CARISA ODEN

Carisa G. Oden was born in Colorado and moved to New Orleans in 1997 to attend college at Loyola University. After completing college at Loyola University in 2001, Carisa started her legal career with the Davis ∙ Saunders Law Firm. She began as a legal secretary, advanced to a paralegal assistant, and ultimately became a trial assistant/litigation paralegal assisting in numerous injury cases tried to verdict in Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Virginia. After three years of working predominately in railroad injury litigation, Carisa decided to return to school and study to become a lawyer. She returned to Loyola University where she attended law school from 2004-2007. While in law school, Carisa continued working at Davis & Saunders as a law clerk. She graduated from law school in December 2007 and received her license to practice law in April 2008.

While at Loyola College of Law, Carisa worked as a Student Practitioner in the Loyola Law Clinic protecting the rights of workers in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She worked in the Law Clinic representing indigent clients under the supervision of experienced attorneys working on federal discrimination cases and state workers' rights cases. Carisa also participated with other Louisiana law students traveling to Washington D.C. to present numerous complex issues plaguing Louisiana and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Loyola law students, along with Georgetown law students, presented these issues to United States senators, the Army Corp of Engineers, and FEMA officers to help institute changing policies affecting Louisiana.

Carisa has now been part of the Davis ∙ Saunders Law Firm for over six years fighting for injured workers' rights in the areas of Railroad, Maritime and Aviation Law.

Carisa and her husband Michael presently live in Metairie, Louisiana.