Alumni Spotlight: Harry L. Daniels III '04

Most children are not sure what they want to be when they grow up; however, this was not the case for Harry L. Daniels III. Originally from New Iberia, Daniels ’04 always knew that he wanted to be a lawyer. He is currently a partner at Daniels & Washington Law Firm, L.L.C. where he specializes in trial work. Throughout his career, Daniels has become a member of several associations including the Louisiana Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Baton Rouge Criminal Defense Lawyers Association to name a few. Most recently, Daniels was recognized as one of the 2019 Distinguished Alumni from Southern University Law Center. As he advances in his law career, Daniels recounts that he’ll always remember where his collegiate journey first started: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

When it came to choosing a university, Daniels was initially attracted to UL Lafayette’s family atmosphere.  “I knew that this was the school I was meant to go to,” said Daniels. While on campus, Daniels was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. as well as Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship. With the exception of these organizations, Daniels mainly focused on his school work knowing that his end goal was acceptance into law school. Along the way, he had several professors push him to his fullest potential, particularly Pamela Meyer. Meyer taught Daniels accounting over a summer semester, and gave him the encouragement that he needed to excel in his classes for the rest of his undergraduate career. “She even came to my law school graduation,” said Daniels. Daniels graduated from UL Lafayette in 2004 where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. From there, Daniels was ready to embark on the next step of his journey which would get him one step closer to being in a courtroom.

Daniels applied to all of the law schools in Louisiana but received the best scholarship offer from Southern University Law Center. Thankfully, Daniels felt extremely prepared for this next challenge in his career from his experiences at UL Lafayette. “The analytical skills I learned [at UL Lafayette] really prepared me for law school,” said Daniels. While in law school, Daniels was a law clerk for James E. Born, where he was taught about the plight of indigent parties. Daniels earned his Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center in 2007 during the midst of an economic recession. With few jobs available, Daniels and one of his fellow law students decided to start their own law firm. It was a risky decision, but Daniels and his partner worked diligently to establish themselves as credible lawyers.

Today, Daniels cannot believe that his journey has come full circle after being recognized as one of the 2019 Distinguished Alumni for Southern University Law Center. As a law student, he always dreamed of receiving this enormous honor. Now, that dream is a reality. Daniels credits his family, friends, and professors for helping him get to where he is today. “Anything is possible if you put the work into it,” said Daniels. Daniels plans to continue practicing law at his law firm for years to come. Even though he doesn’t reside in Lafayette anymore, he always makes sure to make a trip to Olde Tyme Grocery whenever he visits. Daniels will never forget the memories that he had at UL Lafayette and will forever be a Ragin’ Cajun.

Photo: Harry L. Daniels III