Brooksie Bonvillain

LSU Law student Brooksie Bonvillain has been selected as the Student Member of the Louisiana Board of Regents.  A third-year law student, Bonvillain serves as the Student Bar Association President of the Law Center.  She is a member of the Moot Court board and is Production Editor for the Louisiana Law Review.  Her volunteer activities include service on the Advisory Board for Kappa Delta sorority, Volunteers in Public Schools Everybody Reads, and the LSU Law School Day of Service.  Bonvillain earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from LSU in May 2011.

L to R: Robert Yarborough, LSU Board of Supervisors; Chancellor Jack M. Weiss; Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson (’69)

2013 The Order of the Coif
Bottom Row, L to R:
Professor Randall Trahan, Laura Blair Naquin, Jessica Marie Lewis, Katherine Leigh Cicardo, Chancellor Jack M. Weiss, Ashley Lauren Schexnayder, Jessica Lynn Swiney Allain, Eva Deano Conner, Professor Andrea Carroll
Row 2:
Joshua Henry Dierker, Arthur Raymond Kraatz, Edward Andrew Waters, Laurence Donnelly LeSueur, Jr., Fabian Martin Nehrbass, Bradford James Kelley
Row 3: Christopher William Smith, Matthew Brandon Smith, William Thomas McCall, Jr., Dominik Joseph Cvitanovic, Raleigh Joseph Wolfe, Joseph Thomas Wilson
Row 4: Kevin William Welsh, Samuel O’Neil Lumpkin, Justin John Marocco

The LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center awarded degrees to 213 students during Commencement ceremonies held May 31, 2013 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.  Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson (’69) delivered the keynote address to the graduates.

View the 2013 Commencement Ceremony.

View the 2013 Commencement Photo Gallery.

Some 210 students received the Juris Doctor and Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law, and three students received the Master of Laws degree, according to Chancellor Jack M. Weiss.  Robert Yarborough, Chair-Elect of the LSU Board of Supervisors, conferred degrees on behalf of the Board.

Chief Justice Johnson told the graduates, “Your professional life commences today.” 

She spoke of “life lessons” and encouraged the class to treat others in the same manner they would like to be treated.  Chief Justice Johnson also talked of the importance of honesty, the value of giving back to the community, and always making time for family. “You will have challenges and opportunities to make a difference.  Will you have the courage to stand up and make a difference?” asked Chief Justice Johnson of the graduates.

Chancellor Weiss drew his farewell message from a James Joyce short story, Eveline.  In the Joyce story, a young woman cannot bring herself to leave her family in Dublin despite her heart’s desire for a new life in Buenos Aires.  The Chancellor told the Class of 2013, “My fervent wish for you is this: may the LSU Law diploma that you are about to receive be the passport to your dreams.  And, may you have the courage, the love, and the support to cling to your dreams and to follow those dreams wherever they may lead you. . .”

At last! 2013 Commencement

Four students—Katherine Leigh Cicardo, Justin John Marocco, Kevin William Welsh, and Joseph Thomas Wilson—graduated Summa Cum Laude, ranking within the top two percent of the graduating class.  Twenty-two students graduated Magna Cum Laude, and 29 students graduated Cum Laude.

Twenty-one students were elected to membership in The Order of the Coif, a national honorary law fraternity that elects to membership students from the highest ten percent of the senior class.  Inductees were honored in separate ceremonies at the Law Center prior to commencement.  Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson was named Honorary Member of The Order of the Coif.

Also joining in this year’s commencement ceremonies were members of the LSU Law Center Class of 1963, this year’s Golden Graduates.

