Mekkah Husamadeen represents LSU Law, National Black Law Students Association on the global stage during service trip to Ghana | |
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As she looks forward to celebrating alongside family, friends, and classmates at the LSU Law Class of 2024 Commencement on May 18, Mekkah Husamadeen has been busily preparing for the big day by selecting invitations, sitting for her composite photo, and ordering her gown, tam, and hood. But she has already received one very special and unique piece of regalia.
Embroidered with her name, “Ghana School of Law,” and the national flag of the West African country, the stole was gifted to Husamadeen by administrators and students at the law school following a weeklong service trip to Ghana by members of the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA). Husamadeen was elected to serve as NBLSA Attorney General last summer and was among five members of the NBLSA Executive Board selected for the expedition, which took place just after the first of the year.
“The aim of the trip was two-fold,” explained Husamadeen, an active member and former president of the Black Law Students Association at LSU Law, which is one of roughly 200 NBLSA chapters worldwide. “One was to get a comprehensive understanding of the Ghana legal system and the other was to make connections with the Ghana School of Law and its students so we can begin exploring partnerships in the future.”
The sojourn was as historic for Husamadeen as it was for NBLSA. She had never travelled outside of North America. The nonprofit had never organized a service mission to Ghana. The trip, which took place Jan. 2-8, marked just the third international mission by NBLSA since 2007 as part of its C.A.R.E.S. initiative—which stands for “Contributing through Advocacy, Resources, Education, and Service”—and the first such trip since the pandemic. C.A.R.E.S. journeys were previously taken to Haiti and Nigeria, which along with Ghana are among a handful of foreign countries with NBLSA chapters.
“Service is at the heart of our mission as Louisiana’s flagship law school, and I could not be prouder of Mekkah for being selected for this important international service mission and for being such a wonderful representative the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center on the global stage,” LSU Law Dean Alena Allen said. “I have every confidence that Mekkah will continue to make a positive impact on the world and make us proud as an LSU Law alumna following her graduation this spring. I can’t wait to see where her many talents take her.”
Read the full story.
See a photo gallery of Husamadeen's service trip to Ghana.
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Professor Lisa Avalos selected for Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award to complete research on forthcoming book in United Kingdom | |
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LSU Law Professor Lisa Avalos has received a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to conduct research on her forthcoming book, She Must Be Lying to Us! When Reporting Rape Becomes a Crime, in the United Kingdom during the 2024-25 academic year.
“It is an incredible honor to be selected for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. I am very grateful and delighted to receive this award, and I sincerely hope that my research will help to improve the criminal justice response to survivors of sexual violence,” said Avalos, who joined the LSU Law faculty in 2018.
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Granted by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, program awards support teaching and research endeavors by college and university faculty in more than 135 countries around the world. It is an extremely competitive program, with only about 800 grants being made each academic year. Recipients are selected based on academic and professional achievement, as well as a record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.
“This honor is a testament to the significance of Professor Avalos’ scholarly contributions,” said LSU Law Dean Alena Allen. “Her groundbreaking research is reshaping our understanding of sexual assault, and this prestigious award will facilitate the completion of her forthcoming book on this critical subject matter.”
Avalos is just the sixth LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center faculty member to be granted a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award, and the first female professor to receive the honor. LSU Law professors who previously received awards include Joe Dainow (1961-62), Robert Pascal (1963-64), Ben Scheiber (1986-87), Stuart Green (2002-03), and John Baker (2005-06).
Read the full story.
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‘It encourages me to continue’: LSU Law students thank donors at annual Scholarship Reception | |
More than 150 LSU Law students, alumni, faculty, and staff members gathered at The Club at Union Square on Tuesday evening, Feb. 6, for the annual LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center Scholarship Reception honoring scholarship benefactors and recipients.
LSU Law’s endowment has grown significantly over the past decade, allowing the Law Center to expand the scope and scale of its scholarship awards. This academic year, 218 students received awards, marking a 46% increase over the past 10 years. Two scholarships were created in the 2023 fiscal year, including the Professor Cheney Cleveland Joseph Jr. Scholarship and the Jones Downer Family Scholarship.
Dozens of LSU Law scholarship recipients chatted with the donors who make their scholarships possible at the reception, and two of them—Monesha Miller-Becnel and Brock McKiness—made special presentations. Miller-Becnel, a second-year law student, said scholarship support has provided her with the extra encouragement needed to persist through the challenges of law school.
“Every time I am blessed to receive a scholarship, it encourages me to continue,” said Miller-Becnel, an LSU Law Student Ambassador and member of both the Black Law Students Association and the Women Law Students Association. “That’s why LSU Law means so much to me. LSU Law has made a stand in my life and encourages me to go on.”
Read the full story.
See a photo gallery from the Scholarship Reception.
