It’s tough to find a lawyer that will outwork Ralph Capitelli. It’s even tougher to find one that believes in service to others as much as Ralph.
Ralph Capitelli
It’s hard to find a lawyer that will outwork Ralph Capitelli. It’s also hard to find one that believes in service to others as much as Ralph Capitelli.
Perhaps it’s because he watched his Italian grandparents working to build new lives as immigrants in New York. Or maybe it’s because when his parents moved the family to New Orleans at age 12, he watched his parents work to put their children through college.
A strong work ethic seems to run in the family, and Ralph learned early on that hard work leads to better results. With that kind of commitment and resilience fueling him, nothing infuriates him more than unfairness and injustice.
After graduating from law school at Loyola University, Ralph started his legal career working as an Assistant District Attorney of Orleans Parish for both Jim Garrison and Harry Connick in the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office. Ralph rose to the position of First Assistant District Attorney. From his work within the DA’s office, he learned the prosecution side of law, including the government’s tactics and strategies.
Ralph was chosen by the Louisiana Supreme Court to be the Special Counsel for the Louisiana Judiciary Commission.
While gaining recognition in Louisiana as a tough prosecutor, Ralph’s inner desire to help the people was only growing. Leaving the DA’s office, he eventually founded a private law practice.
To gain further expertise in the criminal defense side of the law, Ralph Capitelli volunteered on the Federal Public Defender panel and took “pro bono” cases that no other defense attorney would touch, including several death penalty cases.
Ralph partnered with Carey Wicker for their law practice because of their shared values. Both found that they wanted to have a smaller firm that would allow them to work directly with their clients.
After graduating from law school at Loyola University, Ralph started his legal career working as an Assistant District Attorney of Orleans Parish for both Jim Garrison and Harry Connick in the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office. Ralph rose to the position of First Assistant District Attorney. From his work within the DA’s office, he learned the prosecution side of law, including the government’s tactics and strategies.
Ralph was chosen by the Louisiana Supreme Court to be the Special Counsel for the Louisiana Judiciary Commission.
While gaining recognition in Louisiana as a tough prosecutor, Ralph’s inner desire to help the people was only growing. Leaving the DA’s office, he eventually founded a private law practice.
To gain further expertise in the criminal defense side of the law, Ralph Capitelli volunteered on the Federal Public Defender panel and took “pro bono” cases that no other defense attorney would touch, including several death penalty cases.
As a criminal defense attorney, Ralph uses his background in business and state-level prosecution to defend clients against charges of white collar crime. He defended a major gaming company in a complex federal RICO investigation, a case which ended with clearing the company of any wrongdoing. He also successfully handled the first major gaming regulatory hearing ever held in the State of Louisiana.
In recent years, he has defended both corporations and individuals, with a particular focus on complex white collar and public corruption cases in Federal Court.
He shares his knowledge and passion for the law as a frequent guest lecturer at Tulane University’s School of Law.
In his personal life, Ralph and his wife Linda are active in Catholic charities and they have received the Order of St. Louis medallion. They have fundraised for Boy’s Hope and Girl’s Hope and numerous other charities. In 2016 Ralph and Linda co-chaired the annual function for the New Orleans Council for Community and Justice, an interfaith organization of Christians and Jews dedicated to fighting for equality and promoting understanding for all races, religions, and cultures.
If you’ve been in New Orleans long enough and are a sports fan like Ralph, you might recognize Ralph as the original voice of the University of New Orleans basketball team, where he announced games while simultaneously studying accounting. Ralph is currently a board member and the vice president of the Sugar Bowl committee.
Memberships & Accolades
Louisiana State Bar Association • American Bar Association • Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers • Federal Bar Association • Martindale Hubbell AV rated • SuperLawyers • First President of St. Pius X Men’s Club • Board member of Closer Walk Ministries • Advisory committee of Sisters Servants of Mary • Awarded Order of St. Louis Medallion by Archdiocese of New Orleans
Legatus Board Member • Received Preservation Resource Center award for historic preservation (the former Camp Inn located at the corner of Camp and Julia Streets • Admitted to practice in all Federal courts in Louisiana, the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He has handled federal criminal cases in jurisdictions across the United States
Contact Louisiana Attorneys
Capitelli & Wicker understands that you have many choices when choosing an attorney. We are committed to representing all of our clients to the best of our abilities and strive to treat each of our clients the way we would want to be treated if we were in their shoes. It would be our honor to represent you.
Get in touch with us by either calling us at 504-582-2425 or scheduling a consultation online.
