Shreveport’s Most Reliable Accident Law Firms

Shreveport’s Most Reliable Accident Law Firms

Caddo Parish

Client Testimonials and Success Stories


When it comes to finding the most reliable accident law firms in Shreveport, client testimonials and success stories (really) speak volumes! These narratives not only give us a peek into the experiences others have had, but they also (oddly enough) build a bridge of trust between potential clients and the law firms. Youd think it's just about winning cases, but it aint just that. Its about finding a firm that truly cares about its clients.


Now, not every law firm gets glowing reviews, and that's the truth. However, the ones that do usually have a few things in common. First off, they're not just about the verdicts; they're about the journey. Clients often share how these firms walked them through the legal maze, explaining every detail in plain English. Isn't that what we all want? Clarity and transparency!


Then, there's the matter of empathy. Some clients have mentioned how they never felt like just another case (which is a big deal). They were treated as individuals with unique needs. Oh, and let's not forget those success stories where firms went above and beyond, fighting tooth and nail to get what their clients deserved. Car accident attorney Shreveport . That's dedication you can't fake.


But, its also crucial to be skeptical. Not every testimonial you read is the complete picture. Sometimes, you've gotta read between the lines. Maybe a client didn't get the outcome they hoped for, but they still praised the firm for their effort and support. That says a lot about the firm's character, doesn't it?


In Shreveport, finding the right accident law firm isn't just about who's the most famous or who's won the biggest cases. Its about finding the firm that will stand by you, come rain or shine. So, if you're on the lookout, don't just skim through those testimonials. Dive deep, and find the stories that resonate with you. After all, its not just about winning; its about how you get there.

Areas of Expertise


When it comes to finding Shreveports most reliable accident law firms, its crucial to know their areas of expertise. These firms, while they may not cover every single legal issue under the sun, are specialists in handling accident-related cases. You wouldnt want a firm that dabbles in a bit of everything, would you? (No, definitely not!)


First and foremost, these firms excel in personal injury cases. They know the ins and outs of dealing with insurance companies and can help clients navigate the tricky waters of compensation claims. Its not like theyre just winging it; theyve got years of experience under their belts.


Another area of expertise is dealing with automobile accidents. From fender benders to serious collisions, Shreveports top firms have seen it all. They understand the nuances of traffic laws and the complexities involved in proving fault. If youve ever been in an accident, you know how frustrating it can be to get the compensation you deserve. These firms make sure their clients arent left high and dry.


Caddo Parish

Moreover, they handle workplace accidents with finesse. Its not uncommon for employees to be unaware of their rights after an injury on the job. These law firms ensure that workers get what they're entitled to without unnecessary hassle. After all, who wants to deal with that stress on top of an injury?


Lastly, wrongful death cases are another significant expertise area. These are sensitive and heart-wrenching, no doubt about it. The firms approach these cases with empathy and determination, making sure that the families are supported through the legal process. Its not just about winning a case; its about bringing some measure of justice to grieving families.


In conclusion, while Shreveport's most reliable accident law firms may not handle every type of legal problem, they certainly have a solid grasp on accident-related cases. If youre in need of legal assistance in these areas, don't hesitate to reach out to these experts who know exactly what theyre doing!

Fee Structure and Payment Options


When it comes to hiring Shreveports most reliable accident law firms, understanding their fee structure and payment options is, oh, so crucial! Now, I aint saying law firms are out to get you, but you dont want to be caught off guard by unexpected costs. Negligence Law One things for sure, they dont all charge the same way. Some firms work on a contingency fee basis, which means (thankfully) you wont pay a dime unless they win your case. You see, this aligns their interests with yours, ensuring they do their best to secure you a win.


Now, not every firm uses the contingency model. Some may charge hourly rates (which can add up fast) or flat fees for specific services. Its important to clarify this right from the get-go, so there are no surprises later. You dont want to be in a position where youre scratching your head wondering where all your money went. Its always a good idea to discuss payment options upfront, including whether they offer payment plans. Some firms are flexible, while others, not so much.


And, lets talk about other costs. Out-of-pocket expenses like court fees, expert witness fees, and document preparation might not be included in the lawyers fee. Be sure to ask about these, too, because they can sneak up on ya!


Also, dont assume all firms offer free initial consultations; some might charge for that first meeting, while others wont. Its a mixed bag. So, when you call to set up an appointment, asking about this can save you some disappointment.

Caddo Parish

  1. Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer
  2. Broken Bones
  3. Trial Representation
  4. Car Accident Lawyer
  5. Underinsured Motorist Coverage


In conclusion, understanding the fee structure and payment options of Shreveports accident law firms is not just smart-its essential. With a bit of diligence and the right questions, youll not only find a firm thats reliable but one that fits your budget. Happy hunting!

How to Choose the Right Accident Law Firm


Choosing the right accident law firm in Shreveport can feel like navigating through a maze. Theres so many options out there, but not all of them are reliable. You dont want to end up with a firm that (isn't really) committed to your case, right? So, how do you make sure you're picking the best one?


First off, you've got to do your homework! Research is key. Look for firms that have a solid reputation in Shreveport. Word-of-mouth recommendations can be really helpful, but dont rely only on them. Check out online reviews too. They give you a glimpse into other peoples experiences. However, be cautious because some reviews may not be genuine.


Experience is another crucial factor. You want a law firm that has been handling accident cases for years. A seasoned firm will likely have a deeper understanding of the local laws and court systems. Don't hesitate to ask them about their track record. A firm thats hesitant to share its success stories might not be the best choice.


Now, let's talk about communication (oh boy, is this important!). You'll want a firm that keeps you in the loop and is accessible when you have questions. If they're not returning your calls now, imagine how they'll treat you later! A good firm will make you feel valued and heard.


Specialization is something else you shouldnt overlook. Some law firms handle a wide range of cases, but it's usually better to go with one that specializes in accident law. They'll likely have more focused expertise, which can be a huge advantage for your case.


Lastly, consider the cost. While you shouldn't choose a firm based solely on fees, you don't want to get an unwelcome surprise when the bill arrives. Many reputable firms work on a contingency basis, which means they only get paid if you win your case. Always clarify the fee structure before signing anything.


In conclusion, choosing the right accident law firm in Shreveport doesn't have to be daunting. Do your research, prioritize experience and communication, check for specialization, and make sure you understand the costs involved. Once you find a firm that ticks all these boxes, you'll feel much more confident about your case. Good luck!

Car accident attorney Shreveport

 

Shreveport is located in the United States
Shreveport
Shreveport
Location within the United States
Shreveport
Downtown
Shreveport Convention Center
Caddo Parish Courthouse
Flag of Shreveport
Official seal of Shreveport
 
Coat of arms of Shreveport
Map
Interactive map of Shreveport
Shreveport is located in Louisiana
Shreveport
Shreveport
Location within Louisiana

Coordinates: 32°27′50″N 93°47′40″W / 32.46389°N 93.79444°W / 32.46389; -93.79444Country United StatesStateLouisianaParishesCaddo, BossierFounded1836 (189 years ago) (1836)IncorporatedMarch 20, 1839 (186 years ago) (1839-03-20)Named afterCaptain Henry Miller ShreveGovernment

 

 • MayorTom Arceneaux (R) • City Council

Members list
  • Chair: James Green (D)
  • Dist A: Tabatha Taylor (D)
  • Dist B: Gary Brooks (D)
  • Dist C: Jim Taliaferro (R)
  • Dist D: Grayson Boucher (R)
  • Dist E: Alan Jackson Jr (R)
  • Dist F: James E. Green (D)
  • Dist G: Ursula Bowman (D)

Area

 • City

123.84 sq mi (320.74 km2) • Land108.15 sq mi (280.10 km2) • Water15.70 sq mi (40.65 km2) • Metro

 

2,698.0 sq mi (6,987.8 km2)Elevation

236 ft (72 m)Population

 (2020)
 • City

187,593

 • Estimate 
(2023)

177,959 Decrease • Rank1st in Caddo Parish
3rd in Louisiana
153rd in United States • Density1,734.6/sq mi (669.75/km2) • Urban

 

288,052 (US: 140th)[2] • Urban density1,590/sq mi (615/km2) • Metro

 

547,406 (US: 140th)DemonymShreveporter[3]Time zoneUTC−6 (CST) • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)ZIP codes

71101-71109, 71115-71166

Area code(s)318, 457FIPS code22-70000GNIS feature ID2405463[4]Websiteshreveportla.gov

Shreveport (/ˈʃrvpɔːrt/ SHREEV-port) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, of which it is the parish seat.[5] It extends along the west bank of the Red River into neighboring Bossier Parish. The 2020 census tabulation for the city's population was 187,593,[6] while the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area had a population of 393,406.[7]

Shreveport was founded in 1836 by the Shreve Town Company, a corporation established to develop a town at the juncture of the newly navigable Red River and the Texas Trail, an overland route into the newly independent Republic of Texas.[8] It grew throughout the 20th century and, after the discovery of oil in Louisiana, became a national center for the oil industry. Standard Oil of Louisiana and United Gas Corporation were headquartered in the city until the 1960s and 1980s, respectively. After the loss of jobs in the oil industry, the closure of General Motors' Shreveport Operations, and other economic problems, it struggled with a declining population, poverty, drugs, and violent crime.[9] The city continues in its efforts to revitalize its infrastructure,[10][11][12] revive the economy through diversification,[13][14][15] and lower crime.[16][17]

Shreveport is the educational, commercial and cultural center of the Ark-La-Tex region, where Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas meet. It is the location of Centenary College of Louisiana, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University Shreveport, Southern University at Shreveport, and Louisiana Baptist University. It forms part of the I-20 Cyber Corridor linking Shreveport to Dallas and Atlanta.[18][19][20][21] Companies with significant operations or headquarters in Shreveport are Amazon, Regions Financial Corporation, JPMorgan Chase, Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, AT&T Mobility, United Parcel Service, Walmart, SWEPCO, General Electric, UOP LLC,[22] Calumet Specialty Products Partners, and APS Payroll.

