Mary G. Erlingson

Founding Member & Partner

Mary Erlingson is a founding member and the managing partner of Erlingson Banks, PLLC. Mary serves as general counsel to several law enforcement agencies in Louisiana.  In addition, Mary represents various businesses and public entities in civil litigation in both state and federal courts. Her dual role as general counsel and defense attorney has provided Mary with the unique opportunity to develop many related areas of practice including governmental relations, employment law, ethics law, law enforcement defense, corrections defense, commercial litigation and administrative law. Mary has gained extensive trial experience in her over 30-year legal career. Mary is an AV rated attorney in Martindale-Hubbell and an active member of the Governmental Liability Committee in the Defense Research Institute. Mary is an active member in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), an international organization limited to 1400 lawyers worldwide who are selected by invitation only following an extensive peer review selection process. Mary is currently Vice-Chair of the Governmental Liability Section. She is a frequent speaker on a variety of legal topics both locally and nationally.

A native of Opelousas, Louisiana, Mary received a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University in 1984 and her Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University in 1989.She is licensed to practice before all state courts in Louisiana and Texas, the United States District Courts for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana, the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit and the District of Columbia. She is also licensed in the state of New York.

Before beginning private practice, Mary clerked for Honorable James H. Boddie, Jr. and Honorable John Joyce in the Fourth Judicial District Court, for the Parishes of Ouachita and Morehouse.

In addition to her legal practice, Mary is actively involved in the Baton Rouge community. She has been instrumental in forming and working with several local nonprofits that support making her community and state a better place to live and work. She serves on the board of Directors of Rotary. Mary is also Vice-President of the Capital Area Family Justice Center, a nonprofit organization aimed at providing assistance and support to survivors of domestic and dating violence.

Professional Associations and Memberships

Louisiana State Bar Association

Baton Rouge Bar Association

Texas State Bar Association

New York State Bar Association

Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel

Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel

Defense Research Institute

 Martindale-Hubble- AV Preeminent Rating

Education

  • Louisiana State University, B.A., 1984
  • Louisiana State University, J.D., 1989

Areas of Practice

  • Property and Casualty Defense
  • Premises Liability
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Administrative Law
  • Appellate Practice
  • Employment Law
  • General Civil Litigation
  • Governmental Relations
  • Civil Rights Defense
  • Correctional Law

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana, 1989
  • Texas, 1998
  • Washington D.C., 2003
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
  • All Federal Courts in Louisiana
  • New York, 2022