Growing up in Waycross, a small, rural city in southeast Georgia where “few Black men or women were employed in the legal profession,” LSU Law 3L DeMetris Causer says his family encouraged him to pursue a legal education and “become the change I desperately wanted to see.”
Now, Causer is preparing to become the first member of his family to obtain a post-graduate degree and the first to enter the legal profession.
“After graduating, I will return to Georgia and sit for the Georgia Bar Exam. More, I will begin my legal career either in the public sector, ideally the City of Atlanta’s Legal Department, or in the private sector with the firm I clerked with following my 1L year,” says Causer. “My career goal is to remain active with my community and run for local, state, or national office. Above all, I have plans to start a family and raise children who will know that no matter their surroundings, they can become anything they set their minds to.”
During his time at LSU Law, Causer has established himself as an active student leader while excelling academically. He’s a three-year member and former president of the Black Law Students Association, a Board of Advocates member, and a Dean’s Scholar. He has spent a summer as a legal intern at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, has been a legal extern with Build Baton Rouge, and he’s one of four students on the 16-member LSU Building Name Evaluation Committee.
As he prepares to graduate from LSU Law, Causer says the generous support of those who have helped fund his scholarships has played a vital role in his success.
“The pressing necessity of procuring debt-free financing for my legal education has been of utmost importance—particularly in my final year,” he says. “Thus, to be selected for not one, but three, scholarship awards gave me the confidence that I can complete this well-accomplished law school education on a high note. To those who generously give to the Law Center, thank you.”
Learn more about Causer and his career aspirations in the Q&A below, and find out how you can support talented students like her through scholarships at LSU Law.
Tell us about your background and interests.
I come from a small, rural city in southeast Georgia where few Black men or women were employed in the legal profession. Nonetheless, my family encouraged me to pursue a legal education and become the change I desperately wanted to see. As a result, I will be the first in my family to obtain a post-graduate degree and the first to enter the legal profession. Aside from my enjoyment of great food and fellowship, I enjoy reading, exercising, and traveling.
Why do you want to become a lawyer, and what inspired you to come to LSU Law?
I have always been attracted to the mechanics and impact of the law, specifically as it relates to serving people, and this is what inspired me to study and become a lawyer. LSU Law provided the opportunity to get a good legal education and to do phenomenal work in Baton Rouge and the state of Louisiana.
What’s the best thing about law school or the best aspect of student life at the Law Center?
The Professors (Diamond, Goring, Tyson, Wasilczuk, Brooks, and more) as well as the people who work this building from the ground up—such as Mrs. Brenda, everyone in the Admissions Office, and the Law Center administration.
Which classes have interested you the most or have been the most impactful on your education at the Law Center?
- Race and History, with Professor Ray Diamond
- Juvenile Defense Clinic; an experiential/clinic course with Professor Madalyn Wasilczuk
- State and Local Government, with Professor Chris Tyson
- Real Estate Transactions, with Professor Darlene Goring
As a recipient of the Lee Andrew Gallaspy Endowed Scholarship, Whitehead Law Firm Scholarship, and John Minor Wisdom Endowed Scholarship, what do these awards mean to you? What message would you like to share with the LSU Law alumni who are investing in you?
The pressing necessity of procuring debt-free financing for my legal education has been of utmost importance—particularly in my final year. Thus, to be selected for not one, but three, scholarship awards gave me the confidence that I can complete this well-accomplished law school education on a high note. To those who generously give to the Law Center, thank you. By investing in me, you have invested in the Baton Rouge community—as most of my work outside of the classroom has involved public interest work throughout the parish. Even more so, you are sowing into students who will become leaders throughout the nation and who will proudly represent their alma mater.
What are your hopes, desires, and plans after graduation?
After graduating, I will return to Georgia and sit for the Georgia Bar Exam. More, I will begin my legal career either in the public sector, ideally with the City of Atlanta’s Legal Department, or in the private sector with the firm I clerked with following 1L year. My career goal is to remain active with my community and run for local, state, or national office. Above all, I have plans to start a family and raise children who will know that no matter their surroundings, they can become anything they set their minds to.