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LSU Law team places as national semifinalists in Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition | |
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Second-year law students Tyler Chance and Jason Parker represented LSU Law at the Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition in Albany, New York, over the weekend of March 1-2 and placed as national semifinalists.
“It was such a great opportunity,” said Parker. “After months of research, writing and practice, it was rewarding to see our hard work pay off as we progressed through the rounds. I’d like to thank Professor (Jeff) Brooks, Olivia Maynard, Professor (Nikolaos) Davrados, and Haley Grieshaber for the coaching, scheduling, and guidance in preparing us for the competition. We could not have done it without them!”
Chance and Parker were coached by Maynard, a Class of 2023 LSU Law graduate who serves as advocacy fellow at the Law Center. They were assisted in their oral arguments by LSU Law Professor Nikolaos Davrados and Board of Advocates member Haley Grieshaber, a third-year law student.
Hosted by Albany Law School, the Domenick L. Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition focuses on cutting-edge issues in family law. This year’s problem required teams to argue whether a parent can be liable for child neglect when the parent fails to supervise a child’s care by extended family members, and whether extended family members can themselves be liable for child neglect.
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Being situated in the capital of one of the nation’s leading oil and gas producing states provides the LSU Law Environmental Law Society with a unique opportunity to highlight environmental law as a prospective career path and promote environmental awareness at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
“Energy and environmental law directly coincide, but most of what we learn in our energy law courses is geared towards representing oil and gas,” said Environmental Law Society President Hunter Ryan, who is in his third year of law school. “Our organization’s mission is to educate our community about environmental consciousness and the roles we can play in both helping and hurting the environment.”
The student organization hosts educational and recreational events throughout the academic year to educate the Law Center community about environmental law opportunities. It recently partnered with Law Students for Climate Accountability, a student-led organization that seeks to amplify the responsibilities and roles that law students, firms, and attorneys play in the climate crisis, and to educate LSU Law students entering the legal workforce about environmentally conscious law firms. It also organized a field trip in the fall semester to the LSU Center for River Studies for students interested in learning more about conserving Louisiana natural resources.
Read the full Student Organization Spotlight.
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Students observe federal, state appeals court hearings at LSU Law | |
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LSU Law students recently had the opportunity to observe both federal and state appeals court hearings at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the David Robinson Courtroom on March 4-5. Judges presiding over the docket included Judge Carl E. Stewart, Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan (‘97), and Judge Kurt D. Englehardt (‘85) (pictured at right).
The Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal held hearings at the Law Center on Feb. 26, with Chief Judge John Guidry and Judges Wayne Chutz (‘85) and Walter Lanier III (‘93) presiding over the docket. Guidry and Lanier also participated in a panel presentation on Effective Appellate Advocacy with Administrative General Counsel for the First Circuit Court of Appeal Kacy Collins Thomas, attorney Marcus Plaisance (‘10), and Judge Jude Gravois (‘78). All first-year LSU Law students were required to observe the arguments as part of their legal writing course instruction.
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150 LSU Law students earn academic honors for Fall 2023 semester | |
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Sixty LSU Law students have been named Paul M. Hebert Scholars for their academic achievement in the Fall 2023 semester, and 90 students have been named Dean’s Scholars.
The Paul M. Hebert Scholar is awarded to the top 10% of LSU Law students earning 12 or more credits during an individual semester, and the Dean’s Scholar is awarded to the top 25% of students who meet the same credit criteria. The awards are noted on students’ transcripts.
See the full listing of students who earned academic honors in the Fall 2023 semester.
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'LSU Law Magazine' takes readers inside the Louisiana Supreme Court
In the cover package of the new LSU Law Magazine, we explore how LSU Law alumni have helped bring the Louisiana Supreme Court into the modern era and come to dominate the current bench—on which six of the seven justices earned their law degrees at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
The magazine also features profiles of all six LSU Law alumni on the bench, including Chief Justice John L. Weimer and Associate Justices William J. Crain, Scott J. Crichton, Piper D. Griffin, Jefferson D. Hughes III, and Jay B. McCallum.
Check out the complete issue of LSU Law Magazine by clicking on the cover image.
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Jamie Papillion joins staff as LSU Law Admissions Coordinator and Recruiter | |
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Jamie Papillion has joined the LSU Law staff as Law Admissions Coordinator and Recruiter. In the role, she will focus on recruiting prospective students and guiding them through LSU Law’s admissions process, curriculum, and scholarship opportunities.
A native of Eunice, Papillion earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She brings valuable experience to her new position, drawing from her previous roles as a high school English teacher and special events coordinator.
“I am thrilled to begin my new role because of the community atmosphere that LSU Law provides,” Papillion said. “I am eager to contribute to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for students from all backgrounds, and I see this role as not only a professional opportunity but also a chance to a make meaningful impact in the lives of future legal scholars.”
