Alan Childress

Alan Childress

School of Professional Advancement

Conrad Meyer III Professor of Civil Procedure, Tulane Law School

(he/him)

Education & Affiliations

  • JD, Harvard Law School
  • PhD, Jurisprudence & Social Policy, University of California-Berkeley
  • MA, Jurisprudence & Social Policy, University of California-Berkeley
  • BA, International Relations, University of Alabama

Biography

Alan Childress is the Conrad Meyer III Professor of Law at Tulane. After law school, he clerked in Shreveport for the federal court of appeals and practiced appellate law in California. He became a law professor in 1988, teaching Evidence, Legal Profession, and Torts. Since 2020, he also teaches the SoPA class in Louisiana Notary Law.

Alan coauthored the three-volume treatise 'Federal Standards of Review' and has published the leading guides and resources for the state notary exam. He is an attorney licensed by the California and D.C. bars, a practicing notary public for the university community, and a member of the Law & Society Association.

If you could be on any reality TV show, which would you choose and why?
"Nailed It!" because I would become legend and immortal as the worst baker ever.

What is the best advice you've ever received?
When your dad gives you specific instructions to do something or stop doing something, say yes, then do what you wanted to do.

What advice would you give to someone who's considering finishing their degree, or starting for the first time as an adult?
Especially with education, enjoy the journey as much as the destination. It's OK if it's about the degree and the career upside, but you'll have more fun if you invest yourself in the classes in their own right. Curiosity keeps you young.

Courses Taught

  • GLSP 4300 Louisiana Notary Law

Areas of Expertise

  • Notary Law
  • Appellate Courts
  • Evidence
  • Legal Ethics
  • Torts