Kenn Barnes is a native Louisianan, a graduate of LSU Law, and founding attorney of the Kenn Barnes Law Firm, where he practices criminal defense, personal injury, and business development. Before founding the Kenn Barnes Law Firm, Mr. Barnes served as the Special Counsel of Criminal Justice & Specialty Courts for the Louisiana Supreme Court. As Special Counsel of Criminal Justice and Specialty Courts, his duties included serving on committees on behalf of the Court, such as the Louisiana Clean Slate Committee, Drug & Specialty Court Commission, and Justice Reinvestment Implementation Oversight Committee; attending meetings as a liaison of the Court such as attending Louisiana State Law Institute, Louisiana Public Defender Board, and New Orleans City Office of Criminal Justice meetings; and facilitating the execution of court initiatives such as launching a Pretrial Services case management system and program in New Orleans to reduce the use of bail as a condition of release and reduce pretrial detention population at New Orleans’ jail.

Mr. Barnes serves his community as an elected member of the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee, where he acts as a liaison between the Louisiana Democratic Party and its members. Additionally, Mr. Barnes is the volunteer wrestling coach for the Xavier University Wrestling team. Mr. Barnes has been a 2020-2021 New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute Fellow, 2020 Loyola Institute of Politics Cohort, and 2019 New Orleans Business Alliance Economic Development Ambassador. Through Mr. Barnes’ work and community involvement, he was recognized in 2020 by Gambit Newspaper‘s “40 Under 40” and in 2019 by the American Bar Association’s 40 Under 40 Rising Star.