Taylor Porter Partner Preston Castille, National President of the Southern University Alumni Federation, served as a guest speaker on the panel, “Executives for Education,” a breakfast event hosted by City Year Baton Rouge on Dec. 3 at Juban’s Restaurant. Castille joined Gwen Hamilton, Director of Community Affairs, New Schools for Baton Rouge and Interim CEO, East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority; and also Jeff Lynn, Executive Director of Workforce Development Programs, LED, as the three discussed the importance of public-private partnerships in developing educational opportunities and being critical to the growth of Baton Rouge.

City Year Baton Rouge hosts several events throughout the year for partners and community members to discuss important education topics. Since 2005, City Year has mentored students in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, impacting close to 4,200 students across Louisiana, and in Baton Rouge, deploying 72 highly skilled AmeriCorps members to serve in four elementary, middle, and high schools. Together, these highly skilled AmeriCorps members are transforming the future for more than 3,000 students.

At Taylor Porter, Castille is engaged primarily in business litigation and transactions and assists clients with matters involving the Louisiana Legislature, the Louisiana Public Service Commission, and other state and local governmental entities. He also serves as outside general counsel to numerous private, public, and governmental entities. 

Castille is active in various education-related organizations including New Schools for Baton Rouge and several charter school organizations. He served on the Greater Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce Business Advisory Committee. He was a member of the Chamber’s 1997 Leadership class and was selected in 2000 by the Baton Rouge Business Report as one of Baton Rouge’s “Top Forty Under 40” community and business leaders. Castille was a member of the 2012 Louisiana Leadership class sponsored by Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL).

Castille is an adjunct professor of law. He began his career as a law professor in 2001 at LSU Law School teaching Pretrial Litigation Practice and taught there for eight years. In 2003, he began teaching at Southern University Law School and teaches Louisiana Civil Procedure I & II and Evidence.

In 2011, Castille served as President of the Baton Rouge Bar Association and President of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society from 1998-2000. He served on the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association from 2001-2004 and as a member of the House of Delegates from 2009-2012.  He currently serves as a member of the National Conference of Bar Presidents.