August 2019
DEAN’S COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Welcome new members to the Dean’s Council: Karen Blakemore (’07); Jay Campbell (’76); Robert N. Cavell (’17); Rick Curry (’77); Gigi Gauthier; Honorable John Greene (’66) and Jake Henry.
Renewing memberships are: Mathile Abramson (’88); Peter Arbour (’74); Danny Cavell (’80); Richard J. “Jerry” Dodson (’66); Tom Galligan; Cordell Haymon (’68); Honorable John S. Hodge (’88); Karen Soniat; James J. Walsh (’75) and Bobbi Zaunbrecher.
Chris McCall (’95) and his sister Erin McCall Alley (’94) are partners in the Lake Charles law firm, Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan LLC. Their father, Robert C. McCall (’73), is a founding member of the firm.
BEING “SECOND GENERATION” MEMBERS OF THE BAGGETT McCALL FIRM CARRIES SOME AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY. HOW HAS PRACTICING WITH YOUR FATHER AND WITH EACH OTHER INFLUENCED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE PROFESSION AND YOUR CAREER PATH?
Erin: My dad loved practicing law. He always saw it as an opportunity to help others. Chris and I were blessed to practice with him for so many years. He had confidence in my abilities as a lawyer from day one, so that gave me confidence as a young lawyer. Working with family, there is no need to sugar coat things, so I think we were always able to have good and open discussions about our practice and our cases.
Chris: It’s been great. My dad and Erin and I have always gotten along well. He always practiced law with a sense of professionalism and respect to all persons involved, whether a witness or opposing counsel, and I think that is something we both have made a point of maintaining.
LAKE CHARLES IS GROWING AND EXPERIENCING RAPID CHANGE. HOW HAS THAT CHANGED THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE COMMUNITY, AND YOUR PRACTICES IN PARTICULAR?
Erin: Lake Charles is growing, and the traffic definitely is getting worse, but we are lucky to practice here. The relationship between plaintiff attorneys and defense attorneys is very cordial. I have many friends on the defense side and while we each represent our clients vigorously, it is still a friendly place to practice law.
Chris: We are as busy as we ever have been. What I love about Lake Charles is there is still a professionalism and civility here that you do not always see practiced in other communities.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CASE TO DATE?
Erin: My favorite case is one that I tried a couple of years ago. My client was a college student who was planning to be a teacher. She was on her way to school for her first day of student teaching when she was struck by a vehicle. She had a pre-existing condition that made her injuries worse. The defendants refused to settle within the policy limits. We tried the case and the insurance company ended up paying more than a million dollars over their policy limits. My client deserved every penny.
Chris: The most memorable case was early in my practice I represented a prison guard who was injured badly in a training exercise. Defendants maintained it was only a workers’ comp case and that he consented to the physical attack. We argued it was a battery and an exception to workers’ comp and that he was entitled to a full tort remedy. I got to argue at the Louisiana Supreme Court and they affirmed our judgment.
YOU BOTH WERE STUDENTS OF DEAN GALLIGAN’S BACK IN THE DAY. DO YOU HAVE A “TOM GALLIGAN STORY” YOU ARE WILLING TO SHARE?
Erin: Professor Galligan was my favorite teacher. He made class fun and he was always joking around. I think he was probably a favorite for most of the students at that time.
Chris: Not a specific story, but he was always engaging and always treated his students with respect. He made his class exciting and informative and he was exactly what you want in a professor.
IF YOU HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN, WOULD YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LAW SCHOOL EXPERIENCE ANY DIFFERENTLY? WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR TODAY’S LSU LAW STUDENTS?
Erin: I think I would try to relax and enjoy it more. I was so worried about studying all the time, that I didn’t make time for a lot of outside activities. I would encourage all students to try and maintain a balance between their studies and their life outside of school.
Chris: I had the benefit of having worked for a year and a half in Atlanta before returning to school so I think I appreciated the school environment. I also thought that if I put the effort I applied when working a job into my studies that I would be fine, and it worked out. I would highly recommend taking advantage of LSU’s summer school program in France. I had student loans that allowed me to travel there for school and the camaraderie that you have with the other students and professors is incredible. After that summer and getting the stress of the first year down, I realized that I would make it and it allowed me to relax more and enjoy the experience.
WHY DO YOU SUPPORT THE LAW CENTER WITH YOUR ANNUAL DEAN’S COUNCIL CONTRIBUTIONS?
Erin: The LSU Law School started me on the path to where I am today. I have had great success in my professional life and that would not have been possible without the education I received there. I love that my schedule is flexible, which allows me to work longer hours some days and take off early other days so I can go watch my kids in their various sporting events. That type of schedule is not possible in all jobs. I feel lucky to do the work that I do and in being able to help people get their life back after an injury. I want to make sure that others have the same opportunities that I had to get a quality education. My parents definitely felt that it was important to give back and I want to continue to set that example for my kids.
Chris: I think it’s a great law school and it gave me the education I needed to be successful. I want to give back to help ensure it will remain a great place for students to learn what they need to be successful in and out of the court room.
