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 second summer session of 2017, Taylor Porter has eight summer associates, and our law firm is proud to profile these students and gain their insight from the Taylor Porter summer associate program. In this article, Taylor Porter features Southern University Law Student Joseph Odom and LSU Law Student Hayden Bigby.

Learn more about the Taylor Porter summer associate program

Hayden Bigby, LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Class of 2019

Hayden Bigby is entering his second year at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU, where he received the Paul M. Hebert Scholar Award for both Fall 2016 and Spring 2017. He earned the CALI Award for Legal Research and Writing I, Torts, and Legal Traditions. Hayden attended LSU for undergrad and graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Finance. Hayden spent the first half of Summer 2017 clerking at Jones Walker. Hayden is clerking under the mentorship of Taylor Porter attorneys Erin Sayes Kenny and Jonathan Moore.

What practice areas are you in interested in and why?

“I am interested in business related legal work. My interest in this area stems from my undergrad degree in finance as well as several internships I have held at banks in Baton Rouge. Taylor Porter offers work in a wide variety of areas, and I appreciate that they allow their attorneys the autonomy to work in different areas of their choosing. This work environment allows for a mix of both litigation and transactional work, which interests me.” 

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 Jonathan Moore and Erin Kenny. My biggest takeaway from my mentors comes from their advice on what I should be looking for in a law firm. Jonathan has stressed to me that each law firm will have its own unique qualities, making it very important to identify what kind of firm culture suits you best when making a decision about where to work. This sort of information is very valuable coming from a person who has recently been through the process that I now find myself in.”    

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

“During my clerkship at Taylor Porter I have had the opportunity to do projects from many different areas of the law. This experience has helped me gain a better idea of what areas I enjoy, and just as importantly, what I do not enjoy. The projects offer not just an opportunity to get hands on work, but also for the attorneys to fill you in on what it is like to work in a certain field including what types of people or companies you typically deal with or what the most common issues are in that field. The knowledge gained is very practical for the advancement of my legal career.”

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

​“My favorite part of being with Taylor Porter for the summer has been meeting the attorneys and staff who work here. It is clear that Taylor Porter provides its attorneys with a family-like environment to work within, and it has been a privilege to be a part of that environment this summer.  It has been a very encouraging experience to see how Taylor Porter has taken a stressful profession and still managed to create an enjoyable workspace for its employees. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work here this summer.”