Nicolas Cotten
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Juris Doctor, Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law
- magna cum laude graduate
- Paul M. Hebert Scholar
- Dean’s Scholar
- Board of Advocates Board Member
- Undergraduate: LSU, Bachelor of Arts, English
What are your immediate career plans?
I will be an associate with the law firm Jackson Lewis in New Orleans.
What are your long-term career aspirations?
My number one priority is providing a good life for my wife, Heidi and son, Micah. I hope to stay in labor and employment law because it is rapidly changing and impacts everyone (because we all work)! However, I am always open to new and interesting challenges.
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 Board of Advocates. I was a junior and senior associate for the Journal for Social Justice and Policy, for which I published a case note. I was a semi-finalist in the Tullis Moot Court competition, and I was on the LSU travel team for the Jerome Prince Evidence Moot Court Competition at Brooklyn Law School. I was on the Paul. M Hebert Scholar’s list for three semesters, and a Dean’s Scholar for three semesters. I was also a tutor for Prof. Diamond’s Criminal Law class and received a CALI award for Legal Research and Writing.
Please tell us about any LSU Law faculty, classes, or other experiences that were particularly impactful on your legal education.
All of my professors in the first semester of my 1L year challenged me to change my brain to understand how to read a case and think like a lawyer. I also really enjoyed all of Prof. Roberts’s classes because of her enthusiasm for the subjects and willingness to help her students.
What are your fondest memories from your time at LSU Law?
Spending time with friends to study, preparing for a competition, or going to a law school event. The friendships made all the time and effort worthwhile.
What advice would you give to students entering law school who aspire to become Order of the Coif members when they graduate?
Give your first semester in law school 110% effort; it is the most valuable time to form the habits you need to do well in law school. Then find a group of like-minded people to study with, but find time to outline and take practice exams on your own. The balance between group work and individual study is important.
