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 Center student Scott Courrege.

Learn more about the Taylor Porter summer associate program

Scott Courrege, Southern University Law Center, Class of 2017

Scott Courrege is entering his final semester at Southern University Law Center and will graduate in December 2017. He is ranked first in the evening division and is an editor for the Southern University Law Review. Scott’s article entitled, “Drugged Driving: How the Legalization of Marijuana Has Impaired the Ability of the Louisiana DWI Law” was published in the Spring 2017 edition of the Law Review. Scott works full-time for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and is assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Task Force Officer. Scott has approximately 17 years of law enforcement experience, including five years as a federal agent. He has recently clerked for the law firm of Dué, Guidry, Piedrahita and Andrews in Baton Rouge. Scott is clerking under the mentorship of Taylor Porter attorneys John Murrill and Kelley Dick.

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

“I am most interested in practicing in the area of tort law. I aspire to litigate cases, and those involving tort claims are more frequently tried than many other areas of law. The dynamics of tort cases are technical and personal, which require a unique understanding of both the practical aspects of the claim, such as medical procedures or mechanical functionality, and the emotional component of the parties involved. To be successful in this field, a lawyer needs to be well balanced with an understanding of the law, but also personable and relatable, a task that I find intriguing.”

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 John Murrill and Kelley Dick. Most importantly, I have learned that relationships formed early on in your legal career will stay with you for a lifetime. My mentors have demonstrated that personal relationships that begin as far back as undergraduate school and pre-law employment are important in the legal field as they will create avenues of dispute resolution and productive advancement of cases that otherwise may not be available. The legal community is relatively small and maintaining a good reputation is absolutely necessary to be a successful attorney.”

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

“The law clerk program has given me invaluable insight into the day-to-day practice of law that cannot be duplicated in a traditional educational setting. As a clerk, I have worked on projects in various fields of law, including areas that I formally had no knowledge. The application of fundamental research and writing principles applied to the wide range of projects assigned to me through the clerk program has given me confidence in my education and ability to work through any legal task.”

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

“The Taylor Porter Associate Program is designed to expose clerks to nearly all aspects of practicing law. I have attended trials, motions, panel discussions with the judges of the First Circuit Court of Appeal, and individualized question and answer sessions with both federal and state judges. All of these activities have been focused on increasing our understanding of the practical aspects of the legal practice and have made for a diverse learning experience.”