United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...
of the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (in case citations, E.D. La.) is a United States federal court based in New Orleans.
Appeals from the Eastern District of Louisiana are taken to the United States Court of A ...
. Referred as a pioneer in the creative use of multidistrict litigations and bellwether trials, Fallon has overseen several high-profile
multidistrict litigation
In United States law, multidistrict litigation (MDL) refers to a special federal legal procedure designed to speed the process of handling complex cases, such as air disaster litigation or complex product liability suits.
Description
MDL cases oc ...
Chinese Drywall
"Chinese drywall" refers to an environmental health issue involving defective drywall manufactured in China, imported to the United States and used in residential construction between 2001 and 2009 affecting "an estimated 100,000 homes in more th ...
,
Vioxx
Rofecoxib is a COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It was marketed by Merck & Co. to treat osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, acute pain conditions, migraine, and dysmenorrhea. Rofecoxib ...
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
, Fallon received a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree from
Tulane University
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pu ...
in 1959, a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
from
Tulane University Law School
Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States.
In addition to the usual common l ...
in 1962, and a
Master of Laws
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...
from
Yale Law School
Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by '' U.S. News & Worl ...
in 1963.
Career
Prior to his judicial appointment, Fallon was in private practice in New Orleans from 1962 to 1995, and was also an adjunct professor at
Tulane University Law School
Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States.
In addition to the usual common l ...
from 1975 to 1993. He is a member of the New Orleans, Louisiana State, American Bar Associations, the American College of Trial Lawyers and The American Law Institute. He also served as past president of the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Louisiana Bar Foundation.
Federal judicial service
Fallon was nominated by President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...
on February 3, 1995 to a seat on the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (in case citations, E.D. La.) is a United States federal court based in New Orleans.
Appeals from the Eastern District of Louisiana are taken to the United States Court of A ...
vacated by
Adrian G. Duplantier
Adrian Guy Duplantier Sr. (March 5, 1929 – August 15, 2007) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. He served as a Democratic Party (United States ...
. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and ...
on May 8, 1995, and received his commission on May 10, 1995.
Honors
Fallon is the author of several books and law review articles, and has also received numerous awards in his legal career. Some of his achievements include the President's Award (1980 and 1988) and Lifetime Achievement Award (1987) from the Louisiana State Bar Association; National Pro Bono Public Award (1987) from the American Bar Association; Distinguished Attorney Award (1989) from the Louisiana Bar Foundation; American Bar Association, Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Pursuit of Justice Award (2005); American Board of Trial Advocates, The Thomas Jefferson Award (2008). In 2012, Judge Fallon received the Louisiana Bar Foundation Distinguished Jurist Award, and in 2013, was inducted into The National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame. In 2016, the
Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (J.P.M.L. or the Panel) is a special body within the United States federal court system which manages multidistrict litigation. It was established by Congress in 1968 by , and has ...
awarded Fallon with the Multidistrict Litigation Spirit Award.
Notable cases
In ''National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States v. United States Department of Veterans Affairs, et al.'',
Fallon ruled against two preservationists who did not want the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs and the State of Louisiana to build two new hospitals near the French Quarter in New Orleans. On March 31, 2010, Fallon found no reason to prevent the building project valued at $2 billion to move forward. Fallon's ruling found that there were enough environmental impact studies completed before moving the project forward, a main objection by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
In ''Fernandez v. Knauf, et.al'', Fallon presided over a trial for many homeowners who sued Knauf Plasterboard because the drywall has a sulfur type substance that deteriorated the drywall causing concerns that their homes may be unlivable. Fallon heard the case as part of 600 different cases that were consolidated into a special multi-district litigation case that would allow many other home owners to settle their cases out of court. In December 2011, Knauf proposed an unlimited settlement to repair the homes with the defective drywall. In addition, the company offered $30 million for those who reported health problems because of the material.