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Faculty, students, and alumni volunteer to help LSU Law host successful ABA Client Counseling Competition National Championship | |
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Twelve teams battled for the American Bar Association Client Counseling Competition National Championship at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center on Friday and Saturday, March 16-17, with St. Mary’s School of Law taking home the title. The San Antonio-based law school’s team now advances to the International Client Counseling Competition, which will be held in late April in Poland. Baylor University School of Law and Seattle University School of Law placed as finalists.
Hosting the tournament required dozens of volunteers to coordinate and judge competitions. In the preliminary rounds of competition alone, 12 counseling sessions took place concurrently in the Law Center, with more than 50 judges observing student teams in person and virtually. LSU Law Professors Darlene Goring, Aimee Self Pittman, Kathy Simino, and Robert Lancaster all served as volunteer judges, as did Advocacy Fellow Olivia Maynard and several LSU Law alumni.
Many LSU Law students also gained valuable experience serving as volunteer clients in the counseling sessions, including Allison Adger, Rayni Amato, Avery Bragg, Brenden Carroll, Kaysee Craighead, Courtney Fowler, Miriam Grant, Caroline Hardy, Summer Knight, Catherine Lant, Rini Mannankara, Diamond McCray, Anna Mester, and Mary Thomas. Board of Advocates members Zach Smith, Dustin Morganti, and Miriam Grant were instrumental in organizing and administering of the tournament.
Read the full story.
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Professor Elizabeth Carter helps raise $40K for Children’s Hospital as Queen of Tucks | |
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New Orleans’ Krewe of Tucks may be best known for its irreverent potty humor, but the Mardi Gras group also prides itself on its philanthropic endeavors. LSU Law Professor Elizabeth Carter served as Queen of Tucks this year and represented the krewe in presenting a $40,000 donation to the Children’s Hospital in New Orleans.
“The Krewe of Tucks has always been an inclusive and charitably minded organization,” said Carter, who has been a member of Tucks since 2010 and has served as a float captain since 2012. “We have given rides to some of the clients at Magnolia Community Services (a nonprofit organization providing support to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities) for years. We also have the first, and to my knowledge only, floats in Mardi Gras that are wheelchair accessible.”
In 2017, the Tucks Charitable Foundation was formed to adequately support the krewe’s charitable efforts. Children's Hospital, Magnolia Community Services, and Krewe de Camp, an organization that provides a week-long sleepaway camp experience for children with developmental disabilities, are three of the major benefactors. Since the foundation's inception, it has raised more than $100,000 for various charities across the Gulf South.
The Krewe of Tucks rolled on Saturday, Feb. 10, with 36 floats and more than 2,000 riders. Along with Queen Carter, LSU Law alumni Kevin Klibert (’00), Les Theriot (’20), and Kameron Whitmeyer (’19) rolled in the parade, while LSU Law Dean Alena Allen and Professors Nick Bryner and Nikolaos Davrados attended in support of Carter.
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After earning her bachelor’s degree in coastal environmental science from LSU in 2021, Caroline McCullars decided to pursue her J.D. at LSU Law and take advantage of one of three specialized graduate certificates offered at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
Through coursework and applied learning experiences, the Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy equips LSU Law students with the industry knowledge and legal skills needed to practice in the highly lucrative energy sector. McCullars said her interest in energy law piqued during her undergraduate studies when a professor highlighted energy and environmental law as a viable career path post-graduation.
“I love the mixture of science and the law in this field,” said the Atlanta native, who is wrapping up her final year of law school this spring. “Energy law stands out to me because its subject matter differs significantly from other legal areas.”
A recipient of the Liskow Scholarship, William B. Owens Endowed Scholarship, and Judge Paul B. Landry Scholarship, McCullars said the awards are invaluable to her legal education and future in energy law.
“I am so grateful for these awards,” McCullars said. “They have helped me immensely to lessen the financial burden of law school and take the steps necessary to pursue a career in the energy law sector.”
Read the full Your Gifts at Work profile to learn more about McCullars, and find out how you can support outstanding students like her through LSU Law scholarships.
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‘The Baton Rouge Lawyer’ features roundtable discussion with LSU Law dean, students, and alumni | |
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The March/April issue of The Baton Rouge Lawyer includes a roundtable discussion with LSU Law Dean Alena Allen, two students of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and three alumni who also formerly served as president of the Baton Rouge Bar Association.
Focused on the intersection of leadership and law school, the discussion included Allen and third-year law students Brock McKinness and William “Grey” Fitzgerald as well as 19th Judicial District Court Judge Fred Crifasi (’92), Leo C. Hamilton (’77), and Christine Lipsey (’82).
“Everybody who has a license to practice the law is a leader,” said Crifasi. “That’s why you get the license to practice, to lead—and the importance of that license is sometimes forgotten. It’s a license of agency. You are literally acting on behalf of someone else. You are leading.”
