The provisions of R.S.13:319 shall be applicable to assignment of appellate panels.
Art. 2164.1.Assignment of Appellate Panels
Book III. Proceedings in Appellate Courts · Title I. Appellate Procedure · Chapter 3. Procedure In Appellate Court · Enacted 2018 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 2164.1 does not set its own procedure; it incorporates by reference the statute governing how Louisiana's courts of appeal assign the judges who sit on the panel deciding a given appeal.
Full Text of Art. 2164.1
Amendment History
Added by Acts 2018, No. 658, §2, eff. if and when the proposed 12 addition of Article VII, Sections 18(G)(6), and 21(K)(4) and (M)(4) of the Constitution of 13 Louisiana contained in the Act which originated as Senate Bill No. 163 of this 2018 Regular 14 Session of the Legislature is adopted at the statewide election to be held on November 6, 15 2018, and becomes effective..
Plain-English Summary
Most of Louisiana's courts of appeal decide cases through panels of three judges rather than the full bench sitting together. Article 2164.1 does not spell out how those panels get assembled; instead it points to R.S. 13:319, the statute governing assignment of appellate panels, and makes that statute's procedure the operative rule for civil appeals.
An incorporation-by-reference article like this one serves a coordinating function rather than a substantive one. Rather than duplicating panel-assignment rules inside the Code of Civil Procedure and risking the two sources drifting apart over time, the legislature placed the operative rule in the Revised Statutes and used Article 2164.1 to confirm that the statutory procedure governs civil appeals as well.
For a litigant, the practical point is that which three judges hear a given appeal is not left to a court's informal discretion; it follows a set statutory process. The mechanics of that process live outside the Code of Civil Procedure, but Article 2164.1 makes clear it applies to appellate panel assignment in every civil appeal covered by this title. The article was added contingent on voter approval of a companion constitutional amendment at the November 2018 statewide election.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Article 2164.1 require?
It incorporates R.S. 13:319, the statute governing assignment of judges to appellate panels, rather than stating an independent rule of its own.
Why does the Code point to a Revised Statutes provision instead of stating its own rule?
To keep panel-assignment mechanics in one place and avoid the Code of Civil Procedure and the Revised Statutes drifting out of sync with each other.
Does Article 2164.1 mean every Louisiana appeal is heard by the full court of appeal?
No. Most appeals are decided by a three-judge panel, and Article 2164.1 confirms that R.S. 13:319 governs how those panels are assigned.
When did Article 2164.1 take effect?
It was added by Acts 2018, No. 658, contingent on voter approval of a companion constitutional amendment at the November 2018 statewide election.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: assignment of appellate panels LouisianaArticle 2164.1 LouisianaR.S. 13:319 court of appeal panelsthree-judge panel Louisiana court of appealhow appellate judges are assigned Louisiana