What are your immediate career plans?
I will start as an Associate at Kean Miller in the firm’s Baton Rouge office. I will be practicing in the Mass Torts and Casualty group.
What are your long-term career aspirations?
I am not sure. Of course, one ultimate career goal is to have a flourishing law practice. One possibility later in my career is serving as a judge. At the start of law school, I was immediately surprised by how many areas of law interested me. Simultaneously, I am intrigued by the theory and developments in the law which judges play a fundamental role in.
Please tell us about the organizations and activities you participated in at LSU Law, including any awards or honors you received.
I served as Senior Editor of Louisiana Law Review, I was a Board of Advocates member, and I finished as a national quarterfinalist in the Stutes-Kalinka Tax Moot Court Team, and as a semifinalist in the Tullis Competition.
Please tell us about any LSU Law faculty, classes, or other experiences that were particularly impactful on your legal education.
Professor Grace Barry’s 1L writing class. I learned phenomenal writing skills, which was a definite weakness of mine before beginning law school. More importantly, Professor Barry made law school feel much more manageable. She has an invaluable ability to make you think, “I can do this.”
Torts with Professor Bill Corbett. When entering law school, I thought that I was going to transactional work or practice in the securities or financial services area. The material of torts, combined with Professor Corbett’s engaging teaching style, opened my eyes to potential interest in other areas of law.
What are your fondest memories from your time at LSU Law?
The people. After attending LSU for undergrad and a large high school, having only a few hundred people at LSU Law was a new experience. I met so many fantastic people—classmates, professors, administrators—who all made the last three years a fantastic experience. I have made so many friends and met so many people who made the experience so much more than just school.
What advice would you give to students entering law school who aspire to become an Order of the Coif member when they graduate?
Balanced discipline is key. Law school is not easy. There will be days and weeks when constant work and limited free time is necessary. But it is equally important to not let law school consume you. Each person has their own style, but while touring law schools the person showing us around said he approached law school like a 9-to-5 job for 90% of the semester. After adopting that approach, I would urge other law students to do this. For me, this allowed me to relax in the evenings and “turn off” law school for several hours each day.