Click here to read the full article, which was written by LSU Law Senior Associate Director of Communications Steve Sanoski. The Baton Rouge Lawyer is the official magazine of the Baton Rouge Bar Association.
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LSU Law alumni Johnson ('69), Edwards ('99) to be honored as ‘Louisiana Legends’ on April 25 | |
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A pair of prominent LSU Law alumni—retired Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson (’69) and former Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (’99)—will be among six people honored at the 2024 Louisiana Legends Gala and Auction on April 25.
Presented by the Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, the event annually “honors the best and brightest of Louisiana’s sons and daughters who have distinguished themselves in a variety of disciplines and have brought honor to the state.”
Johnson and Edwards will be recognized at a gala and awards ceremony on Thursday, April 25 at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge. Former Louisiana First Lady Donna Edwards is also being honored this year, as is former LSU Assistant Athletic Director Sam Nader, actor Wendell Pierce, and former LSU and Major League Baseball star Todd Walker.
Read the full story.
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Louisiana Bar Foundation honors three LSU Law alumni among 2023 Distinguished Honorees | |
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LSU Law alumni Hon. Elizbeth Erny Foote (’78), Harry J. “Skip” Philips (’83), and Bernard “Bernie” E. Boudreaux Jr. (’61) are among the Louisiana Bar Foundation 2023 Distinguished Honorees who will be recognized at the 38th Annual Fellows Gala on April 19.
Foote will be honored as the 2023 Distinguished Jurist. After graduating from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, she clerked for Chief Judge William Culpepper of the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. She practiced at the Smith Foote law firm until 2010 when she was tapped by the Obama administration for appointment to the federal bench in the Louisiana Western District.
Philips has been named the 2023 Distinguished Attorney. He serves as of counsel at Taylor Porter. Philips is a two-time graduate of LSU, earning both his undergraduate degree and juris doctor from the university. At LSU Law, he was Editor-in-Chief of Louisiana Law Review and elected to The Order of the Coif. In 2022, he received the Louisiana Bar Foundation Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award, recognizing his long-standing devotion to and excellence in trial practice and for upholding the standards of ethics and consideration for the court, litigants, and all counsel. Philips is also a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and a retired major general in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Boudreaux is the recipient of the 2023 Calogero Justice Award. Named in honor of Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero Jr., the award is presented to an individual or organization for a significant contribution to the Louisiana justice system. Prior to joining Jones Swanson and Huddell as an associate, Boudreaux had a distinguished career with Louisiana’s government, judicial institutions, and universities.
Read the full story.
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Black (’96), Fleshman (’11), Frazier (’20), and Monahan (’97) to serve as LSU Law ambassadors for LSU Giving Day on March 27 | |
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LSU Law alumni Brandon Black (’96), Maci Frazier (’20), David Fleshman (’11) and Joy Monahan ('97) will serve as our LSU Giving Day ambassadors for the annual day of philanthropy on Wednesday, March 27.
The ambassadors will help us reach out to LSU Law alumni and supporters personally and via social media on Giving Day, on which we’ll be focusing on raising funds for three specific areas of giving:
- Law General Scholarship Fund to help ease the burden of today's tuition and fees to earn an excellent legal education.
- Law Center Emergency/Disaster Relief Fund, which provides financial assistance to students whose ability to complete the school year is threatened by circumstances beyond their control.
- LSU Law Excellence Fund, which allows the dean to respond to emergent needs and underwrite $5 million in unfunded scholarships distributed by the Law Center each year.
Launched in 2019, LSU Giving Day celebrates the impact of philanthropy, raises awareness of the university’s opportunities and achievements, and provides a fun way for the LSU community to engage with each other through a bit of friendly competition. LSU supporters are encouraged contributions of $5 or more to the fund or funds that they are most passionate about supporting.
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Professor Michael Malinowski participated in a discussion about his book, Personal Genome Medicine: The Legal and Regulatory Transformation of US Medicine, hosted by the Harvard University chapter of the Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL) on March 5. PORTAL is a nationwide organization that aims to bring together concerned researchers, analysts, and trainees from the fields of medicine, law, epidemiology, and health policy to critically evaluate emerging issues on the regulation, use, and reimbursement of therapeutics (prescription drugs and medical devices). | | |
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Professor Ken Levy's article, "The First Amendment in Education: May Public Schools Discipline Faculty for Political Hate Speech?," will be published in a forthcoming edition of the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal. | | |
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Dean Alena Allen will serve as a panelist for “How to Become a Law Teacher,” a webinar hosted by the Association of American Law Schools on Thursday, April 4. She will join other recently hired faculty, hiring chairs, and deans to discuss the pathways to the legal academy. Register to attend virtually. | | | | |