History

[edit]

Early settlers

[edit]

Shreveport was established to create a town at the meeting point of the Brown Bricks and the Texas Trail. The Red River was made navigable by Captain Henry Miller Shreve, who led the United States Army Corps of Engineers efforts to clear the Red River. A 180-mile-long (290 km) natural log jam, the Great Raft, had previously obstructed passage to shipping. Shreve used a specially modified riverboat, the Heliopolis, to remove the log jam. The company and the village of Shreve Town were named in Shreve's honor.[23]

Shreve Town was originally contained within the boundaries of a piece of land sold to the company in 1835 by the indigenous Caddo Indians. In 1838 Caddo Parish was created from the large Natchitoches Parish, and Shreve Town became its parish seat. On March 20, 1839, the town was incorporated as Shreveport. Originally, the town consisted of 64 city blocks, created by eight streets running west from the Red River and eight streets running south from Cross Bayou, one of its tributaries.

Shreveport soon became a center of steamboat commerce, carrying mostly cotton and agricultural crops from the plantations of Caddo Parish. Shreveport also had a slave market, though slave trading was not as widespread as in other parts of the state. Steamboats plied the Red River, and stevedores loaded and unloaded cargo. By 1860, Shreveport had a population of 2,200 free people and 1,300 enslaved people within the city limits.

Civil War and Reconstruction

[edit]

During the American Civil War, Shreveport was the capital of Louisiana from 1863 to 1865, having succeeded Baton Rouge and Opelousas after each fell under Union control. The city was a Confederate stronghold throughout the war and was the site of the headquarters of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederate Army. Fort Albert Sidney Johnston was built on a ridge northwest of the city. Because of limited development in that area, the site is relatively undisturbed in the 21st century.

Isolated from events in the east, the Civil War continued in the Trans-Mississippi theater for several weeks after Robert E. Lee's surrender in April 1865, and the Trans-Mississippi was the last Confederate command to surrender, on May 26, 1865. "The period May 13–21, 1865, was filled with great uncertainly after soldiers learned of the surrenders of Lee and Johnston, the Good Friday assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the rapid departure of their own generals."[24] In the confusion there was a breakdown of military discipline and rioting by soldiers. They destroyed buildings containing service records, a loss that later made it difficult for many to gain Confederate pensions from state governments.[24]

The Red River, opened by Shreve in the 1830s, remained navigable throughout the Civil War. But seasonal water levels got so low at one point that Union Admiral David Dixon Porter was trapped with his gunboats north of Alexandria. His engineers quickly constructed a temporary dam to raise the water level and free his fleet.

In 1873, Shreveport lost 759 citizens in an 80-day period to a yellow fever epidemic, with over 400 additional victims eventually succumbing. The total death toll from August through November was approximately 1,200.[25][26] In aggregate it is estimated that around one quarter of the population of Shreveport was lost, making it one of the deadliest local epidemics in American history. Around 800 were interred in a mass grave at Oakland Cemetery.[27] Five Roman Catholic priests in the city and two religious sisters died while caring for yellow fever victims in the city.[28]

Providence Academy was established for African American students in the city.[29]

20th century to present

[edit]

Greenwood Cemetery was established in 1893. A number of local African American musicians became nationally famous. By the 1910s, Huddie William Ledbetter—also known as "Lead Belly", a blues singer and guitarist—was performing for Shreveport audiences in St. Paul's Bottoms, the notable red-light district of Shreveport that operated legally from 1903 to 1917. Ledbetter began to develop his own style of music after exposure to a variety of musical influences on Fannin Street, a row of saloons, brothels, and dance halls in the Bottoms. Bluesmen Jesse Thomas, Dave Alexander, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and the early jazz and ragtime composers Bill Wray and Willian Christopher O'Hare were all from Shreveport. Lead Belly achieved international fame.

By 1914, neglect and lack of use, due to diversion of freight traffic to railroad lines, resulted in the Red River becoming unnavigable. In projects accomplished over decades, in 1994, the United States Army Corps of Engineers restored navigability by completion of a series of federally funded lock-and-dam structures and a navigation channel.

As early as 1924, the citizens of Shreveport became interested in hosting a military flying field. In 1926, Shreveport citizens learned that the 3rd Attack Wing stationed at Fort Crockett, Texas, would be enlarged by 500 percent and would require at least 20,000 acres (81 km2) to support aerial gunnery and a bombing range. The efforts to procure the government's commitment to build the facility in the Greater Shreveport metropolitan area were spearheaded by a committee co-chaired by local civic leaders Andrew Querbes and John D. Ewing, beginning in 1927. It took a great deal of correspondence between the interested parties and the original proposal was rejected. However, in February 1928, a young crop duster, an Air Corps captain named Harold Ross Harris, was hired to fly over the local area in order to find a suitable site for the airfield.

Captain Harris selected what he felt was an adequate location for a military airfield. It was a sprawling section of cotton plantation near Bossier City. The site selection committee, representing the wealthiest taxpayers in the city, unanimously agreed upon the Barksdale Field location. A delegation of citizens traveled to Washington, D.C., to personally present the advantages of the proposed site to the War Department. Following the return of this delegation, a special army board visited Shreveport and reported the location met all requirements of the Air Corps.

The site was selected December 5, 1928, as the location of the airfield. The land in Bossier Parish on which the airfield was built was unincorporated land near Bossier City that was annexed by the city of Shreveport once the site had been selected among 80 candidates. The real estate was purchased from over 800 property owners via a $1,500,000 municipal bond issue approved by Shreveport voters in 1929 in fulfillment of the pledge that the citizens of Shreveport made to the U.S. government. The last of these bonds matured on December 31, 1959. After acquisition, Shreveport then donated the land to the federal government per their agreement, while the federal government assumed all the costs of building construction and equipment installation. Shreveport had originally proposed a site adjacent to Cross Lake, but the United States Department of War deemed this location inappropriate due to the lack of suitable terrain for the facility's future expansion. Subsequent to the establishment of the military installation, Bossier City grew and expanded southward and eastward, eventually enveloping the area surrounding the base. Technically, Barksdale AFB is neither in Bossier City nor Shreveport but, like all military bases, is an autonomous community with its own infrastructure.[30]

In September, 1941, the capture of the city of Shreveport was the objective of a U.S. Army war game, or military exercise, known as the Louisiana Maneuvers. The field exercise's mission was accomplished largely due to General George S. Patton, who commanded the mock "Blue" army's 2nd Armored Division.[31]

Elvis in the Louisiana Hayride

Shreveport was home to the Louisiana Hayride radio program, broadcast weekly from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium. During its heyday from 1948 to 1960, this program stimulated the careers of some of the greatest figures in American music. The Hayride featured musicians including Hank Williams and Elvis Presley, who made his broadcasting debut at this venue. In the mid-1950s, KWKH was the first major radio station to feature the music of Presley on its long-running Louisiana Hayride program at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium. Horace Logan, long-term KWKH program manager and originator of the Hayride, and Frank Page introduced Presley on the Hayride.

African American veterans of World War II were among activists in Shreveport through the 1960s who worked in the civil rights movement to correct injustices under Jim Crow and disenfranchisement of blacks. While activism gradually increased, 1963 was a particularly violent year in Shreveport because of white resistance. The Shreveport home of Dr. C. O. Simpkins was bombed in retaliation for his work with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.[32][33]

In September 1963 George W. D'Artois, Public Service Commissioner, refused a permit for a march to the Little Union Baptist Church in Shreveport, where mourners gathered to honor and commemorate four black girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing on September 15 in Birmingham, Alabama. D'Artois and other officers entered the church on horseback and took out the pastor, Dr. Harry Blake, beating him severely.[32][34]

Also in 1963, headlines across the country reported that African American musician Sam Cooke was arrested in Shreveport after his band tried to register at a "whites-only" Holiday Inn, where they planned to stay before performing in the city. Public facilities in Louisiana were still segregated.[35] In the months following, Cooke recorded the civil rights era song, "A Change Is Gonna Come". In 1964 Congress passed the Civil Rights Act to end segregation of public facilities.

In the mid-1990s, the coming of riverboat gambling to Shreveport attracted numerous new patrons to the downtown and spurred a revitalization of the adjacent riverfront areas. Many downtown streets were given a facelift through the "Streetscape" project. Traditional brick sidewalks and crosswalks were built, and statues, sculptures, and mosaics were added to create a better pedestrian environment. The O.K. Allen Bridge, commonly known as the Texas Street bridge, was lit with neon lights. Residents predictably had a variety of reactions to these changes.[36] Shreveport was named an All-American City in 1953, 1979, and 1999.[37]

In the 1990s, Shreveport became known for its rap music scene, and acquired its famous aka name, Ratchet City.[38] The term was first used by the group Lava House in its 1999 single "Ratchet".[38]

During the September 11, 2001 attacks, President George W. Bush was taken to the nearby Barksdale Air Force Base. He also made a visit to speak in the city on March 11, 2005.[39]

Since the downturn in the oil industry and other economic problems, the city has struggled with a declining population, unemployment, poverty, drugs and violent crime.[9] City data from 2017 showed a dramatic increase in certain violent crimes from the previous year, including a 138 percent increase in homicides, a 21 percent increase in forcible rapes and more than 130 percent increases in both business armed robberies and business burglaries.[9] In 2018 the local government and police authorities reported a crime drop in most categories; it was part of an overall reduction in crime since the late 20th century.[16] As Shreveport continued its economic resurgence,[11][14] the Adrian Perkins administration saw the coming of Advanced Aero Services,[15] Tomakk Glass Partners,[40] and the revitalization plan of the Shreveport Economic Recovery Task Force after the Cross Bayou redevelopment plan was rejected.[41][42]

In June 2020, rapper Hurricane Chris was arrested in Shreveport for second-degree murder.[43] Following the George Floyd killing in Minnesota, multiple protests were held in the city.[44][45] The city experienced the largest number of homicides in its recorded history in 2021, eclipsing the previous record set in 1993.[46]

Geography

[edit]
Red River between Shreveport and Bossier City with Barksdale Air Force Base in background, 2008

Shreveport is located in Northwest Louisiana. It is the center of the Ark-La-Tex region where Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas meet. It is also part of the I-20 Cyber Corridor linking the tech-centered Dallas–Fort Worth, Shreveport–Bossier, Greater Monroe, and Greater Atlanta metropolitan areas together.[18][19][21][20][47] The city of Shreveport is 188 miles (303 km) from Dallas,[48] 98 miles (158 km) from Tyler,[49] and 41 miles (66 km) from Marshall, Texas;[50] 215 miles (346 km) from Little Rock and 73 miles (117 km) from Texarkana, Arkansas;[51][52] and 250 miles (400 km) from the state capital of Baton Rouge,[53] 99 miles (159 km) from Monroe,[54] 69 miles (111 km) from Ruston,[55] and 30 miles (48 km) from Minden, Louisiana.[56] The city's proximity to the nearby cities makes it North Louisiana and the Ark-La-Tex's transportation hub.

