A partnership has the procedural capacity to sue to enforce its rights in the partnership name, and appears through and is represented by an authorized partner.
Art. 688.Partnership
Title III. Parties · Chapter 2. Parties Plaintiff · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 688 gives a partnership the procedural capacity to sue in its own partnership name to enforce the partnership's rights, appearing in court through a partner authorized to act for it.
Full Text of Art. 688
Plain-English Summary
Unlike an individual doing business under a trade name, a partnership in Louisiana is its own legal person, and Article 688 lets it act like one in court. The partnership sues in its own name — not the name of one partner, and not the names of all the partners individually — to enforce whatever rights belong to the partnership itself.
Because a partnership cannot appear in court by itself, Article 688 has it appear and be represented through an authorized partner, someone with the standing to speak and act for the partnership in the litigation. That structure lets the partnership bring suit as a single entity while still requiring a real person to carry out the litigation on its behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Louisiana partnership sue in its own name?
Yes. Article 688 gives a partnership procedural capacity to sue in the partnership name to enforce its own rights.
Who appears in court for a partnership?
An authorized partner represents the partnership in the litigation, since the partnership itself cannot personally appear.
Do all the individual partners need to be named as plaintiffs?
No. The partnership sues in its own name under Article 688, rather than requiring each partner to be listed individually as a plaintiff.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the vLex (Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, 2026 Edition). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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