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2023 Order of the Barristers: Ryan York

What are your immediate career plans?              

After taking the Louisiana Bar Exam, I will be working as a judicial law clerk at the 1st Judicial District Court in Shreveport.

What are your long-term career aspirations?     

After my clerkship, I want to be a litigator. After I get some initial experience practicing, I want to open my own law firm. I am not sure of what practice areas I would offer, but I have always considered family law and immigration law as possible practice areas. I am open to anything. Ultimately, I want to be a judge.

Please tell us about the organizations and activities you participated in at LSU Law, including any awards or honors you received.   

I was a member of the Student Bar Association for two years during law school. I was served as 2L Class Representative and then as 3L Class President.

Regarding internal and external competitions, I competed in Spring 2022 Flory, Spring 2023 Dean’s Cup, and the 2023 Bayou Challenge Trial Competition. I finished as a finalist in Flory and the Bayou Challenge, and as a quarterfinalist in Dean’s Cup. During the Bayou Challenge Trial Competition, I won an individual award for Best Direct Examination. For Dean’s Cup, I received the Fourth Place Oralist award.

I also was a member of Board of Advocates, I was an academic tutor, where I helped students learn Civil Procedure I with Professor John Devlin. I also was a research assistant for Associate Dean Andrea Carroll.

Please tell us about any LSU Law faculty, classes, or other experiences that were particularly impactful on your legal education.         

I enjoyed taking experiential classes, such as Trial Advocacy and Advanced Trial and Evidence. It was nice being able to begin honing skills that are so important in practice.

What are your fondest memories from your time at LSU Law?   

I really enjoyed the Hats and Canes weekend earlier this school year. It was nice celebrating the final year at LSU Law with classmates and meeting everyone’s family. I also enjoyed taking classes with Judge Guy Holdridge.

What advice would you give to students entering law school who aspire to become an Order of the Barristers member when they graduate? 

Don’t be afraid to participate in the various internal and external competitions that LSU Law offers. I can definitely say that there were times where I was very nervous when competing in various competitions. That is just a part of getting important experience for your future career. You get the opportunity to develop skills and to get feedback from experienced attorneys. It’s definitely worth your time, whether you win the competition or not.

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