Dorothy Dowling Wolbrette

Dorothy Dowling Wolbrette, 90, of New Orleans, Louisiana passed away on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at the Lambeth House. Preceded in death by her parents, Judge Clarence Dowling and Helen Dowling and her sister, Helen Bourgeois. Survived by her sons, Henri Wolbrette III (Linda Case) and Clarence D. Wolbrette (Lizbeth Turner); three granddaughters, Stephanie Wolbrette Miller (Chris), Michelle Wolbrette Cullen (Chris), and Melissa Wolbrette; and five great grandchildren. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 25, 1922, Mrs. Wolbrette graduated from Newcomb College in 1942 and entered Tulane Law School at the height of World War II. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Order of the Coif, was the editor of the Tulane Law Review, and received the dean and faculty medals, the highest awards presented to Tulane Law School graduates. Following her graduation from law school in 1945, she practiced law with the firm of Duke & Porterie. She then worked as an assistant attorney general for the state of Louisiana. She argued the case of Duncan v. Louisiana before the United States Supreme Court in 1968. In 1976 she was appointed an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration and became the chief administrative law judge until her retirement in 1988. She remained active following her retirement as a special member of the succession committee of the Louisiana Law Institute. Mrs. Wolbrette was involved in numerous community activities, including the Metairie Garden Club, the Metairie Literary Guild, New Orleans Museum of Art, Friends of the Cabildo, City Park, the Preservation Society, and LongVue. After losing her home in Lakeview to Hurricane Katrina, Mrs. Wolbrette moved to Lambeth House. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home (5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124), on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. A visitation will be held from 2:00 a.m. until service time. Interment will follow in Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum. To view and sign the guestbook, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.