Taylor Porter is proud of its annual summer associate program, which hires highly motivated, well-rounded law students to participate in two, six-week sessions. Under the guidance of practicing attorneys, our summer associates gain hands-on experience and interaction that reflect real life as a lawyer. During the first summer session of 2016, Taylor Porter has eight summer associates, and our law firm is proud to profile these eight students and gain their insight from the Taylor Porter summer associate program.

Learn more about the Taylor Porter Summer Associate Program

Gus Laggner, LSU Law, Class of 2017

Gus Laggner will enter his third year at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU, where he is the President of LSU Law's Moot Court Board, and a Senior Associate for the Louisiana Law Review. Gus has worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable Brian A. Jackson, Chief Judge for the Middle District of Louisiana, and he clerked at the United States Attorney's Office in Baton Rouge. Prior to attending law school, Gus was an aviation maintenance officer in the United States Navy, serving with an F-18 squadron. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2010, with a bachelor of science in aviation management and a minor in business administration.

What practice area(s) are you most interested in and why?

Labor and Employment is probably my favorite area of law. It’s a field that almost everyone can relate to, and it has a broad range of issues to keep the work interesting. I also think it is important to protect individuals in the work environment, and to protect the interests of businesses in having an efficient workforce.

How has the Taylor Porter summer law clerk program helped prepare you for becoming a lawyer?

Taylor Porter has given me the opportunity to apply my work to real world disputes and client concerns. It is incredibly rewarding to come to work knowing that my efforts are going to be put toward something meaningful. This program has also taught me about the equally important business side of a law firm, and how valuable a talented support staff is. Finally, it never hurts to sharpen my research and writing skills.

Who are your Taylor Porter attorney mentors and what have you learned from them about the legal field that will stick with you?

My mentors are Mike Crawford and Ashley Meredith. Mike and Ashley have both taught me how important it is to be courteous, laugh when you can, and care for the people you work with. During the week, a lawyer will see the firm as much or more than their own family, and that’s not so bad when the firm welcomes you like family. Both of my mentors genuinely care that I have a great experience here, and from what I’ve seen, the same care exists among the full-time staff. I think those are important virtues in this often stressful profession.

What do you like best about the TP Summer Associate Program?

My favorite part about the program is the diversity of work that we do. In just the first few weeks, I’ve worked on a variety of issues involving security devices on loans , escheatment, oil and gas agreements, civil procedure, and federal environmental regulations. Every assignment I’ve had required me to learn entirely new areas of law. Additionally, Taylor Porter has some of the most experienced lawyers in Baton Rouge, all of which are very approachable, friendly people. I feel like I have access to any one of them to ask work questions or discuss something as casual as college sports. The camaraderie among the clerks is also something I have really enjoyed. I’ve had a great summer working with talented, high quality people that I will not soon forget.