2013 Honor Graduates

Summa cum laude

Katherine Leigh Cicardo, Alexandria, LA

Justin John Marocco, Metairie, LA

Kevin William Welsh, Gramercy, LA

Joseph Thomas Wilson, New Orleans, LA

Magna cum laude

Jessica Lynn Swiney Allain, Lafayette, LA

Eva Deano Conner, Mandeville, LA

Blair Andrew Crunk, Dunwoody, GA

Dominik Joseph Cvitanovic, Belle Chasse, LA

Joshua Henry Dierker, Slidell, LA

Brian Christopher Flanagan, Shreveport, LA

Bradford James Kelley, Shreveport, LA

Arthur Raymond Kraatz, Medina, OH

Andrew Pierce Lambert, New Orleans, LA

Laurence Donnelly LeSueur, Jr., Singapore

Jessica Marie Lewis, Baton Rouge, LA

Samuel O’Neil Lumpkin, Wake Forest, NC

William Thomas McCall, Jr., Lake Charles, LA

Laura Blair Naquin, Baton Rouge, LA

Fabian Martin Nehrbass, New Orleans, LA

Ashley Lauren Schexnayder, Metairie, LA

Christopher William Smith, Mandeville, LA

Matthew Brandon Smith, Mandeville, LA

Randall Shaw Thomas, Ocala, FL

Jayne Elizabeth Wabeke, Palm Harbor, FL

Edward Andrew Waters, Hamilton, OH

Raleigh Joseph Wolfe, New Orleans, LA

Cum laude

Mark Thomas Assad, Baton Rouge, LA

Megan Frances Bice, Lake Charles, LA

Meghan Elaine Carter, Covington, LA

Stuart Jackson Crichton, Shreveport, LA

Cailin Nicole Davis, Virginia Beach, VA

Jeremy Geoff Devries, Lafayette, LA

Joshua James Doguet, Tepetate, LA

Valerie Elizabeth Fontenot, Oscar, LA

Taylor Paige Gay, Lake Charles, LA

Chelsea Marie Gomez, Allen, TX

Heather Lindsey Kirk, Bush, LA

Justin Thomas Mannino, Baton Rouge, LA

Caroline Grace Beason Massey, San Diego, CA

Joshua Gregory McDiarmid, Germantown, TN

Sarah Patricia McDonagh, Augusta, GA

Casey Dale Neale, Lacombe, LA

Erin Olivier Higgins Nugent, Houston, TX

Marshall Louis Perkins, New Orleans, LA

Scott Matthew Raney, Virginia Beach, VA

Kelly Louise Reinker, Carrollton, TX

Logan Elizabeth Schonekas, New Orleans, LA

John Elliott Simmons, Avery Island, LA  

Jordan Zachary Taylor, Lake Charles, LA

Merri Hope Thompson, Monroe, LA

Ross Evan Tuminello, Shreveport, LA

Christina L. Villa, Plainfield, IL

Justin Cole Ward, Royston, GA

Victoria Grace Welch, New Orleans, LA

Timothy Russell Wynn, Bossier City, LA

 Order of the Coif

Jessica Lynn Swiney Allain, Lafayette, LA

Katherine Leigh Cicardo, Alexandria, LA

Eva Deano Conner, Mandeville, LA

Dominik Joseph Cvitanovic, Belle Chasse, LA

Joshua Henry Dierker, Slidell, LA

Bradford James Kelley, Shreveport, LA

Arthur Raymond Kraatz, Medina, OH

Laurence Donnelly LeSueur, Jr., Singapore

Jessica Marie Lewis, Baton Rouge, LA

Samuel O’Neil Lumpkin, Wake Forest, NC

Justin John Marocco, Metairie, LA

William Thomas McCall, Jr., Lake Charles, LA

Laura Blair Naquin, Baton Rouge, LA

Fabian Martin Nehrbass, New Orleans, LA

Ashley Lauren Schexnayder, Metairie, LA

Christopher William Smith, Mandeville, LA

Matthew Brandon Smith, Mandeville, LA

Edward Andrew Waters, Hamilton, OH

Kevin William Welsh, Gramercy, LA

Joseph Thomas Wilson, New Orleans, LA

Raleigh Joseph Wolfe, New Orleans, LA

May 2013 Graduates

James Gary Albertine III, Germantown, TN

Jessica Lynn Swiney Allain, Lafayette, LA

Jeremy Aaron Ancar, Munford, TN

Meaghan Marissa Anderson, Ruston, LA

Quentin Anthony Anderson, Baton Rouge, LA

Mark Thomas Assad, Baton Rouge, LA

Michael Reid Baker, Shreveport, LA

Caroline Jordan Barnes, Baton Rouge, LA

Justin Michael Bello, Baton Rouge, LA

David Andrew Benedict, El Paso, IL

Megan Frances Bice, Lake Charles, LA

Renae Louise Black, Baton Rouge, LA

Lacey Kristin Bodley, Baton Rouge, LA

Todd Daniel Boone, Huntsville, TX

Shelley Diane Babineaux Bouillion, Lake Charles, LA

Blake Willis Bourgeois, River Ridge, LA

Bryan Christopher Bourgeois, Baton Rouge, LA

Zachary Duke Brien, Benton, KY

Anna Margaret Brown, Slidell, LA

Kelly Caitlin Burris, West Linn, OR

Paola Vanessa Buitron, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Aug. 2012)

