Twenty graduates in the LSU Law Class of 2022 have been selected for induction into The Order of the Coif, the highest honor a law student can receive.
Membership into the honorary law fraternity is strictly limited to the top 10% of each graduating class of law students. Of the more than 200 American Bar Association accredited law schools in the country, LSU Law is one of just 86 with a chapter in The Order of the Coif.
“We are extremely proud of each and every one of the 200 graduates in the LSU Law Class of 2022 because all of them worked incredibly hard and made great sacrifices to earn a law degree, which is the most difficult postgraduate degree that one can attain,” said LSU Law Interim Dean Lee Ann Wheelis Lockridge. “Our graduates who have earned membership into The Order of the Coif in addition to their law degrees are most deserving of special recognition. This high honor reflects their unparalleled commitment to academic excellence, and we take immense pride in honoring their great achievement.”
The LSU Law chapter of The Order of the Coif was established in 1942, with a purpose of stimulating scholarly work of the highest order and fostering a high standard of professional conduct. Outside of ordinary membership for law school graduates, honorary membership into The Order of the Coif may be granted in special cases to lawyers, judges, and teachers who have attained high distinction for their scholarly or professional accomplishments.
Casey LeAnne Thibodeaux | Jefferson City, Missouri
What are your immediate career plans?
I will join Jones Walker as an associate attorney in the Litigation group.
Please tell us about the organizations and activities you participated in at LSU Law, including any awards or honors you received.
I was on Louisiana Law Review and received the Vinson & Elkins Best Student Comment, or Casenote award, and I was a Volume 82 Production Editor.
Please tell us about any LSU Law faculty, classes, or other experiences that were particularly impactful on your legal education.
There are a lot of outstanding faculty members at LSU Law, but I will highlight two. First, I took Legal Methods with Professor Goring the week before 1L orientation. That experience was really helpful to understand what the law school experience would be like and how to be successful, especially as a student who had been out of school for over a decade before going back to law school. Without that class, I don’t think I would have done as well my 1L year. Second, Professor Lonegrass is an amazing role model as a passionate teacher who genuinely wants her students to do well, a brilliant scholar, and a professional balancing family and career, and I’m so grateful I got to know her during my time at LSU Law.
What are your fondest memories from your time at LSU Law?
Hanging out in the Law Review suite with the other board members in between classes to study, compare Wordle scores, or vent about any struggles we were having. We had a very close knit board and I enjoyed working with all of them.
What advice would you give to students entering law school who aspire to become an Order of the Coif member when they graduate?
Put in work throughout the semester to make sure you understand and retain all the material as you go, rather than waiting until the end of the semester to cram.
