ATTORNEY CYNTHIA D. SAMUEL

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ABOUT ME

I’m a Trial Attorney.  I’ve spend the bulk of my career as, what author John Grisham called “a street lawyer,” on a “crusade for justice.”   I have spent so much time in the courtrooms of Louisiana, they are my second home.  I have handled tens of thousands of hearings and trials.

I work hard to develop a relationship of trust with my clients so that they have confidence that their case is in good hands.

As a native of New Orleans, I attended UNO and  graduated in 1986.  My first "law related" job was as an Intern at the New Orleans City Attorney’s Office during my Senior year.  I was supervised by Bruce Nacarri.
                                       
I attended Loyola School of Law in New Olreans and graduated in 1990.  It was during law school that I began handling Juvenile Law cases as a Student Practitioner with the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center.

In my early career, I was a prosecutor with the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office durning the tenure of D.A. Harry Connick, Sr.   I was assigned to the Juvenile Division, Child Support Enforcement Division and Magistrate Court, Orleans Parish Criminal Court. 

While in the Juvenile Division, I practiced in every section of Juvenile Court before the Honorable Judges C. Hearn Taylor, George "Buzzy" Kiefer, Ernestine S. Gray, Salvadore (Sal) T. Mule', Anita Ganucheau and Lawrence L. Lagarde, Jr.  

During my tenure in the Juvenile Division, I handled both delinquency and Child Abuse & Neglect matters.  During the six months assigned to the Juvenile Division,  I brought over 50 Juvenile Delinquency cases to trial, including such charges as aggravated rape and first degree murder, armed robbery, negligent homicide, burglary, shoplifting, battery, weapons in school, trespassing and many more.  I also handled daily juvenile arraignments, sentence reviews, and probation revocations, bond hearings and continued custody hearings.  I also prepared and went to trial on Child In Need of Care (child abuse and neglect) cases as the State attorney.

During my tenure in the Child Support Enforcement Division of the District Attorney's Office, I handled hundreds of Child Support cases in the court room, often times handling 15-20 cases per day.  Therefore, I am thoroughly familiar with child support law and I know how to make sure that you get every credit for which you are entitled, and if you are a recipient of child support, I am familiar with getting you the correct support order and how to proceed with wage garnishment and other means of collection of child support and enforcement of the child support order.

Once I finished my assignment in the Juvenile Division, I was assigned to Adult Criminal Magistrate Court where I conducted trials on Adult Misdemeanor cases, probable cause hearings, arraignments and  bond hearings on arrestees on a daily basis.  Ultimately, I handled literally hundreds of various hearings in Criminal Court.

In 1993, I opened The Law Office of Cynthia D. Samuel, a General Law Practice primarily focused on JUVENILE LAW and ultimately, I have handled literally thousands of Juvenile Court hearings and trials.  The firm also handled general Family Law, Child Protection Law,  Adoptions and Juvenile and Adult Criminal Defense.  Throughout this time, I have spent most of my career in the Juvenile Courts of Southeast Louisiana. 

In the mid-1990's I was appointed by the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court to represent children in over one hundred Abuse & Neglect Juvenile Law cases.    In 1994, the Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court also began to appoint me to represent indigents in CINC and Termination of Parental Rights cases.  There, I handled 10-25 cases every week for 18 years.   

I have spent my career dedicated to Juvenile Justice, in my practice and in my continuing education.  I have handled literally thousands of Juvenile Court matters, representing children and adults, in thousands of Juvenile Court hearings, trials and mediations. 

In Delinquency, I have represented both the State and the juvenile defendants at every phase of the process, from pre-arrest through sentence review. 

In Child Protection, I have represented all parties during CINC cases, the State, the child  and indigent parents as a court appointed indigent defender, at every phase of the case, from removal (Continued Custody Hearings) to Adjudication & Termination of Parental Rights to adoption.  I have formed relationships with other attorneys, court staff, child protection personnel and other participants in the Juvenile Justice System such that I can navigate that system for my clients to achieve the best possible result.

After Hurricane Katrina, my practice handled exclusively Juvenile Law matters for four years during the post-Katrina recovery.   I returned to New Orleans after Katrina to rebuild my practice because I love my home town and truly believe New Orleans is a special city.  

I enjoy gaining knowledge and keeping abreast of the changes in Juvenile Law and I have continued to gain knowledge in my continuing education.  Please review my extensive, career long history of supplemental training and continuing education in the field of JUVENILE LAW and Family Law.
 
I became a lawyer because I have a strong sense of justice and fair play and I care about people.   I view the practice of law as a service by which I assist my clients in solving their legal problems.  It is from this perspective that I approach my cases.  

My zealous advocacy for my clients and my passion for justice has earned me the reputation as an aggressive advocate for my clients.  In some circles I am known as “The Barracuda” although I balance that zealous advocacy with compassion and hard work.

The most important thing I want my prospective clients to know is that I approach my cases with the belief that my job as an advocate is to assist my clients in navigating the legal system to obtain the best possible result based on the particular circumstances of his/her case.  I put my heart into my work so that in each case I have the necessary skill and knowledge  to present the facts and law to effectively convey my clients' concerns.

I give my clients personal service.  I work personally on each of my cases.   I will consult with you at every phase from start to finish.  Together, we review all of the legal issues of your case, the applicable law, and the various legal options when developing a case strategy.  I keep my clients up to date on the status of the case and make recommendations as to the best legal options.
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