Patrice Wightman Oppenheim

Patrice “Patti” Oppenheim concentrates her practice in the area of Family Law, including Mediation, Divorce, Custody, Child Support, Spousal Support, Adoption, Grandparent Rights and Community Property. Patti offers a seasoned and unique perspective on Family Law, having worked for the 22nd Judicial District Court Family Court for the past 10 years.

She earned a B.A. (1984) from Louisiana State University and her J.D. (1991) from Loyola University, New Orleans, College of Law. She was a member of the Loyola Law Review and was the Casenote/Quantum Editor. Patti published Wooten v. Pumpkin Air, Inc.: A Watery Grave for State Conflicts of Law Analysis on the Outer Continental Shelf, 35 Loy. L. Rev. 1453 (1990). She graduated in the top 15% of her class.

Patti served as the Staff Attorney and Hearing Officer for Judge Mary Devereux, 22nd Judicial District Court from January 2009 until August 2018 where she helped the two newly elected Family Court judges re-shape the practice of Family Law in the 22nd JDC. She was instrumental in creating forms for the Family Court’s Self-Help Resource Center which allow people to represent themselves in limited circumstances. Patti organized National Adoption Day for Family Court for several years while with Family Court and then volunteered to re-start the program to Judge Scott Gardner in 2018 after returning to private practice. 

She became certified as a Family Law Specialist in 2010 and embraces alternative dispute resolution as a trained Family Law Mediator.

Patti is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the 22nd Judicial District Court Bar Association and the Washington Parish Bar Association. She is the Administrator and Counselor for the 22nd JDC Inns of Court which promotes attorney professionalism. Patti is active in our community including her current Board of Director position with the Northshore Food Bank, past President of the Junior League of Greater Covington, Leadership St. Tammany, former board member of her subdivision, member of the Republican Professional Women of St. Tammany, Delegate to the Louisiana State Bar Association’s House of Delegates and member of the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Self-Represented Litigant Committee and its Forms Committee. Additionally, she is the Secretary of the Family Law Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (national and state).

Patti is married to Dan Oppenheim who is an owner and runs a locally owned finance company. She and Dan are the proud parents of Rachel, Rebecca and Ryan, all of whom graduated from Mandeville High School.