First Person: Lauren Heinen – District Attorney – Jefferson Davis Parish

Lauren Heinen knew she had to do her part when Jefferson Davis Parish lost an important man, District Attorney Kevin Millican, who passed away just six months after taking office.

Born and raised in Hathaway, La., on a family farm, Heinen was comfortable with responsibility from a young age. Her father was a 3rd generation farmer, growing rice and raising crawfish and cattle, and her mom was in education. There were plenty of late nights and early mornings for Heinen, both to take care of animals on the farm and to spend time with her father.

Heinen always knew she wanted to go to law school, but her mother encouraged her to get her bachelor’s degree in a different line of study as a backup. So, Heinen received her undergraduate degree from LSU in agricultural business with a concentration in management. She continued her education at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU and graduated with a Juris Doctorate in comparative law.

While clerking at Shows, Cali & Walsh in Baton Rouge, Heinen realized that working at a law firm in a big city was not necessarily where she wanted to practice law. A family member suggested Heinen return home, and she secured a position at notable Jennings law firm Marcantel, Marcantel, Wall, & Pfeifer.

Heinen noticed that small town practices had great relationships with clients, integrity and a level of professionalism not always seen in a large city. She felt honored to be a part of such a reputable law firm but decided to open her own law firm, Heinen & Guinn, with partner Alexander Guinn in 2018 with the goal of implementing time- and cost-saving technology into the local law process. Heinen & Guinn’s primary focus is on real estate, succession and family law.

As a member of the Welsh Rotary Club, a volunteer attorney with Lawyers in Libraries through Louisiana State Bar Associations Access to Justice program, and counsel for Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, Heinen gained experience and stayed active in the local community.

Then, in 2022, after gaining 58% of the vote, Lauren Heinen was sworn in as the first female DA of Jefferson Davis Parish.

Thrive spoke with Heinen on her decision to run for office and breaking barriers along the way:

What prompted you to decide to run for DA?
I’ve always been interested in politics and how local policies affect the local economy. At the time, the entire parish was in mourning. We lost a wonderful person who had served the community his whole career. Everyone had a lot of hope when he took office. The loss forced people to step up and say, “what can I do?” It was not an easy decision because I like my corner of the world. I had to step out of my comfort zone, but the very core of who I am is a public servant. I felt I could do the job and do it very well and in a way no one else could at that time. If I had the ability to step up, then why not? I considered it a duty. After praying about it and coming to the decision to run, I spoke to my family and business partner. I didn’t want to go through it alone. The help, guidance and love they showed was a humbling experience.

How did it feel to become the first female DA of Jefferson Davis Parish?
I really didn’t think about being the first female DA, which says a lot for the female attorneys who paved way for people like me. They are the unsung heroes of the parish. They forged a path that allowed me to not consider I was going to be the first. It was just a matter of me knowing I was qualified and capable and had all of the tools in the toolbox I needed to do the job. I put together a team with the same values and vision to work together for the community. But being the first female DA is a huge deal, and I’m certainly very proud and humbled to be in this position and pave the way for other bright, intelligent females to come.

What were your priorities as the incoming DA and what changes have you implemented?
The DA has an impact on the infrastructure of the parish and the parish has struggled with economic growth. I was able to come home and have a career, and I want the next generations to have the same opportunity in the future. Fiscal responsibility is a large part of growth and I believe that the government should operate like a private business—in the black, not the red. We needed to have a budget to steward taxpayer dollars well and keep assessing things to make sure we’re taking care of business.

We also changed the structure of court dates to accommodate efficiency. We now have traffic court dates, pre-trial dates for non-incarcerated people and pre-trial dates for incarcerated people. We had cases that had been sitting for quite a while and needed to get them taken care of. People who are victims or survivors of crimes need the process to be final so they can start the process of closure.

Caring for our victims is essential. It helps them to understand the process and have someone to help them work through the various emotions involved. I hired a victim coordinator, and that is her job. We help victims and their families understand that this is manmade justice and it’s difficult to navigate. We are dealing with a human being and all the different emotions that manifest—grief, anger, fear.

The challenge is the justice system is just that—a system. Everyday it’s a priority to make sure we are operating on all cylinders and our part of the system doesn’t bottleneck. The judicial process is not fast, but the goal is to make sure the process is operating in a manner that is efficient and effective.

What is your favorite part of the job?
I enjoy working with the stakeholders in the community. I enjoy communicating, problem solving and having tough conversations because there’s not always clear-cut solutions. The job allows me to be ingrained in the community and know how the community is being affected by decisions in the courthouse, fire house, police jury, school board. At the courthouse, we’re making sure we’re dedicating ourselves to making the community a better place and protecting the safety of everyone. It’s essential to keep the lines of communication open and it’s a pleasure to see the parish forging ahead.

What message would you like to give to the community?
I’m just a normal person. I hope people see somebody like me running for office and say if she can do it, I can do it. Be brave enough to step outside your comfort zone. We need regular people to step up. People who care, who are intelligent and understand the problems the community faces in local politics. I hope more people take up that gauntlet.