Gauthier Lecture

The Wendell H. Gauthier Lectureship in Trial Advocacy and Practice is dedicated to the areas of trial advocacy, skills training and other mechanisms of dispute resolution.

History

The Wendell H. Gauthier Lectureship in Trial Advocacy and Practice was established at Tulane Law School in 2003 by the family and friends of Mr. Gauthier in recognition and memory of his extraordinary career as a trial lawyer. Mr. Gauthier, a native of New Orleans, rose to prominence as one of the nation's most successful trial attorneys in the field of class action litigation. This lecture series is designed to bring unusually accomplished professionals, jurists, and legal academics in the areas of trial advocacy, skills training and other mechanisms of dispute resolution to Tulane Law School to share their ideas, insights, and experiences with our community.

Wendell H. Gauthier

Wendell H. Gauthier was one of the country’s foremost trial attorneys and rose to national prominence representing victims of the 1982 crash of Pan Am Flight 759 in Kenner. He also represented victims of a major hotel fire at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and at the collapse of a walkway at a Hyatt Regency in Kansas City. One of Mr. Gauthier’s most controversial cases included the groundbreaking Castano litigation filed against several tobacco companies. During the litigation, he discovered documents exposing a corporate cover up of nicotine’s addictive potential. The revelation paved the way for the industry’s landmark $246 billion settlement with the states in 1998. Mr. Gauthier died in December, 2001.

Gauthier Lecturers