Shreveport is the parish seat of Caddo Parish. Portions of the city extend into neighboring Bossier Parish, bordering Bossier City. Shreveport sits on a low elevation overlooking the Red River.[57] Western and northern portions of Shreveport have an elevation over 253 feet (77 m) above sea level.[58] Pine forests, cotton fields, wetlands, and waterways mark the outskirts of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 123.396 square miles (319.59 km2), of which, 107.798 square miles (279.20 km2) is land and 15.548 square miles (40.27 km2) is water.[59]

Cityscape

[edit]
The Long-Allen Bridge (also known as the Texas Street Bridge) connects Shreveport and Bossier City.

Shreveport—since the mid-1990s—has been a major gambling center with a modest downtown skyline. The "Streetscape" project, inspired by the coming of riverboat gaming, gave Shreveport's downtown traditional brick sidewalks, statues, sculptures, and mosaics. The O.K. Allen Bridge (Texas Street bridge) was lit with neon lights. Since then, Downtown Shreveport has seen minor changes until the 2010s; the whole of Shreveport has been improving roads since the mid-2010s, with continued road projects in 2018.[60] In 2018, buildings in Shreveport's downtown and nearby districts were revitalized due to re-investment in the area.[11][13] In 2020, plans were unveiled for the I-49 Connector and further redevelopment of the city.[41]

View of Downtown Shreveport
Pine Wold house (Fairfield Avenue at Kirby Street) was designed by Edward F. Neild, who created some of the designs for the interior of the White House in the Truman administration, as well as the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. Pine Wold was constructed in 1903 by lumberman T. J. Jones and expanded in 1919 by oilman J. P. Evans. For a time the Mighty Haag Circus wintered on the grounds, and the circus elephant Trilby is buried there.
A.C. Steere School, expanded in 1938, is named for Albert Coldwell Steere, developer and founder of the Broadmoor neighborhood; the institution was added in 1991 to the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by Edward F. Neild of Shreveport.

Neighborhoods

[edit]

Shreveport encompasses many areas, neighborhoods, and districts. The busiest thoroughfares and areas of Shreveport are the Youree Drive area (named for Peter Youree), the Shreveport Downtown Riverfront, and Highland neighborhood. All of the busiest areas are located in Eastern Shreveport, nearby or along the Red River. Below is a list of areas in the Shreveport area of Caddo Parish:

  • Acadiana Place
  • Allendale
  • Allendale-Lakeside, interloop of neighborhoods
  • Anderson Island
  • Azalea Gardens
  • Braemar Estates
  • Broadmoor
  • Broadmoor Terrace
  • Brunswick Place
  • Caddo Heights
  • Cedar Grove
  • Chapel Creek
  • Cherokee Park
  • Cooper Road
  • Crescent Wood
  • Cross Lake, some not in city
  • Dixie Gardens
  • Eden Gardens
  • Ellerbe Road Estates
  • Ellerbe Woods
  • Evangeline Oaks
  • Fairfield Heights
  • Forbing
  • Fox Crossing
  • Garden Valley
  • Glen Iris
  • Greenbrook
  • The Haven
  • Hidden Trace
  • Hideaway Harbor
  • Highland
  • Hollywood
  • Hollywood Heights
  • Huntington
  • Ingleside
  • Jackson Square
  • Jewella-South Park
  • Hyde Park
  • Lakeside
  • Lakeside Acres
  • Lakeside on Long Lake
  • Ledbetter Heights or The Bottoms
  • Long Lake Estates
  • Lynbrook
  • Madison Park
  • Mooretown
  • Norris Ferry Crossing
  • Norris Ferry Estates
  • Norris Ferry Landing
  • North Highlands
  • Parkside
  • Pines Road
  • Pierremont
  • Pierremont Place
  • Pierremont Ridge
  • Provenance
  • Queensborough
  • St. Charles Place
  • Shreve Island
  • Shreve Lake Estates
  • South Broadmoor
  • South Highlands
  • Southern Hills
  • Southern Trace
  • Spring Lake
  • Stoner Hill
  • Sunset Acres
  • Towne South
  • Twelve Oaks
  • Shadow Pines Estates
  • Steeple Chase
  • Stoner Hill
  • University Terrace
  • Waterside
  • West End
  • Western Hills
  • Wright Island
  • Yarborough

Climate

[edit]

Shreveport has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). Rainfall is abundant, with the normal annual precipitation averaging over 51 inches (1,300 mm), with monthly averages ranging from less than 3 inches (76 mm) in August to more than 5 inches (130 mm) in June. Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail, damaging winds and tornadoes occur in the area during the spring and summer months. The winter months are normally mild, with an average of 35 days of freezing or below-freezing temperatures per year, with ice and sleet storms possible.

Summer months are hot and humid, with maximum temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) on an average of 91 days per year, with high to very high relative average humidity. The extreme temperatures range from −5 °F (−21 °C) on February 12, 1899,[61] to 110 °F (43 °C) on August 18, 1909, and August 25 and 26, 2023.[61] Shreveport is home to a branch of the National Weather Service which provides forecasts and warnings for the greater Ark-La-Tex region.

Climate data for Shreveport, Louisiana (Shreveport Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[62] extremes 1871–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 85
(29)
89
(32)
92
(33)
96
(36)
102
(39)
104
(40)
108
(42)
110
(43)
109
(43)
99
(37)
89
(32)
84
(29)
110
(43)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 76.4
(24.7)
79.1
(26.2)
84.6
(29.2)
87.5
(30.8)
92.4
(33.6)
96.3
(35.7)
100.2
(37.9)
101.4
(38.6)
98.0
(36.7)
91.3
(32.9)
82.2
(27.9)
77.4
(25.2)
102.6
(39.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 58.4
(14.7)
62.6
(17.0)
70.4
(21.3)
77.5
(25.3)
84.6
(29.2)
91.1
(32.8)
94.3
(34.6)
94.9
(34.9)
89.6
(32.0)
79.3
(26.3)
67.9
(19.9)
59.9
(15.5)
77.5
(25.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 47.9
(8.8)
51.8
(11.0)
59.0
(15.0)
65.9
(18.8)
74.0
(23.3)
80.9
(27.2)
83.9
(28.8)
84.0
(28.9)
78.3
(25.7)
67.4
(19.7)
56.6
(13.7)
49.5
(9.7)
66.6
(19.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 37.3
(2.9)
41.0
(5.0)
47.7
(8.7)
54.3
(12.4)
63.5
(17.5)
70.6
(21.4)
73.5
(23.1)
73.0
(22.8)
67.0
(19.4)
55.4
(13.0)
45.3
(7.4)
39.0
(3.9)
55.6
(13.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 21.2
(−6.0)
26.3
(−3.2)
30.4
(−0.9)
38.3
(3.5)
49.6
(9.8)
62.3
(16.8)
68.0
(20.0)
65.9
(18.8)
54.3
(12.4)
39.0
(3.9)
28.8
(−1.8)
24.3
(−4.3)
19.5
(−6.9)
Record low °F (°C) −2
(−19)
−5
(−21)
15
(−9)
31
(−1)
39
(4)
52
(11)
58
(14)
53
(12)
42
(6)
28
(−2)
16
(−9)
5
(−15)
−5
(−21)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.40
(112)
4.30
(109)
4.90
(124)
5.19
(132)
4.46
(113)
4.78
(121)
3.50
(89)
2.91
(74)
3.46
(88)
4.59
(117)
4.00
(102)
4.94
(125)
51.43
(1,306)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.2
(0.51)
0.5
(1.3)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.9
(2.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.4 9.6 9.7 7.9 9.1 8.9 7.5 6.6 6.7 7.6 8.4 9.6 101.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.7
Average relative humidity (%) 72.6 69.7 67.7 69.6 73.2 73.3 72.4 71.7 73.6 71.7 73.7 74.4 72.0
Mean monthly sunshine hours 158.3 172.8 213.1 231.2 267.1 297.9 317.9 300.7 249.8 235.8 176.8 158.4 2,779.8
Percentage possible sunshine 50 56 57 59 62 70 73 73 67 67 56 51 63
Source: NOAA (sun and relative humidity 1961–1990)[61][63][64]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
Census Pop. Note
1850 1,728  
1860 2,190   26.7%
1870 4,607   110.4%
1880 8,009   73.8%
1890 11,979   49.6%
1900 16,013   33.7%
1910 28,015   75.0%
1920 43,874   56.6%
1930 76,655   74.7%
1940 98,167   28.1%
1950 127,206   29.6%
1960 164,372   29.2%
1970 182,064   10.8%
1980 206,989   13.7%
1990 198,525   −4.1%
2000 200,145   0.8%
2010 199,311   −0.4%
2020 187,593   −5.9%
2023 (est.) 177,959 [65] −5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[66]
2020 Census[6]

Shreveport's population was initially 1,728 at the 1850 U.S. census, and has experienced growth to a historic high of 206,989 at the 1980 census. According to the 2020 United States census, there were 187,593 people, 73,114 households, and 42,775 families residing in the city; the 2020 American Community Survey determined an estimated 189,890 people resided in the city, purporting a slight population rebound.[67] The 2020 census estimates showed Shreveport had 75,680 households with an average of 2.4 people per household. Of the households, 39% were married-couple households, though 44% of its male population and 40% of its female population have never married.

