BATON ROUGE - Family and friends of Mary Jane Marcantel gathered on Sunday to celebrate the trailblazer's life after she passed away at 77 in June. 

Marcantel was the first paralegal in the state and worked many high-profile cases during her career. She also loved her Spanish Town neighborhood and helped form the Downtown Development District. 

"She was thorough and she loved her job. I will say this, she always fought for the truth - not necessarily for a win. And I think that's what people should know," Marcantel's granddaughter, Violet Lacour, said.