Melissa Michelle Buza, Miami, FL

Jessica Frances Byrd, Slidell, LA

Aleah Jane Cagle, Bridge City, TX

Kristen Michelle Caire, Baton Rouge, LA

Hayne Beatrous Caliva, Mandeville, LA

Jeremy Hite Call, Destrehan, LA

Zachary David Capra, Kingwood, TX

Meghan Elaine Carter, Covington, LA

Brad Joseph Cascio, Hammond, LA 

Christopher Wayne Caswell, Eunice, LA

Dustin Michael Chimento, New Orleans, LA

Jihyun Choi, Seoul, South Korea (Dec. 2012)

Chet William Chubonie, Cherokee, NC

Katherine Leigh Cicardo, Alexandria, LA

Whitney Blaisdell Clark, Alexandria, LA

Catherine Anne Cocchiara, Scottsdale, AZ

Claude-Michael Comeau, Bossier City, LA

Constance Nicole Comstock, Del Mar, CA  (Aug. 2012)

Eva Deano Conner, Mandeville, LA

Breann Crane, Ottawa, KS

Stuart Jackson Crichton, Shreveport, LA

Blair Andrew Crunk, Dunwoody, GA

Christopher Alexander Cummings, Benton, LA

Byron O’neil Cuthbert, Marietta, GA

Dominik Joseph Cvitanovic, Belle Chase, LA

Suchana Das, Toronto, Canada

 Mahua Dattaray, Lakewood, CA

 Cailin Nicole Davis, Virginia Beach, VA

 John Allen Davis III, Slidell, LA

 Rafael Antione Davis, Ruston, LA

 Jeremy Geoff Devries, Lafayette, LA

 Matthew Robert DiBella, Nashua, NH

 Mitchell David Dickson, Katy, TX

 Joshua Henry Dierker, Slidell, LA

 Meagan Elyse Dilbeck, Marietta, GA

 Joshua James Doguet, Tepetate, LA

 Barry Errol Edwards II, Atlanta, GA

 Chase Jeremiah Edwards, Alexandria, LA

 Kellyn Marie Elmer, Metairie, LA

 Jessica Clare Engler, Metairie, LA

 James Garrison Evans, Monterey, LA

 Ashley Elizabeth Falcon, Donaldsonville, LA

 Michael Sam Finkelstein, New Orleans, LA

 Brian Christopher Flanagan, Shreveport, LA

 Taylor Osborn Fontenot, St. Francisville, LA

 Valerie Elizabeth Fontenot, Oscar, LA

 Bryan Anthony Francis, Temple, TX

 Maria Franco-Waite, Tampa, FL

 Grant Fulton Freeman, Lafayette, LA

 Jay Michael Futrell, Memphis, TN

 Amanda Kay Gammon, Harahan, LA

 Piero Antonio Garcia, Sugar Land, TX

 Brett Mitchell Garcille, Eunice, LA

 William Caldwell Gaskins, Shreveport, LA

 Taylor Paige Gay, Lake Charles, LA

 Sarena Yuki Gaylor, Luling, LA

 Lani Lyte Gholston, Oro Valley, AZ

 Robert Paul Gillespie, Bossier City, LA

 Chelsea Marie Gomez, Allen, TX

 Amy Josephine Goode, Shreveport, LA

 Thomas Benton Harang Jr., Thibodaux, LA

 Michael Dennis Harpen Jr., Mobile, AL

 Danielle Latrice Harris, Bastrop, LA

 Michael Steven Heier, Chalmette, LA

 Ian Robert Hennigan, Port Allen, LA

 Ashley Ward Hinton, Clayton, LA

 Jane Catherine Hogan, Hammond, LA

 Jerry Michael Hollander III, New Orleans, LA

 Adam William Holthaus, Baton Rouge, LA

 Katelin Brianne Hughes, Bogalusa, LA

 Teslim Ishmael Ikharo, Oakland, CA

Massamichi Inoue, Baton Rouge, LA (Aug. 2012)

