Museum

The Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson Supreme Court Museum is located on the first floor of the Louisiana Supreme Court Building at 400 Royal Street.  It is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, on a self-guided basis, and tours can be arranged through Robert Gunn, Louisiana Supreme Court Director of Community Relations, via email.

On permanent display are portraits of the Chief Justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court.   The history of the famous Plessy v. Ferguson case is examined in multiple display cases.  Several cases are devoted to the life and career of Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson.  Currently, an exhibit on Women in Law includes a timeline with broad coverage of women’s participation in the field of law, focusing on Louisiana women.  A large poster highlights the first women to serve in Louisiana state courts.

The museum was named in honor of Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson, the first African-American and the second female chief justice, on the occasion of her retirement in 2020.