What are your immediate career plans?
Currently, I plan to work in criminal defense litigation at Manasseh, Gill, Knipe, and Belanger this fall.
What are your long-term career aspirations?
Long term, I hope to get back involved in academia in some capacity.
Please tell us about the organizations and activities you participated in at LSU Law, including any awards or honors you received.
As a self-proclaimed glutton for punishment, I was very involved during my time at LSU. I held an elected or board position in the Student Bar Association, the Public Interest Law Society, the Board of Advocates, and the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. I was also a member of the Louisiana Law Review and the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. I was also lucky enough to work as a TA for Professor John Devlin, Professor Ray Diamond and Professor Olivier Moréteau.
Beyond my duties as Vice President of Internal Competitions my 3L year, I have always remained active in advocacy at LSU. I served as a witness for internal and external competitions during my 1L Year. My partner Chad Thornton and I won the 2021 Flory Trial Advocacy competition where I was named top oral advocate. My partner Matt Clute and I were runners up in the Spring 2022 Transactional competition as well. I was able to travel across the country for numerous advocacy competitions both as student and coach and competitor. I was also honored to be inducted as a member of the Wex Malone Inn of Courts following trial advocacy week.
Please tell us about any LSU Law faculty, classes, or other experiences that were particularly impactful on your legal education.
There is not enough space to recognize all of the faculty who had a major impact on my legal education, but I have to shout out Professor Jeff Brooks, Professor John Devlin, and Advocacy Fellows Danny Bosch and Charles Watkins for the impact that had on my time at LSU Law.
Additional shout out to ADA Frank Breaux from the East Baton Rouge DA’s office for making my experience in my summer field placement and the Prosecution clinic incredible. Could not have asked for a better mentor and friend.
What are your fondest memories from your time at LSU Law?
My fondest memory at LSU Law would have to be the time I got to spend prepping and competing in the Fall 2021 Flory competition with my partner Chad Thornton and our amazing witnesses Cole Hilgenkamp, Hannah Cobb, Cory Koch, and my former student turned classmate Jacob Lester.
What advice would you give to students entering law school who aspire to become an Order of the Barristers member when they graduate?
You will get out of the program what you put in. Get involved early and often. As a 1L you are limited in the things you can get involved in, so try to witness for a team or volunteer to be a timekeeper for an internal competition just so you can see what it is like! The more you are exposed to an activity, the less intimidating it is. It is hard to take on extra things in law school, but if you sign up and give it the effort it demands, you will be rewarded in so many different ways. Getting involved in advocacy is the most fun/frustrating/rewarding thing you can do in law school in my opinion, and every student should at least give it a shot!
