Elliot Smythe ’24

---

The Strake Jesuit law club is a relatively new organization that informs interested students about law practice, provides related activities to club members, and hosts industry experts to give talks about their experiences through the years.

In November, litigation lawyer and Beck Redden Partner David Jones spoke to the club about his legal career and gave a case study about his work on the Deep Water Horizon case, commonly referred to as the largest litigation case of the 21st century. Deep Water Horizon involved a massive oil spill that developed into an ecological disaster in the Gulf Coast region. In the litigation, Beck Redden represented Cameron, the company responsible for a critical piece of technology that was misused on the oil rig. Of the four companies that were involved in the court proceedings (liable for 100 billion dollars or more of damage), Cameron was the only firm to be acquitted. Included in this talk was general information about his life as a lawyer, the specifics behind Deepwater Horizon, how his firm interacted with the case, and a Q&A session.

More recently, Houston lawyer and Jesuit alum Cordt Aker spoke about his experiences in the criminal justice side of law, as well as navigating college and law school, launching a career and creating a practice. Aker began his law career on the prosecution side, until he made a transition to criminal defense. After working for other firms, Aker created his own firm, specializing in white-collar defense. He has represented many in the local and national scene, including Travis Scott’s head of security.

The law club was founded in August of 2021 to provide a venue for students to discuss the industry, pathways to success in law, law school admissions, and current events. Through mock trials and guest speakers, the club covers the basics of law school and practice with an emphasis on how Strake Jesuit students can move forward in the legal world. For those interested in law and its many applications, the law club is moderated by Ms. Ritchie and will meet February 16th, April 12th, and May 18th of the ‘23 spring semester.