Scotty E. Chabert Jr., 38
Partner, Saunders and Chabert Law Firm; Felony Prosecutor, 18th JDC District Attorney’s Office
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Passing the Louisiana and Mississippi bar exams.
- Named a Southern University Law Center 2018 Distinguished Alumnus.
- Elected president of the Louisiana State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
COMMUNITY:
Sponsors and participates in Swollfest and the Delta Waterfowl Committee, while also being named one of Capital City’s Finest by the Baton Rouge Regional Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
WHAT IS YOUR BIRTHDATE?
12/28/79
NAME ONE BOOK THAT HAS INSPIRED YOU PROFESSIONALLY
To Kill a Mockingbird
WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
I wanted to be an NBA superstar, but I stopped growing in 7th grade.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB, HOW OLD WERE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
I was 14 when I started my first job of selling watermelons on the side of the road. I sold watermelons all through high school and by the end of my senior year, I drove an 18-wheeler full of melons and supplied several local grocery stores. This job taught me how to run a business and how to interact with people.
WHAT IS THE STRANGEST JOB YOU’VE EVER HAD?
Please see above. Selling watermelons on the roadside in Cut-Off, Louisiana made from some interesting experiences.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH IN BATON ROUGE, AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH THERE?
I love the Overpass Merchant and I have to start with fried chicken skins.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
Although it may seem cliché, I consider my family my greatest achievement. I have 3 amazing kids and a wonderful, supportive wife. None of my professional accomplishments mean anything without them.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST FULFILLING MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
There have been several very fulfilling moments in my career. My very first trial after law school I represented a young woman who had been sexually assaulted, and after we received a verdict for personal injuries and punitive damages, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and thank me for always believing in her…hard to top that as my very first trial.
WHAT WAS YOUR PROFESSIONAL “AHA” MOMENT?
I am either still waiting for that “AHA” moment, or they happen so often in my profession that I can pinpoint one moment.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THE HARD WAY?
When I first started practicing, my mentors would tell me, “Not get more stressed about a client’s problem then they are.” I’ve had a few situations that blew up in my face where I had to step back, take a deep breath and realize that my mentors were correct.
WHAT GIVES YOU PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION?
I still get inspired by my clients. I started my legal career wanting to help those that didn’t have a voice or were being pressured to settle by other people. When I can help my clients feel as though justice was obtained, I still get “warm fuzzies.”
WHAT IS THE BEST COMPLIMENT YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN FROM A COLLEAGUE OR BOSS?
Some of the best compliments have been in small thank you cards written to me individually by clients after trial or settlements.
ARE YOU ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA? IF SO, ON WHICH PLATFORMS ARE YOU MOST ACTIVE?
I would classify myself as “Semi-Active.” I am moderately competent at Facebook and Instagram.
HOW MANY TEXTS DO YOU SEND ON AN AVERAGE DAY? HOW MANY EMAILS?
It seems like 1,000,000…..each.
HOW LOW WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR REMAINING PHONE OR COMPUTER BATTERY LIFE GET (IN %) BEFORE YOU HAVE AN ANXIETY ATTACK?
I can go to 20% at the very worst. I have spent what seems like $1,000 in extra chargers to avoid this very situation. I have one in every plug in our house, our cars, and my two offices!
HOW MANY UNREAD MESSAGES ARE IN YOUR INBOX RIGHT NOW?
Currently, 13 emails, zero texts. It gives me anxiety to let them stay unread.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE APP AT THE MOMENT?
I play this puzzle block game that’s a more current version of Tetris. It helps me unwind when I just need to zone out for 5 minutes.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE PAST DECADE?
I love my texting game cameras. They allow you to monitor your deer movement from your office and house.
WHAT TECHNOLOGY DO YOU WISH WAS NEVER INVENTED?
Even though I just spent this entire section detailing my needs and uses for them, I wish that smart phones and tablets were never invented. It would be nice to be completely “unplugged” at some point in my day.
WHAT TIME DO YOU GET UP ON WORKDAY MORNINGS?
I generally get up at 5:50 a.m.
BREAKFAST AT HOME? BREAKFAST ON THE GO? BREAKFAST AT YOUR DESK? NO BREAKFAST AT ALL?
