2015 LSU Law alumnus and Louisiana Solicitor General Ben Aguiñaga.
Speaking to a group of his fellow LSU Law alumni at a special event in Houston, Ben Aguiñaga (’15) said his journey from the hallways of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center to the corridors of the U.S. Supreme Court serves as just one example of how invaluable alumni-to-student mentorship can be in the career paths of aspiring attorneys.
“I cannot overstate how instrumental Michelle and other mentors have been in my life,” said Aguiñaga, referring to LSU Law Class of 2009 alumna Michelle Shamblin Stratton, who was also among those gathered for the event in November to introduce Dean Alena Allen to alumni in the Houston area.
In 2011, Stratton made LSU Law history when she became the school’s first graduate to land a coveted clerkship at the U.S. Supreme Court. Shortly after completing her yearlong clerkship with Justice Clarence Thomas, Stratton was invited back to LSU Law along with Thomas for a special two-day visit in early September 2012, during which they sat in on classes, participated in student forums, and met with student organization leaders.
“When I entered law school, I had no connections in the legal community. I had no real sense of the different types of career paths that were available. And I had no idea what I needed to do to position myself for future opportunities,” Stratton recalled. “I attribute much of my career path to friends and mentors in the law—including at LSU Law—who sacrificed their time to give me information and guidance. So, when younger lawyers or law students reach out to me with career questions, I try to be as generous with my time and advice as others were with me.”
In the summer of 2014, Aguiñaga was one such law student. Heading into his final year of studies at LSU Law and spending his summer in Houston, he decided to reach out to Stratton, who was then an associate with Baker Botts at its Houston headquarters.
“Michelle is, in my mind, the most impressive LSU Law graduate in my generation, and perhaps of all time. She could have easily worn her many accomplishments on her sleeve and looked forward, not back. But she looked back for me,” Aguiñaga said. “She graciously responded to my request for guidance and advice as I began to pursue my own career after LSU Law, even when I was just a 2L.”
2009 LSU Law alumna Michelle Shamblin Stratton, who opened Murphy Ball Stratton LLP in Houston earlier this year.
Stratton walked Aguiñaga through every step of her U.S. Supreme Court application process, providing him with unique insight, tips, and guidance on what would be required of him to follow in her footsteps.
“She is characteristically humble and genuine, and she selflessly made time to fan the flames of my own dream,” Aguiñaga said.
Stratton shared her strategy for pursuing a clerkship at the nation’s high court, which was rooted in expanding her professional network and finding a mentor who could provide her with the same guidance Aguiñaga sought. Like Aguiñaga, she found what she was looking for in Houston.
“I spent one summer in Houston, and it was there that I met a Big Law partner who had been a former Supreme Court clerk,” Stratton said. “He mentored me and told me that I needed to apply for a federal appellate clerkship. I would never have known of those things had I not met him.”
After graduating from LSU Law in 2009, Stratton spent the next year clerking for Chief Judge Edith Hollan Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In the fall of 2010, she took another major step toward the U.S. Supreme Court when she became the first LSU Law graduate to land a prestigious Bristow Fellowship in the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States. In July 2011, she was selected to serve as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for the 2011-12 term.
Along with finding a mentor to assist her through the application process, Stratton credits her professors at LSU Law as well as the Office of Career Services for providing her with resources, guidance, and support as she began to apply for the clerkships that led her to the U.S. Supreme Court. Aguiñaga agreed.
“For example, Professor Scott Sullivan wrote numerous letters of recommendation over the years and cheered me on every time a positive development occurred,” he recalled. “Similarly, Professor Ray Diamond took time while I was still in law school to encourage me to pursue ‘lightening-strike’ opportunities—what’s the worst that could happen? People like Michelle, along with Professors Sullivan and Diamond, really provided the wind in my sails that I needed at that time.”
Like Stratton, Aguiñaga’s path to a U.S. Supreme Court clerkship passed through the chambers of Judge Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, whom he served as clerk from 2016 to 2017. His federal clerkship came after he clerked for then-Texas Supreme Court Justice Don R. Willett for a year. In the spring of 2018, Aguiñaga was notified that he’d been selected to clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito during the 2018-2019 term.
“I’m lucky that there was a trailblazer who went before me, and who also took the time to guide me on the things that I needed to do if I wanted to follow in her footsteps,” said Aguiñaga. “It’s that kind of personal touch that our alumni can offer to current students that can really set them on an extraordinary journey. For any faculty member or alum reading this, mentorship is one of the greatest gifts you can give, and for any student reading this, a mentor is one of the greatest gifts you can receive.”
It’s been more than a decade since Stratton completed her U.S. Supreme Court clerkship and more than five years since Aguiñaga completed his. Each recently made a major career move. In December, Aguiñaga was tapped by Louisiana’s Attorney General Liz Murrill (’91) to become Louisiana Solicitor General. Earlier this year, Stratton opened her own law firm, Murphy Ball Stratton LLP in Houston. We recently caught up with each of them to chat about their experiences at the U.S. Supreme Court, their careers, and memories of LSU Law.
