One of the most rewarding moments of Todd Manuel’s legal career was bestowed on him by someone who was on the other side of a case.
Manuel was defending a client after an accident in which a man was killed. Needless to say, it was an incredibly difficult experience.
“You try and figure out a way to show compassion, but at the same time do your job,” he says.
After the matter was resolved, he says the widow of the man who died actually thanked him for the sensitive way he handled the situation.
“It just let you know that, regardless of what side of the fence you fall on, if you do your job and you do it in the best possible way, people will respect you,” he says.
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Manuel’s mother was a teacher who instilled the value of education in young Todd from an early age. The biggest influences on his professional life have been other partners at his firm, who took him under their wings early on. One mentor he mentions by name is Russell Jones, a Southern University Law Center professor, who taught him to work toward his goals with a “seriousness of purpose.”
Now that he’s achieved some success, Manuel plays the role of mentor himself by staying involved in education-related causes.
“The biggest need is in areas where resources and access to education is not readily available,” he says. “There are a lot of people who, because of socio-economic conditions, are unable to take full advantage of some of the opportunities some of us take for granted.”
When Manuel works with young people, he tries to instill a sense of that same seriousness of purpose Jones instilled in him, along with a belief that, when you do succeed, you have a responsibility to reach back and try to help others do the same.
“There are people out there trying very hard,” he says, “and sometimes a helping hand makes all the difference in the world.”
Age: 38
If you could have any job other than your own, what would it be? “I would love to be an architect, because I think downtown Baton Rouge is a great canvas.”
Click here for the complete list of 2009's Forty Under 40 winners.
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