Caleb J. O’Connell
Evangeline, Louisiana
- Juris Doctor, Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law
- magna cum laude graduate
- Paul M. Hebert Scholar
- Dean’s Scholar
- Louisiana Law Review Junior Associate
- 2023-24 Christian Legal Society President
- Undergraduate: McNeese State University, Bachelor of Science, Psychology; Minor in Criminal Justice
What are your immediate career plans?
After taking the Louisiana bar exam in July, I will begin my career as an Associate for Gold Weems in Alexandria, Louisiana.
What are your long-term career aspirations?
My primary long-term goal is to make Partner at Gold Weems. I would also like to stay involved with and contribute to the legal community. Some options that I am considering are applying to join a committee on the Louisiana State Law Institute, keeping up with and publishing scholarly work, or developing an expertise in a particular area of law for educational purposes.
Please tell us about the organizations and activities you participated in at LSU Law, including any awards or honors you received.
The organization that I spent the most time with was the Christian Legal Society. I became involved my 1L year, served as the Bible Study Coordinator my 2L year, and served as the President my 3L year. I also participated in Louisiana Law Review as a Junior Associate during my 3L year, where I received the Association Henri Capitant, Louisiana Chapter Award for an article I wrote that will be published in next year’s volume.
As for other activities, I had the privilege of serving as a 1L tutor and research assistant throughout my 2L and 3L years. As for other awards, I have received six CALI awards, the Liskow & Lewis and Robert T. Jorden Endowed Scholarships for the 2023–2024 academic year, and I have been recognized as a Paul M. Hebert Scholar four times and a Dean’s Scholar two times.
Please tell us about any LSU Law faculty, classes, or other experiences that were particularly impactful on your legal education.
Prior to coming to law school, I was fairly certain that I wanted to practice criminal law. My background was in psychology and criminal justice, and it seemed like the best fit for me. However, after taking Professor Levasseur’s Legal Traditions course during my first semester, I immediately changed my mind. For context, Legal Traditions is a class unique to LSU Law that lays the foundation for what we are to learn in other Civil Law classes. Throughout the course, we learn about the general history of the Civil Law and the Common Law from about 1800 B.C. to the mid-1900s, methods of interpretation for the two major legal traditions, and Louisiana’s history as a mixed jurisdiction. Those who have Professor (Alain) Levasseur also receive a preview of their obligations and property classes that they have to take next semester. The class was very difficult, but I found it fascinating and discovered a passion for law that I otherwise may not have discovered had I not taken the course. All six of my CALI awards were either from a Civil Law class or a comparative law class, and much of my inspiration for my Law Review article was drawn from this class. It truly is my favorite class, and I hope LSU Law continues to offer this unique course in its curriculum.
I also owe another big thank you to Judge Jewel Welch for hosting my externship at the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal in the Spring of 2023. This was my first out-of-classroom experience as a law student, and it had a tremendously positive impact on my legal writing, professional development, and self-confidence. Prior to participating in the externship, I did not have great confidence in my legal writing skills. In fact, it was one of the reasons that I did not participate in the write-on competition for LSU’s journals. However, Judge Welch and his chambers took the time to mentor and challenge me to accomplish things I otherwise did not think I was capable of. I owe a great debt to their kindness and support, and I will forever remember the time I spent with them.
In short, there are simply too many people and experiences that have had a positive impact on my time at LSU Law. I’ve had the privilege of learning from dozens of talented professors, and I feel confident taking all that they taught me forward into my career. As I wrap up, there are three more professors I would like to recognize. First, I would like to thank Professor (Nikolaos) Davrados for all of the time and effort he put in to advising me on my Law Review article. Your advice helped me shape it into a work that I am proud to have published. Second, I would like to thank Professor (John) Trahan for all of the opportunities he has afforded me during my time at LSU Law, whether that be by serving as the Director for the Summer Program in Lyon, France, serving as the faculty advisor for the Christian Legal Society, or allowing me to participate in his research as a research assistant. And last, but not least, I would like to thank Professor (Melissa) Lonegrass for the positive impact she has had on my law school experience, not only as a professor with whom I have taken several classes but also a mentor who has provided me with advice whenever I needed it. These are just some of the many faculty that have positively impacted my future as an attorney, and I cannot thank them all enough.
What are your fondest memories from your time at LSU Law?
Easily my favorite memories at LSU Law were made from serving as a 1L tutor. I remember how scary and difficult my 1L year was, and the impact of the tutoring program supported by LSU Law was one of the cornerstones to my success as a 1L. At the end of my 1L year, I took the time to thank one of my tutors, to which he only responded with something to the effect of, “No problem, just pay it forward.” Since then, I served as a tutor for Legal Traditions, Obligations, and Civil Law Property. It was rewarding to see the impact I had on other students’ success in their courses, and I made some really good friends along the way. I really enjoyed my time teaching and mentoring other students, and I hope to find a way to continue teaching or mentoring later in my career. Of course, this list would not be complete without talking about my trip to Europe that was hosted by LSU Law. Every summer, LSU Law partners with Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in Lyon France to host summer courses for LSUs students. While in France, I made new friends in my law school class and got to experience Europe for about six weeks. While there, I went to Paris, Versailles, Annecy, Geneva, and my favorite, Interlaken. To anyone considering the trip: you won’t regret it!
What advice would you give to students entering law school who aspire to become Order of the Coif members when they graduate?
To anyone aspiring to become a member of Order of the Coif, the first thing you need to know is this: You are capable of doing it! When I first came to law school, my only goal was to remain in the top half of the class so that I could keep my scholarship. I never dreamed that I would land anywhere near the top 10%. I thought my first semester’s grades were nothing but beginner’s luck. Even after my subsequent semesters, it still felt like a fluke. We call this Imposter Syndrome, and it affects everyone equally, regardless of talent or hard work. Law school is unlike any experience you have had before. The harder your work, the harder it becomes. There are going to be times where you truly feel like you cannot do it, but if you put in a good faith effort every day and work hard, I assure you that you can! Take care of yourself, stay connected with those you love, and give it your all, and you will not be able to believe how far you have gone by the time you graduate.
