Gordon Arata Montgomery Barnett welcomes three 2L summer clerks in our New Orleans and Lafayette offices: Haley Zhu-Butler, Zachary Wells and Brendan Besh. During our Summer Clerk Program, clerks gain a hands-on introduction to the private practice of law while working alongside our attorneys on challenging assignments in real-world cases. Whenever possible, they attend depositions, settlement meetings and discovery conferences, meet presiding judges and interact with clients. Clerks also are partnered with attorneys and gain mentorship lasting through the program, law school, and their professional careers.

Haley Zhu-Butler grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and graduated from Tulane University with Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Linguistics. Haley’s previous internships include conducting investigations in capital cases for the Capital Appeals Project, providing civil litigation research for survivors of sexual violence and serving as a hotline responder and medical advocate for victims of sexual assault. Haley attends Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and she participated in Gordon Arata Montgomery Barnett’s 2020 Diversity Summer Clerkship Program.

Zachary Wells is a Louisiana native who grew up in Breaux Bridge. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and as the Outstanding Graduate of the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration from the University of Louisiana Lafayette, earning a Bachelor of in Business Administration degree as an accounting major. Zachary’s previous experiences include working as a tax intern at an accounting firm, being a staff editor for the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual, and a summer intern for the 15^th Judicial District Public Defenders Office. He attends Columbia Law School.

Brendan Besh is from Slidell, Louisiana. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Program of Liberal Studies and Italian Studies. During his undergraduate experience, Brendan interned for Senator Bill Cassidy, worked as a legal assistant and assisted with media strategy and research for legal campaigns while working with a non-profit, public-interest legal and educational institute. Since starting law school, Brendan has worked as a legal and public policy intern with the De Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture and as a law clerk in the Office of the Solicitor of the Louisiana Department of Justice. Brendan attends the University of Notre Dame Law School.