Throughout the city, there were 89,523 housing units, with an 85% occupancy rate; among them, 54% were owner-occupied. Among its units, 73% were single-unit detached homes and 31% of its population moved into those homes from 2015 to 2016. The median value of its owner-occupied housing units were $151,700, and 30% of its units were estimated to be under $100,000; 38% of its units were estimated to cost from $100,000 to $200,000.[67] From 2014 to 2018, the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $144,800. The median monthly cost with a mortgage was $1,178 and the median monthly cost without a mortgage was $364; the city of Shreveport had a median gross rent of $810.

The median income from 2014 to 2018 was $36,338, and the mean income was $55,582.[68] The per capita income was $25,022. By the 2020 American Community Survey, its median household income increased to $40,809.[69] The median income for families grew to $54,023 with a mean income of $82,854; married-couple families $84,282 with a mean of $112,363; and non-family households $26,628 with a mean of $41,090.[70] According to census estimates, 25% of its population earned from $50,000 to $100,000 annually; 13% $100,000 to $200,000; and 5% over $200,000. Approximately 24.9% of Shreveport lived at or below the poverty line, down from 2014 to 2018's census estimates of 25.4%.[71]

Race and ethnicity

[edit]
Shreveport city, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[72] Pop 2010[73] Pop 2020[74] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 91,857 79,693 66,138 45.90% 39.98% 35.26%
Black or African American alone (NH) 101,218 108,535 104,612 50.57% 54.46% 55.77%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 568 652 573 0.28% 0.33% 0.31%
Asian alone (NH) 1,577 2,600 3,031 0.79% 1.30% 1.62%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 58 89 102 0.03% 0.04% 0.05%
Other race alone (NH) 136 213 668 0.07% 0.11% 0.36%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 1,625 2,511 5,811 0.81% 1.26% 3.10%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3,106 5,018 6,658 1.55% 2.52% 3.55%
Total 200,145 199,311 187,593 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Map of racial distribution in Shreveport, 2010 U.S. census. Each dot is 25 people: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic or other (yellow).

In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of Shreveport was 56.9% Black and African American, 36.8% non-Hispanic white, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 0.1% some other race, 1.5% two or more races, and 2.6% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. At the 2010 U.S. census, the racial and ethnic composition of the population was 54.70% Black or African American, 41.16% White, 1.0% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 1.2% from some other race and 1.5% from two or more races. In 2010, about 6.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino American of any race.[75]

Reflecting the decline in North Louisiana's population,[76] the city of Shreveport's racial and ethnic makeup among Hispanic and Latino Americans declined from 2010 yet rebounded from 2019's census estimates.[77] At the 2020 census, Shreveport remained a predominantly Black and African American city, with 55.77% of the population identifying as such; non-Hispanic whites slightly declined to 35.26% and multiracial or Americans of another race increased to 3.45% of the population. Data from the 2020 United States census reflected growing trends of Hispanic and Latino, and Asian American population growth nationwide.[78]

Religion

[edit]

Christianity is the city and metropolitan area's dominant religion, being part of the Bible Belt. Its residents were predominantly Protestant through the nineteenth century, and today, Baptists form the majority of Christians in Shreveport, followed by Methodists and Roman Catholics.[79] Many Baptist and Methodist churches are affiliated with evangelical Protestant denominations, though several are also affiliated with mainline Protestantism; among Baptists, the Southern Baptist Convention,[80] National Baptist Convention (USA), National Baptist Convention of America, and Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship are the largest Baptist denominations in the city. The Progressive National Baptist Convention is the largest Progressive Baptist group in the area.[81] Methodists are mainly affiliates of the African Methodist Episcopal Church or Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, though some also claimed affiliation to the mainline United Methodist Church.[82] The Roman Catholic community is primarily served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport.[83]

Antioch Baptist Church

Of note among its predominantly Baptist population, the First Baptist Church of Shreveport was once pastored by Monroe E. Dodd, founder of the former Dodd College for Girls.[84] Former Governor Jimmie Davis, also a Shreveport city commissioner, taught history for a year under Dodd. Other historic large Baptist churches include Antioch Baptist, Galilee Missionary Baptist, Calvary Baptist, Broadmoor Baptist, Summer Grove Baptist, and Mount Canaan Missionary Baptist Church. Summer Grove Baptist Church was previously pastored by Wayne L. DuBose, a Baptist denominational officer.[85] Mount Canaan was previously pastored by civil rights era icon Dr. Harry Blake,[86][87] and Galilee was likewise pastored by Dr. E. Edward Jones, another civil rights icon.[88]

Among its Methodist churches has been the large First Methodist Church, established in 1884. The current edifice dates to 1913. Among its former pastors were D. L. Dykes Jr. and John E. Fellers. During a severe thunderstorm in 2009, the fiberglass steeple of the church toppled and fell onto a passing car.[89][90] It has since been replaced. A second prominent Methodist congregation is named for J. S. Noel Jr.[91] The church was begun as a mission in 1906. In 2023, First United Methodist voted to leave the United Methodist Church.[92]

St. Mark's Cathedral, an Episcopal church

The large Holy Trinity Catholic Church, located downtown, was founded in 1858; it served Irish and German immigrants as well as native-born residents. Five priests died of yellow fever in the 1873 epidemic. The current sanctuary in Romanesque revival style architecture dates to 1896.[93] Particularly striking in size and architecture is St. Mark's Cathedral, an Episcopal Church congregation dating its establishment to the first religious service held in Shreveport in 1839.[94] It became the see of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana in 1990.[95]

In Shreveport's interdenominational and Pentecostal population, Shreveport Community Church (an evangelical church affiliated with Assemblies of God USA)[96][97] owns and operates Evangel Christian Academy, a pre‑K through 12th grade private school. The church has produced a biblical musical, Songs of the Season, during the Christmas holidays for over 20 years.[98][99]

The Eastern Orthodox Church has maintained a presence in Shreveport since the early 1900s.[100] The oldest Orthodox church in the city is St. George Greek Orthodox Church of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, followed by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America),[101] and the Holy Nativity of the Lord Church of the Orthodox Church in America.

Original B'nai Zion Temple, designated a National Historic Place

The Jewish community of Shreveport dates to the organization of Congregation Har El in 1859, made up primarily of German Jewish immigrants in its early years. It developed as B'nai Zion Temple, today the city's Reform congregation, which built the city's largest synagogue. Agudath Achim, founded in 1905 as an Orthodox congregation of immigrants from Eastern Europe, is today a traditional Jewish synagogue. Shreveport, historically, has had a large and civic-minded Jewish community and has elected three Jewish mayors.[102]

The Islamic community in Shreveport-Bossier constituted approximately 14% of Louisiana's total Muslim population in 2018.[103] The majority of Shreveporter Muslims are Sunni, followed by the Nation of Islam and non-denominational Islam.

Economy

[edit]
Regions Tower, the tallest building in downtown Shreveport
Health care is a major industry in Shreveport; Christus Schumpert Medical Center is the secondary leading cancer-treatment facility in the South, behind Willis Knighton.
The Shreveport Convention Center

Shreveport was formerly a major player in United States oil business, and once hosted the Standard Oil of Louisiana offices, a branch of Standard Oil. The Louisiana branch was later absorbed by Standard Oil of New Jersey. Beginning in 1930, United Gas Corporation, the nation's busiest pipeline operator and massive integrated oil company, was headquartered in Shreveport. Pennzoil performed a hostile takeover in 1968, and forced a merger. In the 1980s, the oil and gas industry suffered a large economic downturn. This severely affected the regional economy, and many companies cut back jobs or went out of business, including a large retail shopping mall (South Park Mall) which closed in the late 1990s. Shreveport's economy entered a major economic recession, and many residents left the area.

At one time, Shreveport was home to numerous manufacturers, including Shreveport Operations, a General Motors plant that permanently closed in August 2012. The plant produced the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Hummer H3 series, and the Isuzu i-Series.[104] In January 2013, the plant was leased from Caddo Parish by Elio Motors.[105] However, Elio Motors never went into production at the Shreveport plant.

In addition to GM, other notable large companies that have had or still have Shreveport manufacturing/assembly or production facilities or operations include: General Electric (electric transformer production), Western Electric (payphone manufacturing, approximately 7,500 employees at its peak, changed ownership through the years but closed in 2001)[106] Honeywell UOP, Libbey-Owens-Ford, Beaird-Poulan (the originator of and, for decades, the only manufacturer of the single-operator chainsaw in the world),[107] Calumet Specialty Products Partners (originally United Gas Corporation's Atlas Processing Unit and then Pennzoil), and Frymaster, LLC (a subsidiary of The Manitowoc Company). Today, only Calumet Packaging and Honeywell UOP survive as a large manufacturing employer in Shreveport.

By 2017, manufacturing and other goods-producing (e.g. petrochemical refining) jobs accounted for just 5% of Shreveport occupations, compared to 8% for the nationwide percentage of the workforce involved in manufacturing.[108][109]

Shreveport has since largely transitioned to a service economy. In particular, there has been rapid growth in the gaming industry. The city hosts various riverboat gambling casinos, and, before Hurricane Katrina in 2005, was second only to New Orleans in Louisiana tourism. Nearby Bossier City is home to one of the three horse racetracks in the state, Louisiana Downs. Casinos in Shreveport-Bossier include Sam's Town, Bally's, Horseshoe, Boomtown, and Margaritaville. Diamond Jacks Casino (formerly Isle of Capri) closed in 2020.[110][111] The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau is the official tourism information agency for the region. The bureau maintains a comprehensive database of restaurants, accommodations, attractions, and events.

In May 2005, the Louisiana Boardwalk, a 550,000-square-foot (51,000 m2) shopping and entertainment complex, opened in Bossier City across from Shreveport's downtown. It features outlet shopping, several restaurants, a 14‑screen movie theater, a bowling complex, and Bass Pro Shops.

A 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) convention center was completed in the Shreveport Downtown Riverfront. Managed by SMG, it includes an 800-space parking garage. An adjoining Hilton Hotel opened in June 2007. It was constructed by and owned by the city, which has been a controversial issue, and the subject of discussions about use of public funds.

