Jennifer Adams is a native New Orleanian who is a General Partner at Deutsch Kerrigan, LLP. For the last 20 years, Jennifer has focused her practice on representing a wide variety of toxic exposure and product liability defendants in state and federal courts throughout Louisiana. She is the Chair of the Firm’s Toxic Tort and Environmental Practice Group, and she has served on the Firm’s management committee for the last 8 years. She has also been involved with the Charitable Contributions, Strategic Planning, Finance, and Diversity Committees in the Firm over the years.

Jennifer has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America, Inside New Orleans Readers’ Favorite Elite Lawyer, New Orleans City Business Ones to Watch, New Orleans Magazine’s Top Lawyers, and is ranked as AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. 

She graduated from St. Martin’s Episcopal School, and is now a proud St. Martin’s parent.  She received her BA in Communications from The University of Alabama in 1996.  She received her JD from Loyola University School of Law in 1999.

What drew you to the legal profession?

My late father, Ted, was a lawyer, and he always encouraged me to get into a business that involved communications, because he thought it was a good fit for me.  When I was a sophomore at St. Martin’s, my high school Civics teacher (also an attorney) put together a Mock Trial team for competitions, and I really enjoyed it.  So, even though I majored in journalism at Alabama, the idea of being in the courtroom was always in the back of my mind.  I ultimately decided that working at a magazine was not for me, and I knew that courtroom litigation was something that I really want to pursue. 

What has changed about law firm culture and the practice of law for you in the last 20-plus years?

I think that as more women have become leaders and rainmakers in law firms, the needs of the working mother are more respected.  I also think that as society has changed, so have law firms.  To that end, more firms - like ours - have more openly LGBTQ and racially diverse partners than ever before.  That is wonderful thing because it reflects the diversity of our clients and society as a whole.  

You are the mother of a young son. How do you strike the balance between family and work?

I woke up at 40 and realized that I didn’t want motherhood to pass me by in life.  I was already an equity partner at Deutsch, and I had the most supportive department head, co-workers, staff and management.  The whole Firm threw me a surprise baby shower!   While being a lawyer has defined me in many ways, raising my son has been the biggest blessing of my life.  It takes a lot of energy, coordination, and help from family, friends, teachers, and caregivers for this working mama!   I encourage our young lawyers to work hard, and play hard.  You CAN do well at both - it just takes some planning. But it is all worth it.