The Louisiana Constitution of 1845 allowed the legislature to establish "as many district courts as the public interest may require" (Title IV, Article 75). These district courts were to have original jurisdiction in all civil cases, when the amount in dispute exceeded $50, exclusive of interest. Act 43 of 1846 further detailed the organization of the district courts in the parish and city of New Orleans. The Act provided for five District Courts: the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth District Courts of New Orleans.

The Second District Court was to keep two dockets, a "Preference Docket" and an "Ordinary Docket." All cases relating to successions were to be placed on the Preference Docket and were to be tried by preference over all cases found on the Ordinary Docket. Cases pending before the Judge of the Probate Court were to be transferred to Second District Court.

Act 229 of 1853 further organized the Orleans Parish courts, giving exclusive jurisdiction to the Second District Court over all probate matters. It also added a Sixth District Court.

The Consitution of 1868 retained and reinstituted the numbered district courts in Orleans Parish and added a seventh court. It reiterated the exclusive jurisdiction of several of the courts (First District Court, exclusive criminal jurisdiction; Second District Court, exclusive probate jurisdiction; Third District Court, exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from justices of the peace). Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh District Courts were given exclusive jurisdiction in all civil cases, except probate, when the sum in contest was above one hundred dollars, exclusive of interest.

The consititution of 1879 consolidated all of the civil ourts into a single court, Civil District Court, still in existence today. Cases pending in Second District Court were transferred to this new court under new docket numbers.

The court ceased operation at the end of August, 1880, when all of the district courts were consolidated into a single court, Orleans Parish Civil District Court.