“We are not ready to guarantee fundamental rights to the worst individuals? I am convinced we are,” said Étienne Mangeot, describing his defense work for families of French Islamic State fighters.
Mangeot currently represents about ten families whose members traveled to Syria. He advocates for suspects currently detained in Iraq to be transferred back to France for formal trial. “Even in the worst cases, such as the Bataclan attacks, I pride myself on the fact that French justice delivers the final word. That is the rule of law,” Mangeot told the regional publication La Semaine.
Mangeot established his law firm in Nancy after winning the Caen Memorial international pleading competition in 2018, where he also won the City of Caen prize, the 30th anniversary special prize, and the public prize. His competition subject focused on the legal conflict between human rights and public enemies, specifically jihadists. Eighteen months later, the mother of Adrien Guihal, then a prominent French member of the Islamic State hierarchy, contacted him to represent her family.
Beyond criminal defense, Mangeot handles complex business litigation in the Grand Est region. He represents Philippe Buron Pilâtre in ongoing legal disputes involving the Grand Est Mondial Air Ballons festival and Stephan Bourguignon, creator of the Enenvol balloon event. He also represents the Metz Marathon association in a dispute with the Euro-Métropole de Metz.
Mangeot maintains an intensive professional schedule that frequently extends into the night. “Tonight, when I return, whatever the hour, I will open my computer and make sure everything is in order for tomorrow. Being a lawyer is a total profession that takes over the person,” Mangeot told La Semaine.
Outside his civilian practice, Mangeot serves as a reserve officer in the French Army. He commands a unit of 100 personnel within the 53rd Transmission Regiment based in Lunéville, holding potential responsibilities for staff functions in a deployment scenario. His father, an agriculturist, founded the Domaine Régina wine estate in Bruley at the heart of the Côtes de Toul appellation.
Mangeot regards the courtroom as a structured stage requiring clear role separation. “When you are called to the bar, silence falls, all eyes turn to you. That is the adrenaline rush. Then you let loose the horses,” Mangeot said.
He acknowledges that his professional persona contrasts with his personal disposition.
“I am very shy and reserved. In everyday life, I do not have an easy way with words, I am a bit wild,” Mangeot told La Semaine, noting that donning his robe provides an essential armor for advocacy. He completed three half-marathons and the six-day race in the Toulois region covering 80 kilometers in six days.
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