About Paul Joseph
Paul Joseph Carmouche earned his J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans in 1969. He entered the legal profession at a time of change in Louisiana courts. The law school training he received in New Orleans set the stage for a long career that has spanned both public service and private practice.
He began working in the Caddo Parish legal system in the early 1970s. In 1973 he served as an Assistant District Lawyer in the Caddo Parish District Lawyer's Office. Two years later he moved to the Caddo Parish Public Defender Office and was named Chief Counsel in 1975. By 1979 he returned to the District Lawyer's Office as a District Lawyer. Those roles placed him on both sides of the courtroom aisle. They also gave him courtroom experience at the trial level in criminal matters.
Carmouche later moved into private practice. Over the years his name has appeared in a series of local firm partnerships, including Stroud, Carmouche & Buckle, Barham Warner Stroud Carmouche, and Carmouche, Bokenfohr, Buckle & Day. He has maintained a practice in Louisiana while also securing the right to appear in federal venues. His admissions include the Louisiana state bar, the federal district courts of Louisiana, the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Courtroom work has remained a throughline. He handled trials, advised clients on criminal matters, and prosecuted and defended cases at different stages. Those years in parish offices informed his approach to case preparation and trial tactics. They also informed how he counsels clients about the risks and realities of litigation.
Carmouche has also kept professional ties through bar and professional organizations. He has been a member of the Louisiana Criminal Defense Lawyers since 2012. He joined the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 2017 and retains that membership. Those affiliations have kept him connected to developments in criminal law and appellate practice.
Today he continues to practice in Louisiana and at the federal level. His work combines trial representation and appellate advocacy. He handles criminal matters and related litigation, and he represents clients in federal district courts and in appeals before the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court when appropriate.
His current practice concentrates on criminal defense and appellate work.
