RESUME

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Randall ("Randy") Bethancourt attended Nicholls State University, then was a Seminarian at St. Joseph Seminary College. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He earned his law degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1979. He is the only Terrebonne Parish Judge who has attended the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada (which is the only Judicial College in the United States). 

The Honorable Randall L. Bethancourt was elected State District Court Judge for the 32nd Judicial District Court, Terrebonne Parish, Houma, Louisiana. He took office on January 1, 2003. He was reelected, without opposition, in 2009 and again in 2015. Prior to being elected to the bench, he practiced law for twenty-two years. He worked as an Assistant District Attorney from 1997-1999, and is extremely proud to have been the founding Director of the Terrebonne Children's Advocacy Center. He is a former Vice President of the Terrebonne Bar Association , and a member of several civic organizations.   Judge Bethancourt is the immediate Past President of the statewide organization, The Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education, having served as its Treasurer as well.

 As judge, he has served on many law-related committees, including:

• National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

• Advisory Committee of the Performance Audit on Jury Practices for the Louisiana Supreme Court

• Louisiana State Bar Association's Continuing Legal Education Committee

• Louisiana District Judges Association Committee on Capital Crimes

• Louisiana District Judges Association Website Committee

• Louisiana District Judges Association Committee on Judicial Education

• Louisiana District Judges Association Integrated Criminal Justice Information System Policy Board

• Louisiana District Judges Association Department of Corrections Liaison Committee

• Louisiana District Judges Association Judges in the Classroom Committee.

Judge Bethancourt has served for the past 3 years on the Executive Committee of the Louisiana District Judges Association. 

Judge Bethancourt has presented numerous lectures on a variety of legal and ethical issues for:

• The Louisiana State Bar Association

• The Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel

• The Louisiana State University Law Center

• The New Orleans Bar Association

• The Louisiana District Judges Association

• The St. Thomas More Catholic Lawyers Association.

• Adjunct Professor at Nicholls State University in the Paralegal Studies Program.

• He also trains prospective CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers

• Since being sworn in as a judge, he has educated more than 18,000 students on the legal and court system in his "Judges in the Classroom" program.

Judge Bethancourt has received many awards, including:

• Public Official of the Year by the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (1999)

• Vandebilt Catholic High School Alumnus of the Year (2004)

• The Terrebonne Parish Bar Association Community Service Award (2008)

• CASA's Judge of the Year for the State of Louisiana (2011)

• The Judge Benjamin Jones Judges in the Classroom Award by the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education (2016). Note: Of the nearly 400 judges in Louisiana, including Supreme Court Justices, Appellate Court Judges, and District Court Judges eligible for this award, Judge Bethancourt was the second recipient of this most prestigious award.

Judge Bethancourt is a man of faith and a practicing Catholic. He is a third-generation parishioner of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish, and has been a Commentator/Lector (+45 years) and Eucharistic Minister (+30 years). He is a past President of the St. Francis Parish Council. He is presently a member of the St. Thomas More Society and is a Benedictine Oblate of St. Joseph Abbey. Judge Bethancourt is on the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph Seminary College (better known as "St. Ben's").

Judge Bethancourt was a seventh grader the first year Vandebilt was opened in 1965 as Houma Central Catholic High and was a member of the only 7th through 12th grade class at Vandebilt. He graduated from Vandebilt in 1971, and taught school there in 1976-1977. Judge Bethancourt has been president of the Vandebilt Alumni Association and was chosen Vandebilt Alumnus of the Year (2004). He has been a member of the Vandebilt Advisory Council since 2010, and has been President (now called " Chairman"), since 2015.

Randy is a native of Houma , Louisiana, was born the fifth child of Arthur and Marjorie Bethancourt.  He has been married to his wife, Adrienne, for 39 years.  She holds a DNS in nursing, and has been teaching nursing for 40 years.  Their 22-year-old daughter Brooke is graduating from LSU this year. . In his time off, Randy enjoys reading, traveling, and making rosaries. Many of you have probably been the recipient of one of the hundreds of rosaries he has made.   Many have received one of the hundreds of unique and beautiful rosaries he has made and gives away freely.