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 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 is proud to profile LSU Law students Annie Reed and Greg Barro.

Learn more about the Taylor Porter summer associate program

Annie Reed, LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Class of 2019

Annie Reed will enter her second year at LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, where she is a Chancellor’s Scholar and an Hebert Scholar. She has received the CALI Excellence Awards for the highest grades in legal writing and research, legal traditions and systems, and criminal law. Annie is the recipient of the Richard Westbrook Memorial Scholarship. She graduated magna cum laude from LSU with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science, in addition to a Minor in Spanish. Annie is clerking under the mentorship of Taylor Porter attorneys Tim Poché and Erin Sayes Kenny.

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

After my first year of law school, I was interested in every area of the law and was eager to work first-hand with various practice areas at Taylor Porter. My time at Taylor Porter has included work in a variety of practice areas such as successions, conflicts of law, family law, insurance, Medicare/Medicaid issues, and class actions. Each project has provided a window of insight into an intriguing and unique practice area. Ultimately, I am most interested in litigation, and I remain eager to leave the door open to all practice areas that come along with that.

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 Erin Sayes Kenny and Tim Poché. Both are brilliant attorneys and produce great work, but are also kind and welcoming, and have truly made me feel at home at Taylor Porter.  Erin and Tim are wonderful examples of how to maintain a well-rounded life - valuing inter-office relationships, family, and their work. I look up to Erin as a role model as she has provided insight into her day-to-day life as an attorney, and we are both newly married. Tim allowed me to work with him on a class action lawsuit involving almost 10,000 plaintiffs, which was an incredible opportunity as a rising second-year law student. I truly appreciate the respect and friendship that both Tim and Erin have given me, as well as practically getting a sense for what being an attorney looks like.

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

Taylor Porter has invited us into its world - teaching us about the law, and what it means to be an attorney with character and integrity. We have had the opportunity to research and write regarding issues in current cases, as well as attend oral arguments at the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal with the firm’s managing partner, Skip Philips. My clerkship at Taylor Porter has given me hands-on experience with the law that is invaluable to my development as a law student, as well as a future attorney. 

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

Taylor Porter is a workplace unlike any other. Every person I have met at the firm has taken the time to truly get to know the summer associates as well as our families. While emphasizing the development of our work, Taylor Porter values its people. This effort and care that is put into the culture and people of Taylor Porter does not go unnoticed. The friendships in the firm are clear and evident, and I am thankful that Taylor Porter has allowed me to be a part of it this summer as a summer associate.

Greg Barro, LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Class of 2019

Greg Barro will enter his second year at LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, where he is a beneficiary of the Thomas McBride Scholarship Fund. Greg received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Southern Methodist University, where he worked part-time for the Office of George W. Bush. After graduation, Greg worked in Washington D.C. for a real estate firm. Greg also has experience working for a mid-sized oil and gas firm in Shreveport before attending law school. Greg is clerking under the mentorship of Taylor Porter attorneys Ted Laperouse and John Milazzo.

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

When I came to law school, I thought I wanted to be a transaction lawyer. Taylor Porter encouraged me to take an objective look at many different areas of law practice. I am now very interested in commercial litigation and transaction law with focuses in real estate, construction and banking. 

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 Ted Laperouse and John Milazzo. My first assignment was for Ted. His primary focus is in construction litigation, and he gave me my first taste of what it would be like to be a lawyer. The work that I did for Ted gave me the opportunity to consider construction litigation and commercial law as permanent practice areas for myself. My time with John gave me an opportunity to see what a day in the life of associate is like. John’s areas of practice are business oriented, and include areas of law that I would also like to pursue.

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

The law clerk program at Taylor Porter has allowed me to abandon all of the stereotypes you hear about being a lawyer. It has also allowed me to open up to areas of the profession that I used to think were intimidating or unattainable. The work given to you as a clerk are pieces of real cases, and the attorneys expect answers from you to legitimate questions from their clients. One of the most rewarding parts of this clerkship is getting feedback from attorneys on your work product. Another rewarding part of the clerkship is the time spent out of the office. Whether you are accompanying an attorney to a deposition, an oral argument or even a trial, the attorneys at Taylor Porter go out of their way to expose you to every aspect of being a lawyer. 

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

What I like most about the TP Associate Program is the amount of time that Taylor Porter invests in the program to get to know each clerk. The program exposes you to life at Taylor Porter, and it is evident that the firm cares deeply about the time the attorneys spend with the clerks. Some of the most memorable moments have been both inside and outside of the office, and there is something to be said for a group that wants to get to know you on both a professional and personal level.