Mitch's Story

Growing up as the fifth of nine children, Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu learned the values of faith and family that guide his service to Louisiana. He was raised in the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans playing streetball with friends and walking to school at Saint Matthias.

As a young man, Mitch developed a passion for the arts and was active in his high school’s theater program. He graduated from Jesuit High School in 1978 and enrolled at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he majored in political science and theatre. Mitch returned home to Louisiana to earn his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Loyola University Law School.

At Loyola, Mitch met his future wife, fellow classmate Cheryl Quirk. Mitch and Cheryl recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They are the proud parents of five children: Grace, Emily, Matthew, Benjamin and William.

Mitch practiced law for fifteen years and served as president of International Mediation & Arbitration, Ltd. He is a member of the Supreme Court Task Force on Alternative Dispute Resolution, which was responsible for developing the pilot mediation program in Orleans Parish. Landrieu is trained in mediation and negotiation by the Harvard Law School Negotiation Project, the American Arbitration Association, and the Attorney Mediator’s Institute. He has also taught alternative dispute resolution as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Law School.