Eddie Schmidt
About Eddie
Eddie grew up in a Catholic middle class family in Harahan, Louisiana, a small town along the Mississippi River outside of New Orleans. He attended Vanderbilt University where he graduated with Honors and lettered four years as a member of the Varsity Swimming Team and served as team captain.
Eddie put himself through LSU Law School working three different jobs. After law school, Eddie worked for a small Baton Rouge firm for a couple of years before starting his own practice in Jefferson, Louisiana. While maintaining primarily a private practice, Eddie also served at various times as a public defender, general counsel to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, and a Better Business Bureau Arbitrator. Eddie served two terms as a member of the Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee.
Concerned over increasing government intrusion into personal privacy and religious affairs, Eddie became a cooperating attorney for the ACLU. In 1998 Eddie attended the Trial Lawyers College founded by legendary lawyer Gerry Spence. The Trial Lawyers College is a month long program held annually for 50 invited civil plaintiff and criminal defense lawyers. Eddie currently serves as a member of the teaching faculty. In addition to his involvement with the Trial Lawyers College, Eddie regularly writes and speaks about trial practice.
In 2001 at age 43 and disgusted with Louisiana’s poverty, pollution, and politics and following his heart, Eddie closed his practice and moved to Nashville. He married second grade teacher Amy Rich of Nashville. Eddie has tried all types of civil and criminal cases and has obtained significant verdicts in medical malpractice, products liability, unfair trade practices, and civil rights in both state and federal courts.
Eddie has successfully argued cases before the Tennessee and Louisiana Supreme Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Sixth Circuits. In 2008 Eddie was awarded the Bruce Kramer ACLU Cooperating Attorney Award.
