Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles

Dee O'Neil Andrews, Esq.
P. O. Box 1758
Picayune, Mississippi 39466
E-mail address: dee_andrews@bellsouth.net

 
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Executive Director        March 2000 - February 2001
Gulf South Center for Applied Ethics
P. O. Box 6442
Slidell, Louisiana 70460

Responsible for establishing and operating non-profit humanitarian organization; duties involve teaching seminars and short courses, fund raising, marketing, advertising, public relations, preparing teaching and training materials, obtaining volunteers for service.  Workshops and seminars include business ethics and marriage enrichment workshops and other workshops on various ethics related topics.  

Associate Attorney        March 1999 - February 2000
Thornhill Law Firm, L.C.
1308 Ninth Street, Slidell, Louisiana 70458

General civil practice on both plaintiff and defense sides including family law, environmental law, personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, worker’s compensation and succession law.  Prepared motions and memoranda, appeal briefs and writ applications in both state and federal courts. Areas of expertise included insurance coverage questions, environmental tort litigation, commercial and regulatory litigation and family law.  

Staff Attorney        January 1995 - February 1999
Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale, L.L.P.
One Galleria Blvd, Suite 1400, Metairie, Louisiana  70001

Handled complex legal research and writing assignments for 40-member litigation firm, including preparation of motions, memoranda, appeal briefs and writ applications, largely in the area of insurance defense litigation, in both state and federal courts. Areas of expertise included casualty claims, insurance coverage questions, regulatory issues, product liability, worker’s compensation, employment law issues, toxic tort litigation, maritime and commercial litigation. Supervised and taught firm’s student law clerks, assigning, reviewing and editing all research and legal  writing,  memoranda and briefs. Editor of firm s twice-yearly, six-page client newsletter, assigning articles, reviewing, editing and preparing finished product.     

Associate Attorney               October 1992 - December 1994
Weigand, Levenson & Costa
427 Gravier Street, New Orleans, Louisiana  70130

General civil practice on both the plaintiff and defense sides included establishing and representing corporate clients in all phases of operations, providing defense for national commercial insurance company, personal injury, medical malpractice, and family law areas. Successfully drafted, presented and argued writ to Louisiana Supreme Court. Drafted pleadings and supporting memoranda, prepared briefs and writs at appellate level, conducted legal research, depositions, reviewed and prepared cases for negotiation, arbitration, settlement and trial. Interviewed, counseled, and represented clients in all phases of litigation.  Served as law clerk to Leonard L. Levenson for two and one-half years during law school.

Casualty Claims Representative             July 1987 - August 1989
Allstate Market Claims Office
115 Main Street, Biloxi, MS 39530

Responsible for setting up, handling, and settling, through negotiations with individuals and attorneys, personal liability claims involving bodily injury and property damage. Work included investigating thoroughly the circumstances surrounding accidents through scene investigations and taking statements from the parties involved, witnesses and police officers, to determine liability. Assembled extensive supporting documentation by maintaining detailed diaries and collecting medical and wage information. Worked closely with defense attorneys in writing medical and liability evaluations and damage  assessments to support legal opinions in preparing cases for settlement or trial.

Insurance Solicitor/Office Manager       January 1986 - July 1987
John Pigott Allstate
915 Highway 43 North, Picayune, Mississippi 39466

Solicited insurance business in person and by telephone on a commission basis after becoming licensed in Mississippi as Insurance Solicitor while also managing the offices of two Allstate agents. Set up office-wide filing system, set up and handled office accounting system, maintained accounts receivable and placed advertising with local media.

Community Editor              June 1979 - July 1982
The Picayune Item
P. O. Box 580, Picayune, Mississippi 39466

Responsible for editing copy and photographs and doing layouts for 10 to 15 newspaper pages per week, including People Section of the newspaper. Interviewed subjects, took photographs and wrote news, investigative series, features and weekly column. Wrote and edited copy, took photographs and did layouts for 16-page Sunday magazine, and other special editions. Did photography, copy and layouts for full-page picture features.

EDUCATION:   Loyola University of New Orleans School of Law,                                New Orleans, LA
                       Juris Doctorate, May 1992  -  Top 18% of class
                       Common Law curriculum

                        University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
                        Bachelor of Science, May 1986  -  Highest Honors
                        Major:  Communication    Emphasis: Journalism,                                       Public Relations, Marketing
                        GPA:  4.0 on a 4.0 scale

ACTIVITIES AND HONORS:

                         Current:

Admitted Louisiana Bar, Louisiana U. S. Eastern District Court, Louisiana Bar Association, Slidell Bar Association                   

               Loyola School of Law:
Loyola Law Review, 1991-92; American Jurisprudence Award, Moot Court Best Appellate Brief 1989-90; Scholastic Scholarships, 1989-92

                        University of Southern Mississippi:

Editor and Feature Writer, Communication Journal, Spring, Fall 1984; Weekly Columnist, The Student Printz, 1983-1984 

                         Prior:

Weekly Columnist, The Picayune Item, 1979-1982
Mississippi Press Association First Place - Community Service, 1982; Best Pictorial Series, 1983; Second Place - Best Pictorial Series, 1981
First Place - South Plains Electric Cooperative History Contest
Second Place - Texas Electric Cooperative History Contest

PUBLISHED WORKS:

DNA and DADS: Considerations for Louisiana in Using DNA Blood Tests to Determine Paternity, Loyola Law Review, Vol. 38, No. 2, Summer 1992, and WestLaw
The People Have the Power, History of South Plains Electric Cooperative
Anthology, The Collected Writings of the Davidson Family
   
    Works in Progress:
Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles
Tiger, The Movie-Star Cat:  And Other Varieties of Cat Tales
 
TECHNICAL/SPECIAL SKILLS:

Legal, News and Feature Researcher and Writer; Legal, News and Feature
Copy and Photo Editor, including Layout, Design and Graphics; Lecturer; Public Speaker; Personal Historian; Tutor; Teaching, Photographer; Black & White Film Processing; WestLaw Research; WordPerfect, Word  

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