In November 2008, development of the Haynesville Shale area, with new jobs in the natural gas industry were expected to be created over the next few years. Residents in the region have been given large bonuses for signing mineral rights leases up to $25,000 per acre. However, economic downturn had resulted in a lower market price for natural gas and slower-than-expected drilling activity. The city expected to generate revenue by leasing the mineral rights on public lands in the near future as neighboring municipalities had already done. However, with advances in fracking methods in the Haynesville shale and starting in 2022 with the increase of natural gas prices after Covid to as high as $8/Mcf (thousand cubic feet), rig activity has greatly increased in the Haynesville to be the 2nd largest basin in the United States by number of active drilling rigs (2nd only to the Permian Basin - largest basin in the United States). It has since slowed to a degree since natural gas prices have decreased but is still the 3rd highest ranked basin in the US in terms of number of active drilling rigs.

Gambling and hotel industries in Shreveport, JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, and Regions Financial Corporation have regional offices in Shreveport's downtown and surrounding districts and neighborhoods. AT&T's regional headquarters is located in Downtown Shreveport. Amazon and Governor Edwards announced plans to open a fulfillment center in 2021.[112][113]

Amazon began construction on the $200 million fulfillment center in 2021 with completion expected by the end of 2022. The fulfillment center was expected to create 1,000 direct jobs.[114] Additionally, other business investments alongside Amazon during the early 2020s contributed more than $750 million to revitalizing and expanding the municipal and metropolitan economy.[115] By October 2023, Amazon planned to open a second facility in Shreveport.[116][117]

In December 2023, the city council approved a lease of Millennium Studios to rapper 50 Cent's new production company.[118][119][120][121]

In 2014, the city government pumped $16.5 million into Mall St. Vincent in an attempt to attract new customers to the mall.[122] However, by 2021, Auntie Anne's, Gymboree, Grimaldi's Pizzeria, and Sears had closed their Mall St. Vincent operations, leaving Dilliards as the only anchor store.[123]

Fortune magazine ranked Shreveport the "#1 place to start a business" in 2015.[124] In 2020, Advanced Aero Services planned to open a facility at Shreveport Regional Airport,[15][14] while employer Libbey Glass closed its doors for good after 47 years of operation, resulting in the loss of 450 jobs.[125] On July 31, 2020, the Shreveport Economic Recovery Task Force released a revitalization plan with a primary focus on the downtown area.[41]

Film industry

[edit]

Tax incentives offered by the state government have given Louisiana the third largest film industry in the country, behind California and New York. Louisiana is sometimes called "Hollywood South".[126] A number of films have been made in Shreveport. Facilities include sound stages, prop rental facilities, the Fairgrounds Complex, and the Louisiana Wave Studio, a computer-controlled outdoor wave pool.[127]

Selected films shot in Shreveport include:

Several television series have been shot in Shreveport and the surrounding area, including The Gates (2010), and Salem (2014). The Louisiana Film Prize has spurred the creation of over 200 short films shot in Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana by filmmakers from around the world since its inception in 2012.

As of 2023, G-Unit Film and Television, which has recently undergone renovations, serves as the primary filming location for projects involving 50 Cent. Additionally, it also operates as the creative center for the entertainment and film industry within Northwest Louisiana and the Ark-La-Tex.[128]

Arts and culture

[edit]

Shreveport is home to many theatres, museums, and performing arts groups, including:

Shreveport Symphony Orchestra in 2010

Events

[edit]
Louisiana State Fair Grounds in 2015
  • ArtBreak Festival, largest annual student arts festival in the South since 1984
  • Barksdale Air Force Base Air Show, held annually since 1933
  • Cinco De Mayo Fiesta, held annually since 1998
  • Highland Jazz & Blues Festival, held annually the second Saturday of November since 2003
  • Holiday in Dixie, annual springtime festival, began 1949
  • Independence Bowl, held annually close to New Year's since 1976
  • Independence Day Festival, held annually on the 4th of July since 2009
  • Let the Good Times Roll Festival, annual Juneteenth festival since 1986
  • Louisiana Film Prize, short film competition and film festival
  • Mardi Gras parades
  • Mudbug Madness, annual celebration of crawfish, held each May since 1984
  • Red River Balloon Rally, annual summer festival since 2016
  • Red River Revel, annual autumn arts festival which began in 1976; the largest outdoor festival in northern Louisiana
  • The State Fair of Louisiana, held annually each autumn since 1906

Mardi Gras

[edit]

Mardi Gras celebrations in Shreveport date to the mid‑19th century when krewes and parades were organized along the lines of those of New Orleans. Mardi Gras in Shreveport did not survive the cancellations caused by World War I. Attempts to revive it in the 1920s were unsuccessful, and the last Carnival celebrations in Shreveport for decades were held in 1927. Mardi Gras in Shreveport was revived beginning in 1984 with the organization of the Krewe of Apollo. The Krewes of Gemini, Centaur, Aesclepius, Highland, Sobek, Harambee, and others, followed during the next decade and a half. The first krewe[clarification needed] to revive parading was Gemini in 1989. Today, Mardi Gras is again an important part of the cultural life of the Shreveport-Bossier metropolitan area.[137]

Sports

[edit]
Independence Stadium, 2015

Dating back to 1911, the state fairgrounds (and later Independence Stadium, formerly State Fair Stadium) has traditionally hosted a college football game or two during the State Fair of Louisiana, an event currently dubbed the Red River State Fair Classic. Since 1976, Independence Stadium has served as host of college football's annual Independence Bowl.[138] Also, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team occasionally hosts games at Independence Stadium.

Shreveport has been home to several professional football teams. The Houston franchise of the professional World Football League relocated to Shreveport rebranded as the Shreveport Steamer midway through the 1974 season, but the franchise along with the WFL folded midway through the 1975 season. Another franchise named the Shreveport Steamers played as a member of the American Football Association from 1979 until folding in 1981. Shreveport's Independence Stadium was also home to the Shreveport Pirates, an unsuccessful professional Canadian Football League franchise that opened play in 1994 but folded after the 1995 season.

Baseball in Shreveport has an extensive history. The city had affiliated Minor League Baseball teams from 1968 to 2002. The most memorable team was the Shreveport Captains of the Texas League. Baseball teams in Shreveport have gone through eight different name changes and seven different leagues all since 1895. Shreveport's most recent independent minor league baseball team, the Shreveport-Bossier Captains, ceased operations in 2011 and moved to Laredo, Texas.

The city also has an extensive history in basketball and soccer. The Shreveport Crawdads and Shreveport Storm operated in 1994 and 1995 as members of the Continental Basketball Association. The Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks of the American Basketball Association played from 2013 to 2015 before relocating to Owensboro, Kentucky; since 2021, the Mavericks returned as the Shreveport Mavericks within The Basketball League.[139][140] The Shreveport/Bossier Lions played in 1998 as affiliates of the United Soccer League. NPSL-affiliate Shreveport Rafters FC operated from 2016 to 2018; their expansion team for the Women's Premier Soccer League operated for one season in 2017. Shreveport almost had a USL expansion team in 2020 before its rejection by the city council,[141] though USL League Two announced the establishment of Blue Goose SC in 2022.[142] The city was also considered as location for an NBA G League-affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans. The city council unanimously rejected the proposal.[143]

The Shreveport Mudbugs are a Tier II junior ice hockey team that has competed in the North American Hockey League since 2016.

On the collegiate front, the Centenary Gentlemen and Ladies compete in NCAA Division III as a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The LSU–Shreveport Pilots compete in the NAIA as a member of the Red River Athletic Conference.

Government

[edit]
Caddo Parish Courthouse

Founded in 1836 and incorporated in 1839, Shreveport is the parish seat of Caddo Parish. It is part of the First Judicial District, housing the parish courthouse. It also houses the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal, which consists of nine elected judges representing twenty parishes in Northwest Louisiana. A portion of east Shreveport extends into Bossier Parish due to the changing course of the Red River.

The city of Shreveport has a mayor-council government. The elected municipal officials include the mayor, Tom Arceneaux, and seven members of the city council. Cedric Glover, a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, was the first African American to hold the mayoral position.[144][145] Under the mayor-council government, the mayor serves as the executive officer of the city. As the city's chief administrator and official representative, the mayor is responsible for the general management of the city and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are enforced.

Crime

[edit]

According to the most recent FBI statistics, the total crime rate in Shreveport (as of 2022) is 5,722.4 per 100,000 people, or 143.92% higher than the national rate of 2,346.0 per 100,000 people and 62.39% higher than the Louisiana total crime rate of 3,523.8 per 100,000 people.[146] The violent crime rate in Shreveport is 923.0 per 100,000 people, or 138.01% higher than the national rate of 387.8 per 100,000 people, and 44.35% higher than the Louisiana violent crime rate of 639.4 per 100,000 people.[146]

Shreveport has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime is 1 in 15. Within Louisiana, more than 93% of the communities had a lower crime rate than Shreveport. NeighborhoodScout found Shreveport to be one of the top 100 most dangerous cities in the United States.[147] Shreveport was the first city in Louisiana to have Crips and Blood gangs.[148][149] In 1993, Shreveport hit a peak in murders, with 86 killings. Most of the killings were drug- or gang-related homicides.[150] In 2017, Shreveport was placed 18th on 24/7 Wall St.'s list of "America's 25 Murder Capitals."[151] Shreveport's crime rate was 71% higher than the Louisiana average. The crime rate was also 149% higher than the national average.[152]

The city had a so-called "saggy pants" law since 2007.[153] The city ordinance was repealed by the city council in June 2019.[154]

Education

[edit]
C. E. Byrd High School

Caddo Public Schools is a school district based in Shreveport.[155] The district serves all of Caddo Parish, including the parish's sections of Shreveport.[156] Its founding superintendent was Clifton Ellis Byrd, a Virginia native, who assumed the chief administrative position in 1907 and continued until his death in 1926. C. E. Byrd High School, which was established in 1925 on Line Avenue at the intersection with Kings Highway, bears his name. There are a number of private schools in the city as well, including Loyola College Prep, a coeducational high school founded in 1902 as the all-male St. John's High School.

