law and personal injury cases.
- Emily S. Merckle serves on the Shreveport City Court, Division A in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.
- She is a member of the Shreveport Bar Association, Louisiana City Judges Association, and Delta Delta Delta Alumni Association
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Exhibits
Statewide
Louisiana trial judges may authorize electronic or photographic means for presenting evidence, preserving the record, counsel use, or judicial-administration purposes.
A trial judge may authorize ... the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidenceLouisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9) ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Louisiana judges generally prohibit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing courtroom proceedings unless a Canon 3A(9) exception applies.
a judge shall prohibit broadcasting, televising, recording, or taking photographs in the courtroomLouisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9) ↗
Appellate Extended Media Coverage
Statewide
Louisiana appellate courts may permit extended media coverage in public appellate proceedings, subject to the authority of the court and presiding judge or panel.
An appellate court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, and taking photographs of public judicial proceedingsLouisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9) ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9)
Shreveport City Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 29, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 29, 2026.
Louisiana Supreme Court official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 29, 2026
View Louisiana Supreme Court official judicial roster ↗Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9)
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9) ↗LA Batch 10 supplied biography research source
Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 3, 2026
View LA Batch 10 supplied biography research source ↗