NEW ORLEANS – Baker Donelson has appointed Katie L. Dysart and Nyka M. Scott to leadership roles in the Firm’s New Orleans Pro Bono Committee. Ms. Dysart has been named chair of the New Orleans Pro Bono Committee, and Ms. Scott has been named vice chair.
As the New Orleans Pro Bono Committee Office chair and vice chair, Ms. Dysart and Ms. Scott will work to identify and address local pro bono needs while coordinating with Baker Donelson pro bono shareholder Samuel T. Bowman for global pro bono initiatives.
“Meeting the specific needs for pro bono services in each of our local markets is a key element in ensuring Baker Donelson is addressing broader needs across our geographic footprint,” said Mr. Bowman. “Katie and Nyka are among the many talented and committed people we have at Baker Donelson who are enthusiastic about strengthening our communities by providing vital legal services to the underserved. Because of the leadership that Katie, Nyka and our other office chairs bring, I believe our Pro Bono Committee is second to none, and I look forward to working with them in our ongoing efforts to offer pro bono services to those who need it most.”
A shareholder in Baker Donelson’s New Orleans office, Ms. Dysart is an experienced commercial litigator who focuses on the defense of companies including financial institutions in a wide variety of trial and appellate cases and arbitrations. She also devotes a significant portion of her practice to general trial practice and appellate work, and is experienced in insurance coverage, defense and labor and employment issues. Ms. Dysart has been recognized as a Rising Star by Louisiana Super Lawyers, as a “Top Lawyer” by New Orleans Magazine, and was named by CityBusiness to its 2018 class of “Women of The Year.” She is a Fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation and a member of the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Greater Orleans Community Partnership Panel. Ms. Dysart is a graduate of Loyola University School of Law.
Ms. Scott is counsel in the New Orleans office, where she advises clients on complex legal and policy matters in the disaster recovery, energy
and maritime industries, as well as providing public policy advice to clients at state and local levels. She was the Executive Counsel for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East and has served as chair and board member of the Alcohol Beverage Control Board for the City of New Orleans and the Non-Flood Protection Asset Management Authority. She has also served as a board member of the State of Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and as a member of the Coastal Levee Consortium. Ms. Scott is a graduate of the Loyola University School of Law, where she received a certificate in International Law, and was chair of the Moot Court Board. She holds an M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans.
Through its commitment to pro bono representation, Baker Donelson provides legal services to groups and individuals whose resources are limited. For decades, the Firm’s attorneys have provided a variety of counsel to many underserved populations that have had no options for legal representation. Baker Donelson’s efforts include work on a wide range of matters, such as advocating for the homeless and organizations that serve the homeless, providing corporate legal services to non-profit organizations, collaborating with our clients to address particular community needs, and much more. The Firm has been instrumental in efforts such as expanding the Homeless Experience Legal Protection (HELP) program across the Southeast; creating courts dedicated to handling minor legal matters common among the homeless; assisting persons of limited means with obtaining driver’s licenses, an essential need in helping these individuals reintegrate into society; and spearheading and organizing volunteer lawyer programs across Baker Donelson’s footprint.
Baker Donelson has led the way in the legal industry by being one of the first law firms in the Southeast to create a Pro Bono Committee and designate a Pro Bono Shareholder. To further its commitment to pro bono, Baker Donelson also designates Pro Bono Committee Office Chairs in most of its 21 offices. These chairs are best suited to address local needs while coordinating with the Firm’s Pro Bono Shareholder for global pro bono initiatives. This structure ensures Baker Donelson is well-suited to further its goal of addressing broad spectrum needs across the Firm’s footprint and beyond.