Portions of Shreveport in Bossier Parish are instead within the Bossier Parish School District.[157]

Colleges and universities

[edit]
Louisiana State University Shreveport

Shreveport has several colleges, including the Methodist-affiliated Centenary College (founded at Jackson, Louisiana, in 1825; relocated to Shreveport in 1908) and Louisiana State University in Shreveport, which opened as a two-year institution in 1967; it became a four-year institution in 1976. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, the only medical school in Northern Louisiana, opened in 1969. Shreveport also has one of the largest nursing schools in northern Louisiana, the Northwestern State University College of Nursing.

Louisiana Tech University at Shreveport-Bossier City was launched in 2012 offering their Executive MBA and main campus undergraduate and graduate degree programs at the university's Shreveport Center.[158] Southern University at Shreveport (SUSLA) offers a two-year associate's degree program. Founded in 1973, Louisiana Baptist University and Theological Seminary is also located in Shreveport, at 6301 Westport Avenue.

Both Caddo and Bossier parishes are in the areas of Bossier Parish Community College and Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College.[159]

Ayers Career College is a Shreveport-based college that offers career training in the medical and HVAC fields.[160] Since July 2007, Shreveport is home to a local Remington College campus. This location offers both diploma and degree programs, and is active in the Shreveport community.[161] Virginia College opened in 2012. Located in Shreveport-Bossier City, it offers career training in areas such as business and office, health and medical, and medical billing.[162]

Media

[edit]
KSLA, a CBS affiliate, is the oldest television station in Shreveport. Established in the former Washington Youree Hotel in 1954, it was moved to Fairfield Avenue in the early 1970s.

Shreveport and its surrounding area are served by a variety of local newspapers, magazines, television stations and radio stations. The major daily newspaper serving the area is The Shreveport Times, owned by USA Today parent Gannett. The newspaper's former rival, the afternoon Shreveport Journal, ceased publication in 1991. Other major newspapers include The Shreveport Sun, Caddo Citizen, and SB Magazine. The Shreveport Sun is the area's primary African American newspaper.[163]

Across the Red River, Shreveport's sister city of Bossier City is served by the daily Bossier Press-Tribune. The Barksdale Warrior is the weekly newspaper of record for the Barksdale Air Force Base. Alternative publications include The Forum Newsweekly, City Lights, The Inquisitor and The Shreveport Catalyst. Twice annually, North Louisiana History, the journal of the North Louisiana Historical Association, is published in Shreveport.

Shreveport and Bossier City are primarily served by two major cable television and internet companies: Shreveport is served by Comcast and Bossier City is served by Suddenlink.

Infrastructure

[edit]

Transportation

[edit]

Highways and roads

[edit]
Texas Street
Texas Avenue

Shreveport's past reflects the need for mass transit and public roads. As far back as the 1870s, residents used mule-drawn street cars that were converted to electric motorized cars by 1890. Commuter rail systems in Shreveport flourished for many decades, and rail car lines extended out to rural areas. In 1930 trolleys and rail cars began to be replaced by buses, although motor buses did not finally replace all trolley service until the 1960s. In the 1960s, the Interstate Highway System came to the area with the construction of Interstate 20.

The local public transportation provider, SporTran, provides moderately extensive bus service throughout Shreveport and Bossier City. Sportran operates seven days a week on seventeen bus routes (five night routes) from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 am, with no night service on Sunday. The highway system has a cross-hair and loop freeway structure similar to that of Texas cities like Houston and Dallas. The loop consists of the Outer Loop Freeway Interstate 220 on the north and the Inner Loop Freeway, Louisiana Highway 3132, on the south, forming approximately an 8-mile-diameter (13 km) semi-loop around downtown. Another loop is formed by the Bert Kouns Industrial Loop (Louisiana Highway 526) and circles further south, crossing Interstate 49. I-49 now extends north to Interstate 30 in Arkansas, though there is a gap in I-49 within Shreveport.

Shreveport lies along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) superhighway that will link Canada, the U.S. industrial Midwest, Texas, and Mexico.

Airports

[edit]

Shreveport is served by two airports. The larger is Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV), established in 1952, and is served by Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines (as United Express). The smaller airport, Shreveport Downtown Airport (DTN), was built in 1931 and is located north of the Downtown Business District along the Red River. It is currently a general aviation and reliever airport, but was originally Shreveport's commercial airport.

Railroads

[edit]

The Shreveport Waterworks Museum contains the Shreveport Railroad Museum, commemorating area railroad history.[164]

The city had been served until the 1960s by several passenger railroads, at different stations.

Military installations

[edit]
Entrance to Barksdale AFB

Barksdale Air Force Base is located in Bossier Parish across the river from Shreveport, which annexed and donated the land for its construction in the 1920s. Named for pioneer army aviator Lt. Eugene Hoy Barksdale and originally called Barksdale Army Air Field, it opened in 1933 and became Barksdale Air Force Base in 1947. Headquartered here are the Air Force Global Strike Command, 8th Air Force, 2d Bomb Wing, and 307th Wing. The primary aircraft housed here is the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. In earlier years, the base was the home to other famous aircraft, including the B-47 Stratojet.

Shreveport is home to the two 108th Cavalry Squadrons, the reconnaissance element of the 256th Infantry Brigade. Three of the squadron's four cavalry troops are located at 400 East Stoner Avenue in a historic armory known as "Fort Humbug". It got the name due to the Confederate Army burning logs to look like cannons and placing them along the Red River. This caused Union ironclad ships sailing north on the Red River to be tricked into turning back south.[167]

