BU Law Student Adam Swensek

Adam Swensek is New Orleans’ chief deputy city attorney and an experienced trial lawyer. He led the legal team that successfully defended the City Council’s decision to remove four Confederate monuments from New Orleans in 2015 and 2017. Ben and Tanya chat with Adam about his experiences as lead legal representative on this case in court.

Early Life and Education

Adam Swensek is a journalism major at Boston University with aspirations of becoming a First Amendment lawyer. This year’s commencement exercises will feature him as student speaker; during his time at BU he’s used it as an opportunity to focus on what truly matters in his life.

Ben and Tanya Marsh sit down with Adam Swensek of the New Orleans City Council’s Legal Team who successfully argued for the removal of four Confederate monuments in 2017. Together they discuss this case as well as what these monuments can or cannot tell us about history.

Swensek addressed students at West Virginia University College of Law about how to prepare a defense case on behalf of a client.

Professional Career

Adam Swensek, New Orleans Chief Deputy City Attorney and lead trial counsel, manages their appellate division and has served as lead trial counsel in some of their highest-profile civil disputes. He successfully represented them before both US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and Louisiana Supreme Court to remove four Confederate monuments from public display, and recently visited West Virginia University College of Law to present Charles L. Ihlenfeld Lecture on Public Policy and Ethics.

At his presentation, he addressed his career and offered students advice about defending clients effectively. This annual lecture is held to honor one of Wheeling’s prominent lawyers and longtime businessmen.

Personal Life

Adam Swensek at Boston University is “an academic at heart,” yet seeks out work with immediate and tangible benefits for public life. That was one of the key lessons he took away from narrowly escaping the Brighton fire which destroyed his apartment and possessions; B.U. Bridge reports this will be addressed in his commencement address.

In 2015, New Orleans city council voted to remove four Confederate monuments. Their defenders attempted to use court action to fight this removal process but ultimately lost. WVU College of Law hosted one of those involved as part of their Charles L. Ihlenfeld Lecture on Public Policy and Ethics series to discuss his experience with these statues while offering law students advice. He currently oversees New Orleans’ appellate division as well as being lead trial counsel for some of their highest profile civil disputes.