On July 7, 2025, the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division, in coordination with the Lafayette/Acadiana Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the Lafayette Bar Association held its inaugural Law Students’ Day.  Summer interns from surrounding area law firms were invited to the John M. Shaw United States Courthouse to observe court appearances, and conduct discussions with members of the bar and judiciary.  Twenty-one law students from Baylor, LSU, Loyola and Southern law schools attended.   

The interns were welcomed by the Clerk of Court, Daniel J. McCoy, and were then provided a lecture on effective legal writing by Camille Domingue, Chief of the Appellate Division, for the U.S. Attorney's Office. The interns then assembled in the courtroom to observe a criminal motion hearing before the Honorable David C. Joseph.  After the hearing, the interns assembled for a question-and-answer session with the Honorable Robert R. Summerhays and Honorable David C. Joseph, on various topics to include federal court procedures and practice, potential legal career paths, and federal clerkship opportunities.  The Law Day concluded with a presentation by Kristin Geiss, Fifth Circuit librarian, on legal research and advanced AI, library science career opportunities, and research/study opportunities at the library.  Reed Ellis, Young Lawyers chairperson of the Lafayette/Acadiana Federal Bar Association and Secretary of the Young Lawyers Section of the Lafayette Bar Association concluded the event with remarks emphasizing the various resources available through the bar to aid in the pursuit of their law degrees.