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  2. ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register.
  3. ^ "What is the proper demonym for someone from Shreveport?". Stack Exchange. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Shreveport, Louisiana
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  7. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  8. ^ Brock, Eric J. "Shreveport History". Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
  9. ^ a b c The Shreveport Times, Police Chief Addresses Shreveport's Rising Violent Crime Archived April 10, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, June 26, 2017, retrieved December 16, 2017
  10. ^ May, Gerry (July 2, 2019). "Future of fast internet pops up in Shreveport". KTBS. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  11. ^ a b c "Development activity is booming in downtown Shreveport". shreveporttimes.com. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  12. ^ "New Shreveport industrial park is shovel-ready". KTBS. February 18, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Shreveport to get $24.2M grant to fix high-poverty neighborhoods". shreveporttimes.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  14. ^ a b c "Forecast for economic growth in Shreveport is bright". www.ksla.com. January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c Bayliss, Deborah. "New aviation facility in Shreveport will create more than 130 new jobs". shreveporttimes.com. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Crime down in Shreveport, police say". June 13, 2018. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  17. ^ Boucher, Makenzie. "Shreveport Police report violent crimes have decreased in city in 2025". The Times. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  18. ^ a b cfloyd. "Rise of the I-20 Technology Corridor". Cyber Innovation Center. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  19. ^ a b "A little Silicon Valley along the I-20 Cyber Corridor". GuiceBlog. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  20. ^ a b "Gov. Edwards: New center strengthens Shreveport-Bossier as cyber hub of La". shreveporttimes.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Louisiana Governor launches the first ever Cyber Security Education Center in the state with Cybint and BPCC". finance.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  22. ^ "Honeywell UOP Opens New Catalyst Production Line At Shreveport, La. Facility". Honeywell. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  23. ^ Brock, Eric J. (2006). "Shreveport: a Brief History". City of Shreveport, Louisiana. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009.
  24. ^ a b John Andrew Prime, "Our History: Mayhem marked Civil War's end here" Archived June 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Shreveport Times, May 10, 2015; accessed May 5, 2018
  25. ^ "Louisiana Office of Public Health Statistics, page 6" (PDF). Ldh.la.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  26. ^ "Tour Stop 1 – Yellow Fever Victims – Tour – Oakland Cemetery – Shreveport – Louisiana – Founded 1847". Oaklandcemeteryla.org. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  27. ^ Wildsmith, Henrietta (August 22, 2023). "Remembering the first Shreveport yellow fever victims 150 years later". Shreveport Times. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  28. ^ Archives, Diocese of Shreveport
  29. ^ "Providence Academy was one of Shreveport's first schools for African Americans". December 10, 2024. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  30. ^ Brock, Eric J (January 31, 2001). Eric Brock's Shreveport. Pelican Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4556-0386-2 – via Google Books.
  31. ^ "The Louisiana Maneuvers: The National WWII Museum New Orleans". July 11, 2017. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  32. ^ a b Keristen Holmes, "Local Civil Rights Leaders Look Back 50 Years" Archived March 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, KTBS-TV, September 18, 2013; accessed March 21, 2019
  33. ^ "Beyond Galilee: Shreveport and the Struggle for Civil Rights". Joey Kent & Tim DeWayne. December 2012. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  34. ^ "Badge of Dishonor: George D'Artois and his alleged murder plot against Jim Leslie". KTBS-TV. February 24, 2014. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  35. ^ "Negro Band Leader Held in Shreveport". The New York Times. October 9, 1963.
  36. ^ "Notice from City of Shreveport regarding bridge repairs". Archived from the original on May 12, 2008.
  37. ^ "Past Winners of the All-America City Award". National Civic League. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010.
  38. ^ a b Durden, Jada (February 19, 2015). "Ratchet rap still leaves its mark". Shreveport Times. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  39. ^ "President Discusses Strengthening Social Security in Louisiana". George W. Bush White House Archives. March 11, 2005. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  40. ^ "Glass company to open facility in Shreveport, will create new jobs". Shreveport Times. August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  41. ^ a b c Bayliss, Deborah (July 31, 2020). "Shreveport Economic Recovery Task force releases revitalization plan". Shreveport Times. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  42. ^ Smith, Chuck (January 29, 2020). "Council Vote Falls Short In Support Of Cross Bayou Project MOU". Red River Radio. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  43. ^ Scruggs, Danielle; Blackmon, Charitee (June 22, 2020). "La. rapper Hurricane Chris posts bond, released from jail". KSLA 12 News. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  44. ^ Smith, Chuck (June 2, 2020). "Black Lives Matter Marchers Hold Peaceful Protest In Shreveport". Red River Radio. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  45. ^ Enfinger, Emily (May 31, 2020). "Hundreds participate in Shreveport Black Lives Matter march". Shreveport Times. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  46. ^ "Death of assault victim marks Shrevport's 87th homicide, making 2021 Shreveport's bloodiest year in history". KTALnews.com. December 19, 2021. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  47. ^ "Cybersecurity Professionals: Catching Up With The Bad Guys". Business Facilities. June 10, 2019. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  48. ^ "Distance between Dallas, TX and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  49. ^ "Distance between Tyler, TX and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  50. ^ "Distance between Marshall, TX and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  51. ^ "Distance between Little Rock, AR and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  52. ^ "Distance between Texarkana, AR and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  53. ^ "Distance between Baton Rouge, LA and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  54. ^ "Distance between Monroe, LA and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  55. ^ "Distance between Ruston, LA and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  56. ^ "Distance between Minden, LA and Shreveport, LA". Distance between cities. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  57. ^ "Worldwide Elevation Finder". elevation.maplogs.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  58. ^ Data, US Climate. "Map of Shreveport - Louisiana - longitude, altitude - sunset". usclimatedata.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  59. ^ "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  60. ^ "Shreveport unveils 2018 street improvements plan". shreveporttimes.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  61. ^ a b c "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  62. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  63. ^ "Station: Shreveport, LA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  64. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for Shreveport/WSO AP, LA 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  65. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023". United States Census Bureau. August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  66. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  67. ^ a b "Census profile: Shreveport, LA". Census Reporter. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  68. ^ "ACS 2018 Annual Income Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  69. ^ "2020 ACS Financial Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  70. ^ "2020 Annual Income Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  71. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Shreveport city, Louisiana". February 12, 2020. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  72. ^ "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Shreveport city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  73. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Shreveport city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  74. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Shreveport city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  75. ^ "2010 Census Population of Shreveport, Louisiana - CensusViewer". censusviewer.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  76. ^ Adelson, Jeff (August 12, 2021). "Census 2020: S La. parishes grew, northern, rural parishes decline". KTBS. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  77. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  78. ^ "US census: Hispanic and Asian-American driving US population growth". BBC News. August 12, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  79. ^ "Shreveport, Louisiana Religion". Bestplaces.net. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  80. ^ Agency, Mere. "SBC Churches Directory". Southern Baptist Convention. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  81. ^ "Maps and data files for 2020". United States Religion Census. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  82. ^ "Search - Find A Church". The United Methodist Church. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  83. ^ "Official Website for the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport -". Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  84. ^ "Monroe Elmon Dodd, Brazil, TN., then Caddo Parish, Louisiana". 1999–2000.
  85. ^ "Northwest Baptist Association calls Wayne DuBose as DOM". Baptist Message. March 28, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  86. ^ "Civil rights champion and Pastor Harry Blake retires after 52 years in the pulpit". KTBS. September 3, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  87. ^ Bridges, Tyler (April 10, 2020). "Rev. Harry Blake, Louisiana civil rights icon from Shreveport, dies at 85: 'He was a giant'". The Advocate. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  88. ^ Welborn, Vickie (June 9, 2016). "Civil rights icon Rev. E. Edward Jones dies". KTBS. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  89. ^ ""Steeple Man" on "Miracle After the Miracle"". CBS News. October 29, 2010. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  90. ^ "First United Methodist Church Steeple". ktbs.com. KTBS. April 11, 2012.
  91. ^ "Noel Memorial UMC". Louisiana UMC. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  92. ^ "First United Methodist Church votes to leave denomination". KTBS. April 17, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  93. ^ Historical marker, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Shreveport
  94. ^ Brock, Eric J. (2005). Shreveport in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-1746-9.
  95. ^ "Western Louisiana Diocese". Library of the Episcopal Church USA. Archived from the original on January 20, 2014.
  96. ^ AG Church Directory "Assemblies of God Church Directory". Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  97. ^ "Find a Louisiana AG Network Church". LA Ministry Network. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  98. ^ "Songs of the Season, Christmas Musical Extravaganza". Ark-La-Tex Weekend. December 2, 2019. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  99. ^ Wright, Robert J. (December 11, 2019). "SCC's 'Songs of the Season' Expecting Record Crowds". News Radio 710 KEEL. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  100. ^ "St. George Greek Orthodox Church". Gosaintgeorge.org. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  101. ^ "History of Our Parish". www.stnicholasorthodox.org. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  102. ^ Brock, Eric J.: The Jewish Community of Shreveport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing Co., 2002
  103. ^ "A Look at Religion in Shreveport-Bossier City - Shreveport News". Shreveport News. June 8, 2014. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  104. ^ "GM's Shreveport Plant Closes". Detroit News. August 28, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  105. ^ Klayman, Ben (January 3, 2013). "Maker of high-mileage 3-wheel vehicles leases former GM plant". Reuters. Detroit: Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  106. ^ "Former Avaya/ATT facility gets new life as Mansfield Warehouse, welcomes new tenant". KTBS. October 25, 2017. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  107. ^ "Company History". Poulan Pro.
  108. ^ "Shreveport, Louisiana Economy". Bestplaces.net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018.
  109. ^ "Employment by major industry sector: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics". Bls.gov. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  110. ^ "Bossier City casino, hotel closes doors permanently". KTBS. May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  111. ^ "Bossier City loses $1.5 million in tax revenue due to DiamondJacks Casino closing". KSLA 12. May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  112. ^ Rachael Thomas; Tayler Davis (May 7, 2021). "Amazon distribution center reportedly coming to Shreveport". KSLA. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  113. ^ Thomas, Rachael. "WATCH LIVE: Amazon robotics fulfillment center coming to Shreveport, Gov. Edwards announces". KSLA. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  114. ^ "$200M Shreveport Amazon fulfillment center announced". KTBS. May 7, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  115. ^ Wright, Robert J. (December 22, 2021). "3 Big Reasons the Shreveport, Bossier Economy is About to Explode". News Radio 710 KEEL. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  116. ^ "A second Amazon facility is coming to Shreveport", KSLA, October 27, 2023, retrieved December 14, 2023
  117. ^ Dawson, Daffney; Franklin, Jasmine (October 27, 2023). "Amazon to build 2nd facility in Shreveport". KSLA. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  118. ^ "50 Cent Opens G-Unit Films and Television Studio in Louisiana". XXL Mag. December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  119. ^ "50 Cent 'excited to get started' on G-Unit Studios in Shreveport; city authorizes lease". KTALnews.com. December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  120. ^ "City Council aproves Millennium Studios lease to Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson". KTBS. December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  121. ^ "50 Cent Opens G-Unit Films And Television Studio In Louisiana". www.hot97.com. December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  122. ^ "Mall St. Vincent Still Struggling Despite Facelift". KTBS TV. July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  123. ^ "Mall St. Vincent Still Struggling Despite Facelift". KEEL Radio. July 28, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  124. ^ "Here Are The Best Cities To Start Your Own Business". Fortune. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  125. ^ Ferrell, Scott. "Shreveport's Libbey Glass plant reaches the end with its closure". Shreveport Times. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  126. ^ Kamenetz, Anya (September 2007). "The Short, Shady History of Hollywood South". Fast Company (118). Mansueto Ventures LLC. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2008.
  127. ^ "Sound Stages/Infrastructure". City of Shreveport, Louisiana. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2008.
  128. ^ "50 Cent Debuts G-Unit Studios in Shreveport and is Honored with Key to the City". Forbes.
  129. ^ "act-louisiana". act-louisiana. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  130. ^ "J.O.S.H. – J.O.S.H. Lounge".
  131. ^ Swaine, Liz (December 22, 2022). "5 things to do in downtown Shreveport for the holidays". Shreveport Times. USA Today.
  132. ^ "Downtown Business Listing". Downtown Shreveport. Shreveport Downtown Development Authority. June 27, 2023.
  133. ^ "Things to do in Shreveport-Bossier". Shreveport-Bossier Louisiana's Other Side. Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau.
  134. ^ Turner-Neal, Chris (February 27, 2021). "Once in a Millennium Moon". 64 Parishes. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  135. ^ "Shreveport House Concert Series - We're here to share great live music with our friends". Shreveporthouseconcerts.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  136. ^ "Welcome to The Shreveport Little Theatre". Shreveportlittletheatre.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  137. ^ Brock, Eric J.: "Mardi Gras Grows, But Fizzled Earlier," The Times. February 17, 1996
  138. ^ [1][dead link]
  139. ^ "Shreveport Mavericks win home opener". ArkLaTexHomepage. April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  140. ^ Gibson, Kaitlyn (April 11, 2021). "Shreveport Mavericks secure first win of the season". KSLA. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  141. ^ Bayliss, Deborah. "City Councilman calls Cross Bayou Point lawsuit 'a bunch of malarkey'". Shreveport Times. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  142. ^ "United Soccer League Welcomes Blue Goose Soccer Club to League Two for the 2022 Season". USL League Two. January 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  143. ^ Schmidt, Dakota (September 13, 2017). "Shreveport Denies Arena For Pelicans G League Team; Pensacola Sits As Favorite". Ridiculous Upside. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  144. ^ "INAUGURATION OF CEDRIC BRADFORD GLOVER AS MAYOR OF SHREVEPORT". www.ksla.com. November 28, 2006. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  145. ^ White, Lamar Jr. (October 17, 2017). "A White Sheriff's Portrait of the City's First Black Mayor". Bayou Brief. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  146. ^ a b Shreveport, LA Crime Statistics For 2022, HomeSnacks.com, published April 7, 2022, retrieved May 26, 2022
  147. ^ "Shreveport Crime Rates and Statistics". Neighborhoodscout.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  148. ^ "Suspect in L.A. Drive-By Shooting in 1988 Killed in Louisiana: Gangs: Killings in Shreveport have been on the rise. The latest fatality is seen as additional evidence that the violence may have its origins in Southern California ". February 9, 1990. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019 – via Los Angeles Times.
  149. ^ "COLUMN ONE: When L.A. Gangs Move In: How three smaller communities across the U.S. coped when gang culture moved in. Drug-dealing and violence usually weren't far behind". February 4, 1990. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019 – via Los Angeles Times.
  150. ^ Machi, Sara (June 28, 2013). "Shreveport's recent rash of homicides still down from 1993 peak". KTBS.
  151. ^ Comen, Evan (November 13, 2017). "America's 25 Murder Capitals – Page 3". 24/7 Wall St. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  152. ^ "Shreveport, LA Crime Rates & Crime Map". AreaVibes. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  153. ^ Steinbuch, Yaron (May 29, 2019). "Louisiana city re-evaluates 'saggy pants' law after man's death". New York Post. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  154. ^ "Sagging pants law abolished in Shreveport". shreveporttimes.com. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  155. ^ "Caddo Schools Leadership". Caddo Parish Public Schools. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  156. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Caddo Parish, LA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 9, 2024. - Text list
  157. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Bossier Parish, LA" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 9, 2024. - Text list
  158. ^ Home – Louisiana Tech University Archived May 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Shrevebossier.latech.edu. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.
  159. ^ "Our Colleges". Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges. Retrieved March 9, 2024. shows Bossier and Caddo parishes in the service areas of BPCC and NLTCC.
  160. ^ "Ayers.edu". Ayers.edu. Archived from the original on June 11, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  161. ^ "Remingtoncollege.edu". Community.remingtoncollege.edu. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
  162. ^ Colleges in Shreveport – Colleges Louisiana – Virginia College Archived June 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Vc.edu. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.
  163. ^ "The Shreveport Sun". Library of Congress. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  164. ^ "Railroad Museum – Shreveport Water Works Museum – McNeil Street Pumping Station". shreveportwaterworks.org. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  165. ^ a b "THE GREAT UNION STATIONS". Chicagorailfan.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  166. ^ "Missouri Pacific Lines, Table 2". Official Guide of the Railways. 101 (1). National Railway Publication Company. June 1968.
  167. ^ Brock, Eric J.: Eric Brock's Shreveport. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Co., 2001
[edit]