I’m not a huge breakfast eater, so I eat on the go if I eat at all.
THE SAYING GOES: “BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.” SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE YOU “BEING” TO MAKE BATON ROUGE BETTER?
I try to be a good father and friend. I want my kids and the people around me to see that it is truly better to treat others as you wish to be treated and that it is okay to disagree with people in a respectful manner and still remain friends. I think it’s so important to lead by example and strive to be consistent day in and day out.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU WERE “GROWN UP”?
When I heard the doctor say, “Are you ready to meet your son?”
WHAT WAS THE BEST VACATION YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN?
My wife and I went on a long trip to Europe before we had kids. It was so much fun and so quiet!!!
FAVORITE GIFT YOU WERE GIVEN AS A CHILD?
My first pair of Michael “Air” Jordan shoes.
WHICH TALENT OR SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE AND WHY?
I would choose the ability to fly. I lose a lot of time sitting in Baton Rouge traffic!
WHAT’S A NICKNAME YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE FOR YOU?
Most of my friends and family call me “SB.” It stands for “Scotty Boy,” which is a nickname I had as a child to distinguish me from my father who is also named Scotty Chabert.
WHAT ARE YOU SUPERSTICIOUS ABOUT?
I am not superstitious at all.
WHO FASCINATES YOU?
This is a hard one. Currently, I would have to go with Drew Brees, Alex Bregman, and Kevin Hart.
WHICH FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU MOST IDENTIFY WITH?
I don’t know that I have necessarily had the situation yet, but I would say I aspire to be like Atticus Finch (the To Kill A Mockingbird version). I take tough cases, sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but Atticus took a case that had to seem impossible at that time and caused a lot of people to speak negatively about him because it was the right thing to do!
FAVORITE DRINK?
Diet Mountain Dew
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND OR SONG?
Chris Stapleton
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?
Braveheart, The Patriot or Lonesome Dove (hard to pick between those three).
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE?
If I’m being very generous to myself….Ryan Gosling.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 18-YEAR-OLD SELF?
NEVER miss a family function!
PETS?
None. I buried my faithful pound hound, Lizzie about 4 years ago, and I’m still not ready to move on.
HOBBIES?
I grew up fishing and duck hunting, now I am trying to become an “avid bow hunter.”
TELL US ABOUT A MOMENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE.
While not one specific moment within the past two years, I have lost two friends that were very important to me. Both were lost in tragic circumstances. One was my former mentor in the legal profession, and the other was my office “best friend” at the West Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office. Losing them so close together has really made me take a long, hard look at my life to make sure I am living my life to the fullest, but also making sure that the people I love know how I feel about them. It has been a hard time, but now I know I have two fierce guardian angels watching over me every day.
WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG PERSONAL OR CAREER CHALLENGE YOU PLAN TO TAKE ON?
That book chapter is yet to be written…
WHAT CONCERNS YOU MOST ABOUT THE FUTURE?
I always get frustrated with the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality. No one should be given something just by being born in a certain circumstance. Rewards are earned through hard work and sacrifice.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST HOPE ABOUT THE FUTURE?
When I teach my 4th Grade Sunday School class, I see that they are really bright, caring young people making their way up through the ranks. Their hopes, dreams and concerns reflect big hearts.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES?
Keep working hard! Being lazy is the easy route and will eventually come back to haunt you.
DO YOU PLAN TO BE IN THE CAPITAL REGION FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Unless I win the Mega Million Jackpot, I plan to be around for a long time. I love this area. It’s not the area where I was born, but it’s the area where I have built my career and my family.
IF NAMED KING FOR A DAY, WHAT IS ONE CHANGE YOU WOULD MAKE IN BATON ROUGE?
I would build a new bridge and loop over my moat (a.k.a Mississippi River)!
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BATON ROUGE; WHAT WORKS AND WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT?
I think Baton Rouge life is great. We have great food, great families, great sports and great outdoor experiences, but the traffic and the crime make it a hard place to recruit new businesses and people.
DO YOU HAVE A BUCKET LIST? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 THINGS ON IT?
- Killing an elk with my bow
- Arguing a case in front of the United States Supreme Court
- Retiring
See the entire 2017 Forty under 40 class