 Cassandra Ashley Jelincic, Miami Lakes, FL

 Harry Stafford Johnson, Shreveport, LA

 Melanie Elizabeth Johnson, Covington, LA

 Haley Ann Hofmann Jones, Baton Rouge, LA

 Bradford James Kelley, Shreveport, LA

 Heidi Maria Kemple, Corpus Christi, TX

 Heather Lindsey Kirk, Bush, LA

 Arthur Raymond Kraatz, Medina, OH

 Michael Joseph Laborde, Lafayette, LA

 Andrew Pierce Lambert, New Orleans, LA

 Donna Elaine Lee, Marshville, NC

 Soohyun Lee, Seoul, South Korea

 Laurence Donnelly LeSueur, Jr., Singapore 

 Jessica Marie Lewis, Baton Rouge, LA

 Samuel O’Neill Lumpkin, Wake Forest, NC

 Blake Johnathon Lusk, Metairie, LA

 William Thomas Macke, Metairie, LA

 Dustin Charles Madden, Oberlin, LA

 Todd Martin Magee, Thibodaux, LA

 Joseph Stanier Manning, Lafayette, LA

 Justin Thomas Mannino, Baton Rouge, LA

 Justin John Marocco, Metairie, LA

 Caroline Grace Beason Massey, San Diego, CA

 Linda Georgina Matta, New Orleans, LA

 Robert Chen Mattamal, New Orleans, LA

 William Thomas McCall Jr., Lake Charles, LA

 Joshua Gregory McDiarmid, Germantown, TN

 Sarah Patricia McDonagh, Augusta, GA

 Chanell Nicole McGaughy, Harvey, LA

 Dixon Wallace McMakin, Baton Rouge, LA

 Kevin James McNally, Croydon, PA

 Christopher Ashley Meeks, Metairie, LA

 Danielle Marie Meeks, Mandeville, LA

Theogene Hawk Melancon, Rayne, LA (Dec. 2012)

 Michael Christopher Melerine, Chalmette, LA

 Natalie Elizabeth Messina, Baton Rouge, LA

 John Anthony Milazzo, Jr., Hammond, LA

 Erik Ross Miller, Baton Rouge, LA

 Arthur Bernard Mitchell IV, New Orleans, LA

 Austin Joseph Moreau, Baton Rouge, LA

 Lalla Victoria Morris, Houston, TX

 Lucius Lampton Morris II, Kentwood, LA

 Ryan Thomas Morrow, Lafayette, LA

 Christopher Brian Moss, Ann Arbor, MI

 Laura Blair Naquin, Baton Rouge, LA

 Casey Dale Neale, Lacombe, LA

 Fabian Martin Nehrbass, New Orleans, LA

Saul Reinaldo Newsome, Baton Rouge, LA (Aug. 2012)