 

 

A personal injury lawyer is a lawyer who provides legal services to those who claim to have been injured, physically or psychologically, as a result of the negligence of another person, company, government agency or any entity. Personal injury lawyers primarily practice in the area of law known as tort law. Examples of common personal injury claims include injuries from slip and fall accidents, traffic collisions, defective products, workplace injuries and professional malpractice.

The term "trial lawyers" is used to refer to personal injury lawyers, even though many other types of lawyers, including defense lawyers and criminal prosecutors also appear in trials and even though most personal injury claims are settled without going to trial.

Qualification

[edit]

A personal injury lawyer must qualify to practice law in the jurisdiction in which the lawyer practices. In many states, they must also pass a written ethics examination.[1]

Lawyers may take continuing legal education (CLE) classes in order to learn about developments in the law or to learn about new practice areas. In states that require lawyers to attend CLE, personal injury lawyers may take CLE courses relevant to personal injury law, but are not required to do so.[2]

United States

[edit]

Certain bar associations and attorney organizations offer certifications, including certification of lawyers in the field of personal injury.[3] Certification is not required to practice personal injury law, but may help a lawyer demonstrate knowledge in the field to potential clients. Within the U.S., not all state bars offer certification for personal injury law. Some states, such as New Jersey,[4] allow lawyers to become Certified Trial Attorneys, a credential that is available to both plaintiff and defense attorneys. Some states, such as Arizona,[5] restrict the use of the words "specialist" or "specialize" to lawyers who have obtained a certification from the State Bar Board of Legal Specialization in a specific field of law, with one such certification being in the area of personal injury law.

Practice

[edit]

Lawyers may concentrate their practice to specific areas of law, including personal injury law.[6] Some lawyers may further specialize to a specific area of personal injury, such as medical malpractice law. By limiting the range of cases they handle, personal injury lawyers are able to acquire specialized knowledge and experience.

Client relations

[edit]

Before accepting a new case, a personal injury lawyer typically interviews a prospective client and evaluates the client's case to determine the basic facts and potential legal claims that might be made, identifies possible defendants, and evaluates the strength of the case.[7] A lawyer may decline to accept a case if the lawyer believes that the legal claims will not succeed in court or if the cost of litigation is expected to exceed the amount that can reasonably be recovered from the defendants as compensation for the client's injury.[8]

Compensation

[edit]

Lawyer fees may be charged in a number of ways, including contingency fees, hourly rates, and flat fees. In many countries, personal injury lawyers work primarily on a contingency fee basis, sometimes called an if-come fee, through which the lawyer receives a percentage of a client's recovery as a fee, but does not recover a fee if the claim is not successful.[7]

In some jurisdictions, or by virtue of the retainer agreement between an attorney and client, the amount of the legal fee may vary depending upon whether a case settles before a lawsuit is filed, after a lawsuit is filed but before trial, or if the case goes to trial.[9] For example, a retainer agreement might provide that a lawyer will receive a 33 and 1/3% contingency fee if a case settles before a lawsuit is filed, a 40% contingency fee if the case settles after the lawsuit is filed, or up to 45% if the lawsuit goes to trial.

Due to the high cost of litigation, personal injury lawyers are rarely retained to work based on an hourly fee.[10] However, defense attorneys who are hired to contest personal injury claims are often paid on an hourly basis.

Ethics

[edit]

An attorney should provide diligent representation to clients, and the ultimate professional responsibility of a personal injury lawyer is to help plaintiffs obtain just compensation for their losses. As with all lawyers, the attorney-client relationship is governed by rules of ethics.[11]

In the United States, lawyers are regulated by codes of conduct established by state bar associations, which have the power to take disciplinary action against lawyers who violate professional or ethical regulations.[12] States normally require all contingency agreements between lawyers and their clients to be in writing, and may limit the amount that may be charged as a contingency fee to a specific maximum percentage of the recovery.

Marketing

[edit]

The market for personal injury firms is highly competitive in the U.S., and some firms maintain large marketing budgets to attract potential clients. Marketing efforts include advertising on television, radio, the Internet and social media, billboards, and in print publications. In some jurisdictions, lawyer marketing has moved away from the historic expectation of decorum in lawyer advertising. An industry has arisen for law firms that do little legal practice, instead focusing on client generation and referral of cases to other law firms.[13]

Organizations

[edit]

Although membership is not required for personal injury practice, many personal injury lawyers join professional associations. For example:

  • American Bar Association – a professional association dedicated to improving the legal system and providing accreditation for law schools and continuing legal education programs
  • Association of Personal Injury Lawyers – an association based in Nottingham, England; founded in 1990 by personal injury lawyers on behalf of accident victims
  • Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles – CAALA is one of the largest associations of plaintiffs' lawyers in the United States and hosts one of the largest annual attorneys' conventions.
  • American Association for Justice – an association of trial lawyers that was founded in 1946 by a group of plaintiffs' attorneys committed to safeguarding victims' rights. Prior to 2007, this organization was called the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, or ATLA.[14]
  • The National Trial Lawyers – a national organization composed of trial lawyers, offering networking opportunities, advocacy training and educational programs for trial lawyers.[15]
  • Personal Injuries Bar Association (PIBA) - a specialist bar association for UK barristers who practise in the field of personal injuries.[16]

Criticism

[edit]

Critics of personal injury lawyers claim that litigation increases the cost of products and services and the cost of doing business.[17] For example, critics of medical malpractice lawyers argue that lawsuits increase the cost of healthcare, and that lawsuits may inspire doctors to leave medical practice or create doctor shortages. These concerns, often raised in response to efforts to reform healthcare, have not been well substantiated. A publication by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found little evidence that traditional tort reforms affect medical liability costs or defensive medicine.[18] A study conducted on a bipartisan basis in Texas has found that tort reform, once enacted, had no impact on reducing the cost of medical care, tending to throw doubt on claims made by tort reform advocates.[19]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Becoming a Lawyer: Frequently Asked Questions". State Bar of Texas.
  2. ^ Lowenthal, Werner (1981). "Continuing Education for Professionals: Voluntary or Mandatory?". The Journal of Higher Education. 52 (5): 519–538.
  3. ^ "A Concise Guide to Lawyer Specialty Certification" (PDF). ABA Standing Committee on Specialization. American Bar Association. June 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Board on Attorney Certification". New Jersey Courts. New Jersey Judiciary. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Certified Specialists". State Bar of Arizona. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  6. ^ Nelson, Robert L. (1988). Partners with Power: The Social Transformation of the Large Law Firm. University of California Press. pp. 174–175. ISBN 0520058445. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  7. ^ a b Goodman, Peggy. "Initial Interview with a Potential Client". LexisNexis. Relx Group. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  8. ^ Coffee, John C. (May 1986). "Understanding the Plaintiff's Attorney: The Implications of Economic Theory for Private Enforcement of Law through Class and Derivative Actions". Columbia Law Review. 86 (4): 669–727. doi:10.2307/1122577. JSTOR 1122577. S2CID 158524103.
  9. ^ Danzon, Patricia M. (1983). "Contingent Fees for Personal Injury Litigation". The Bell Journal of Economics. 14 (1): 213–224. doi:10.2307/3003548. JSTOR 3003548.
  10. ^ Danzon, Patricia M. (June 1980). "Contingent Fees for Personal Injury Litigation" (PDF). Rand. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  11. ^ Weissman, Herbert N.; Debow, Deborah M. (2003). Ethical Principles and Professional Competencies. Handbook of Psychology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 3:33–53. ISBN 047138321X. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  12. ^ Carr, David Cameron (2010). "Attorney Fees: Five Keys to Ethical Compliance". GPSolo. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  13. ^ McGrath, Tom (2025-02-02). "Billboard Wars: How Personal Injury Lawyers Took Over Philly". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  14. ^ "American Association for Justice". justice.org. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
  15. ^ "The National Trial Lawyers". Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  16. ^ Personal Injuries Bar Association, accessed 27 September 2022
  17. ^ Hiltzig, Michael (20 September 2014). "New study shows that the savings from 'tort reform' are mythical". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  18. ^ "Medical Malpractice: April 2011 Update". The Synthesis Project. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  19. ^ Roser, Mary Ann (20 June 2012). "New study: Tort reform has not reduced health care costs in Texas". Statesman Media. American Statesman. Retrieved 2 July 2017.