Meghan Matt

Meghan Matt received a bachelor's degree in criminology from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Southern University Law Center, graduating first in her class. 

After law school, Meghan worked as a public defender in New Orleans, zealously representing hundreds of criminal defendants in all aspects of pre-trial and trial litigation. While at OPD, she successfully conducted judge and jury trials, argued numerous hearings on motions resulting in no probable cause found and motions to suppress granted, and fought vigorously for her clients' freedom. 

She then transitioned to the ACLU of Louisiana where she worked on over a dozen 1983 cases, investigated a juvenile detention facility, advocated at the intersection of incarceration and LGBTQ+ rights, conducted depositions, and was on the trial team that successfully argued in federal court for incarcerated children to be removed from Angola prison.

Since joining the Murell Law Firm, Meghan continues her work in criminal defense, civil rights, and personal injury litigation. She practices in state courts across Louisiana and federal courts in Louisiana and all across the Deep South. With experience in both trial and appellate work, working with both children and adults, Meghan thinks holistically about each case. She is deeply committed to her clients and works to create a strategic, creative litigation plan to achieve the best results. 

Meghan has been published three times, including in the ABA’s Human Rights Magazine and the Southern University Law Review. Her articles have been downloaded over one thousand times, referenced in The Washington Post, and cited in dozens of academic publications. In 2022, Meghan was appointed to the Louisiana State Law Institute as a Junior Council Member and served on the planning committee of the 2022 National Civil Rights Conference. She has testified before numerous legislative bodies on issues such as qualified immunity, police brutality, and LGBTQ+ rights. 

Prior to pursuing a legal career, Meghan was a community organizer, storyteller, business owner, and childbirth coach. During her tenure at Southern University Law Center, Meghan clerked at the Louisiana Law Institute: Children's Code Committee, Innocence Project New Orleans, and a boutique criminal defense and civil rights firm, where she assisted in multiple trials. She also served as Managing Editor of the Southern University Law Review and The Public Defender newspaper.

Meghan volunteered as an Innocence Project New Orleans Community Advocate for six years. She also previously served as the NAACP Baton Rouge: Legislative Committee co-chair, sat on Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s Campaign and Transition Team, volunteered with the unhoused through It Takes a Village, and was a member of the Urban League of Baton Rouge: ULEAD, Criminal Justice Reform Cohort.

Meghan can be reached at meghan@murell.law.