Table of Contents
Nomination and Appointment
Nominated by President Donald Trump on February 16, 2018, David C. Joseph was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 22, 2018, and was sworn into office eight days later, on March 30, 2018. With his extensive litigation experience in both criminal and civil law, Mr. Joseph, at 42 years old, is, by far, the youngest nominee to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
Office Jurisdiction
United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, David Cleveland Joseph, oversees 42 out of the 64 parishes, which is about two-thirds of the State of Louisiana. The office supervises approximately 40 attorneys and is in charge of federal crimes brought by the United States, involving the Western District of Louisiana. Additionally, the office manages civil cases involving the United States and recovers debts owed to the United States.
Educational Background
In 2000, Mr. Joseph received his undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Oklahoma. In 2003, he graduated in the Louisiana State University, at the Paul M. Herbert Law Center, earning a degree in Bachelor of Civil Laws, and subsequently his Juris Doctorate, receiving the Order of the Coif. Furthermore, Mr. Joseph earned a certificate as an Honor Graduate at the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Basic Course, Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2005.
U.S. Military Service
Mr. Joseph registered for selective service and performed duty in several U.S. Military branches. He first served as a Private First Class and Specialist at the Oklahoma Army National Guard from 1997 to 2000, before receiving an Honorable Discharge and then serving as a Soldier in the 239th Military Police Company at the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2000 to 2003. Mr. Joseph also served as the First Lieutenant and Captain of the Trial Defense Service at the United States Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 2005 to 2008, practicing criminal, operational, and administrative law. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Joseph served as a Captain at the United States Army Reserve.
Legal Career
In between his service in the military, Mr. Joseph began his legal career as a Law Clerk at the Kean Miller LLP in the summer of 2001 and spring of 2002. He also served as a Law Clerk at both the Watson, Blanch, Wilson & Posner, LLP, and the Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, LLP in the summer of 2002. Later on, Mr. Joseph was selected to be a Law Clerk to the Honorable Jeffery P. Victory of the Louisiana Supreme Court from August 2003 to 2004, and soon under Honorable John V. Parker of the United States District Court – Middle District of Louisiana from September 2004 to May 2005. Mr. Joseph focused on conducting legal research and writing and preparing draft opinions as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Louisiana Supreme Court, and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.
In the summer of 2008, Mr. Joseph entered private law practice in Dallas, Texas. He worked as a Litigation Associate at the Fulbright & Jaworski LLP until May 2011, before shifting to Kane, Russell, Coleman & Logan, P.C., still as a Litigation Associate. Mr. Joseph focused on commercial litigation, encompassing all aspects of civil litigation, such as depositions, motion practice in state and federal court, and trials.
After his last service in the military, Mr. Joseph became Senior Attorney of the Professional Liability and Financial Crimes at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from 2012 to 2014, investigating on professional liability and fraud claims, and retaining, supervising, and managing outside counsel to help the FDIC.
Before taking the seat as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Mr. Joseph first served as an Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, from 2014 to 2018. Mr. Joseph worked on a wide variety of offenses, but mainly prosecuted crimes relating to fraud, white-collar crimes, public corruption, firearm offenses, and military installations. Other than that, he has also led the District’s Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) review team and serve as the District’s military liaison with the Fort Polk Army post.
Major Accomplishments
Mr. Joseph has had remarkable service to the United States, including his development and implementation of a corporate witness training program across the FDIC agency. On FDIC alone, he has negotiated numerous settlements before filing suit, with a wide range of $790K to $3.3M settlement amount. Furthermore, Mr. Joseph has worked as the lead and co-lead counsel on several matters such as the prosecution of illegal manufacture and use of a chemical weapon, rape, wire fraud amounting to $5.8M, public corruption, robbery, illegal firearms, among others.
Honors and Awards
Through the years of providing excellent service, Mr. Joseph has received numerous honors and awards. In 1998, Mr. Joseph received an Army Service Ribbon. In 1999 and 2000, he received an Oklahoma Good Conduct Ribbon. In 1998 and 2001, he received an Army Achievement Medal. Mr. Joseph has also gained several academic awards such as the Honors College at the University of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2000, and individual law school awards for attaining the highest grade in White Collar & Corporate Crime and Federal Courts in 2002, Mineral Rights and Successions & Donations in 2001, and Torts in 2000. Adding to his long list of academic achievements, Mr. Joseph was also awarded for being in the Louisiana State University Law Chancellor’s List in 2002, and 2003, and was awarded the phenomenal Order of The Coif, Louisiana Chapter in 2003.
Honorary Society Membership from the Phi Beta Kappa, and the Russell B. Long Federal Courts Award by the Federal Bar Association was also given to Mr. Joseph in 2003. In the succeeding years, Mr. Joseph has been awarded the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Judge Advocate General’s Award for Professional Merit in 2005, the Army Commendation Medal in 2008, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Monetary Award, and Mission Achievement Award in 2012 and 2013, the Special Act Award, U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2016 and 2017, and the Environmental Protection Agency, Bronze Medal for Commendable Service in 2018.
Teaching and Bar Associations
On top of his legal career, Mr. Joseph has also been a guest instructor and lecturer at the Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center. At the Department of Law, United States Military Academy West Point, New York, discussing Criminal Law and Procedure, and Constitutional Law, respectively. Furthermore, he is an active member of several Bar Associations, including the Louisiana State Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Lafayette Bar Association, Shreveport Bar Association, and Federal Bar Association since 2003, 2008, 2015, and 2018, respectively. Mr. Joseph is a former member of the Dallas Bar Association from 2008 to 2012.
Court Admissions
Mr. Joseph also has been admitted to practice at several Federal Courts, such as the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.
Contact Details
Full Name: David Cleveland Joseph
District/State: Western District of Louisiana
Shreveport Office
300 Fannin Street, Suite 3201
Shreveport, LA 71101
(318) 676-3600
Main
(800) 729-7270
Toll-Free
(318) 676-3660
Fax USA
(318) 676-3641
Fax Admin
(318) 676-3642
Fax Civil
(318) 676-3663
(318) 676-3654
Fax Criminal
(318) 676-0950
Video TeleConf
Lafayette Office
800 Lafayette Street, Suite 2200
Lafayette, LA 70501-6832
(337) 262-6618
Main
(800) 676-6992
Toll-Free
(337) 262-6783
Fax USA
(337) 262-6682
Fax Admin
(337) 262-6693
Fax Civil
(337) 262-6680
Fax Criminal
(337) 289-1545
Video TeleConf
Monroe Office
201 Jackson Street, Room B-107
Monroe, LA 71201
(318) 322-0766
Main
(318) 322-2938
Other Main
(318) 325-2990
Fax
Lake Charles Office
611 Broad Street, Room 348
Lake Charles, LA 70601
(337) 437-7206
Main
(337) 437-7209
Other Main
(337) 437-7292
Fax
Delivery Service:
David C. Joseph
United States Attorney
Western District of Louisiana
U.S. Attorney’s Office
300 Fannin Street, Suite 3201
Shreveport, LA 71101
Social Media Profiles
Bloomberg
Username: David C Joseph
URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/20296310
Twitter Field
Username: U.S. Attorney WDLA
Tag: @USAO_WDLA
Updated: June 15, 2020
Alexander C. Van Hook is the next Acting State’s Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.
Updated: September 29, 2020
Brandon B. Brown is the next State’s Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.
Updated: March 25, 2023