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May 2009

1950s

D. Irvin Couvillion ('59) is retired after 23 years as a Special Trial Judge of the U.S. Tax Court in Washington, D.C. He resides in Baton Rouge.

Robert Dawkins, 1959Robert Dawkins ('59) is with the firm of Dawkins & Carter in Ruston, Louisiana.

1960s

Robert Day ('68) is the owner of Bella Dura Architectural Stone and may be reached at www.belladura.com.

1970s

Phil Breaux ('72) continues to teach business law at the LSU College of Business and runs a small country law office in St. Gabriel.

Michael J. Samanie ('73) has his own practice, the Law Offices of Michael J. Samanie, in Houma, Louisiana.

Jim Boren ('75) has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The ceremony took place before an audience of 597 people during the recent 2009 Spring Meeting of the College in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Charles J. Ballay ('76) is the District Attorney of Plaquemines Parish. He would also like to note that two more of his classmates currently serve as D.A.'s-Phil Haney for the Iberia, St. Mary, and St. Martin Parishes and Asa Skinner in Vernon Parish.

Alfred F. Boustany II ('77) is with the Boustany Law Firm in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Charles Landry, 1977Charles Landry ('77), with the firm of Jones Walker in Baton Rouge, was recently elected chairman of the board of the LSU Foundation.

Elizabeth Erny Foote ('78) was awarded a fellowship by the ABA to study at the National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professonialism (NIFTEP). She attended the Institute's program in April. She also serves as the current president of the LSBA.

Gary Bezet, 1979Gary A. Bezet ('79) is a partner with Kean Miller in Baton Rouge.

Keetsie T. Gunnels ('79) is an attorney with the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals' Medicaid Program.

1980s

Dale Baringer, 1980Dale R. Baringer ('80) is the manager of The Baringer Law Firm, LLC in Baton Rouge.

William Dunckelman ('80) is an Assistant Public Defender for the 32nd J.D.C.'s Public Defender's Office. He handles felony criminal trials in two divisions and serves as the Child Support Hearing Officer.

Jennifer Edwards, 1988Jennifer Stierman Edwards ('88) is currently with Patrick Miller LLC in New Orleans. She recently published Bankruptcy and Your Client's Collection in the April/May issue of GP Solo Magazine, an ABA publication.

Guy Manning ('88), with the Law offices of Guy V. Manning, practices intellectual property law in Fort Worth, Texas.

1990s

Eric Miller, 1990Eric R. Miller ('90) has joined The Kullman firm as a shareholder in its Baton Rouge office, where he will continue his practice of labor and employment law on behalf of management.

Angela Bryson, 1991Cary and Angela Bryson (both '91) reside in Lafayette, Louisiana. They have six children, Sarah, Kathryn, Emily, Joseph, Luke, and Mary Frances. They co-founded Bryson Law Firm, L.L.C. in 2001 and continue to practice together. They concentrate in tax resolution work and represent clients throughout the state.

 

Marjorie McKeithen, 1991Marjorie McKeithen ('91) has affiliated with the firm of Jones Walker as of counsel, working with the firm’s Energy Industry and Government Relations teams. She will serve as an independent contractor and practice from the firm’s New Orleans office.

Michael Crawford ('93), with the firm of Taylor Porter in Baton Rouge, will be inducted into the Special Olympics Louisiana Hall of Fame in June.

Neal J. Kling ('93) was named a Fellow in the American College of Commercial Finance Attorneys.

Alan Dabdoub ('94) is the Chief Litigation and Labor and Employment Counsel at FedEx Office and Print Services in Dallas, Texas.

Gabrielle Rettig Kees ('96) is now Vice President in the Baton Rouge office of Cornerstone Government Affairs, which is a Washington, D.C.-based government relations, lobbying, and consulting firm.

Beth Osborne ('96) recently received a presidential appointment to work in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation as his Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy.

Kyle Duncan ('97) was recently hired as the new Appellate Chief of the Louisiana Department of Justice. Prior to that, he taught constitutional law at the University of Mississippi Law School after receiving an LL.M. from Columbia Law School in 2004.

Linda S. Melancon ('97) is owner of the Legacy Center of Louisiana—a firm focused on estate planning, probate, and elder law issues. She is married to Michael Melancon and has one daughter, Sara, and two stepchildren, Michael Melancon, Jr. and Jennifer Melancon. She also has two grandchildren, Ashley and Benjamin.

Laura B. Picard ('98) is an Assistant District Attorney for the Louisiana Department of Justice. She also teaches University level classes for Upper Iowa University in the Criminal Justice curriculum. She has four children, Gabrielle, Candace, Bryce, and Felix.

Bartley Bourgeois ('99) is with The Cohn Law Firm in Baton Rouge.

2000s

Jamie Dodds Cangelosi ('00) recently joined the law firm of Flanagan Partners LLP in New Orleans as an associate.

Christopher J. Couch ('00), managing partner of Couch, Stillman, Blitt & Conville, was selected as one of the Top 50 Attorneys in the Metro New Orleans Area by CityBusiness.

J. Parker Layrisson, 2002J. Parker Layrisson ('02) has opened a solo practice firm in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. He handles personal injury and criminal defense litigation.

Willie Johnson, 2003Willie G. Johnson Jr. ('03) is the current defense counsel for New Roads, Louisiana. He is the youngest individual to serve in that role in the history of New Roads. He is also an attorney with Seale, Smith, Zuber & Barnette in Baton Rouge.

Ronald Nunez ('03) is currently in graduate school at the University of New Orleans, pursuing his master's degree in urban planning but keeping up his license.

Ryan Luminais, 2005Ryan O. Luminais ('05) is an associate at the law firm of Sher, Garner, Cahill, Richter, Klein & Hilbert, LLC in New Orleans. He is a director of the Federal Bar Association's Young Lawyers' Division. He has also been recognized as a Future Star by Benchmark Litigation.

Susan Nanes ('06) is a law clerk for Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

William Sentell ('08) is currently completing a one-year clerkship with Judge Kay Bates in the 19th J.D.C. In September, he will begin working as an associate in the New Orleans office of Pugh, Accardo, Haas & Radecker.

The LSU Law Center community mourns the passing of the following alumni whose deaths were reported since the date of our last newsletter publication.

George Woodard ('56)

John Wyeth "Jock" Scott ('72)

Joseph Jake Fontenot ('73)