  Alexander Bowden Nicoll, Chattanooga, TN

  Drew Eastman Nordgren, Baton Rouge, LA

  Erin Olivier Higgins Nugent, Houston, TX

  Jordan Ross Parker, Shreveport, LA

  Vincent Paul Paviglianiti, Detroit, MI

  Marshall Louis Perkins, New Orleans, LA

  Ryan Tucker Perret, Lafayette, LA

  Kirk Donald Pfefferle, Baton Rouge, LA

  Allen James Pipkins, II, Lafayette, LA

  William Henry Priestley, Jr., Wilmot, AR

  Kelley Stewart Pruett, Charleston, SC

  Scott Matthew Raney, Virginia Beach, VA

  James F. Reid, Addison, IL

  Kelly Louise Reinker, Carrollton, TX

  Anne Elise Robertson, Lafayette, LA

  Carlos J. Rodriguez, Jr., New Orleans, LA

  Je’Rell Almubarak Rogers, Shreveport, LA

  Lauren Cheri’ Ross, Plano, TX

  Kristen M’lissa Rowlett, Abilene, TX

  Keenan L. Ruff, Norfolk, VA

  David A. Safranek, Houston, TX

  Ana Maria Sardi, Baton Rouge, LA

  Jared Scott Scheinuk, Kenner, LA

  Ashley Lauren Schexnayder, Metairie, LA

  Daniel J. Schilling, Baton Rouge, LA

  Logan Elizabeth Schonekas, New Orleans, LA    

  Brittany Leigh Schroder, Covington, LA

  Zachary Alan Shadinger, Springhill, LA

  John Elliott Simmons, Avery Island, LA

  Christopher William Smith, Mandeville, LA

  Douglas Spencer Smith Jr., Metairie, LA

  Lauren Diane Smith, Sulphur, LA

  Matthew Brandon Smith, Mandeville, LA

  Rebecca Gail Smith, New Orleans, LA

  Scott Lindsey Smith, Jr., New Roads, LA

  Cameron Sean Snowden, Anniston, AL

 Zealon Dray Solomon, Oakdale, LA (Dec. 2012)

  Evan Michael Stark, Houma, LA

  Robert Ray Starnes, Jr., Baton Rouge, LA

  Elizabeth Allison Steed, Slidell, LA

  Sarah Elaine Stephens, Lafayette, LA

  Jordan Alex Stone, Metairie, LA

  James Edward Sudduth, III, Lake Charles, LA

  John Boone Tarlton, Baton Rouge, LA

  Emily Brouilette Tate, New Orleans, LA

  Jordan Zachary Taylor, Lake Charles, LA

  Lauren Marie Temento, Covington, LA

  Daniel Ryan Thomas, Chattanooga, TN

  Randall Shaw Thomas, Ocala, FL

  Lauren Elizabeth Thompson, Alexandria, LA

  Merri Hope McCrary Thompson, Monroe, LA

  Reshonda Whitney Thompson, New Orleans, LA

  Sarah Stockton Trufant, Baton Rouge, LA

  David Matthew Tubbs, Port Allen, LA

  Ross Evan Tuminello, Shreveport, LA

  Laura Keiko Umetsu, Seattle, WA

Thomas Stetson Videon, IV, Augusta, GA (Aug. 2012)

  Christina L Villa, Plainfield, IL

  Arvind Viswanathan, New Orleans, LA

  Erik Lawrence Vollenweider, LaPlace, LA

  Jayne Elizabeth Wabeke, Palm Harbor, FL

  Zachary Stevens Walker, Lake Charles, LA

  Christopher Neal Walters, Monroe, LA

  Justin Cole Ward, Roystan, GA

  Skylar Datrice Washington, Youngsville, LA

  Edward Andrew Waters, Hamilton, OH

  Rikki Jane Weger, Arthur, IL

  Victoria Grace Welch, New Orleans, LA

  Kevin William Welsh, Gramercy, LA

  Katelin Armstrong Williamson, Baton Rouge, LA

  William Harry Willis, Jr., Baton Rouge, LA

  Joseph Thomas Wilson, New Orleans, LA

  Raleigh Joseph Wolfe, New Orleans, LA

  Jonathan Ryan Womack, Minden, LA

  Joshua Tyler Wood, Nashville, TN

   Michelle Dawn Wroten, Smithdale, MS

  Timothy Russell Wynn, Bossier City, LA

  Candidates for Master of Laws (LL.M.)

   Orel Engelbach, Baton Rouge, LA

  Gaelle Paule Christiane Sandrine Forget, Baton Rouge, LA

  Alexandru-Daniel On, Clug-Napoca, Romania

  Completed All Courses Required for the Master of Laws (LL.M.)

  Yordanos Woldu Hagos, Las Vegas, NV

 Adrian-Alexandru A. Tamba, Clug-Napoca, Romania

Inductees in The Order of the Coif, a national honorary law fraternity for students deemed eligible and graduating in the top ten percent of the class, will be honored in separate ceremonies at the Law Center prior to Commencement. The Order of the Coif awards program will begin at 8 a.m. in the LSU Law Center’s McKernan Auditorium.

Commencement Time:  9:30 a.m.

Location:  Pete Maravich Assembly Center, LSU Campus

Entrances:  Southeast Portal; Southwest Portal

Special Needs Access:  Floor Level – Southeast Portal; Concourse Level – Portal W for elevator                                               

Parking: North Stadium Drive and Lot I – Parking for Persons with Disabilities; N. Pete Maravich Assembly Center Lot; S. Stadium Lot; Bernie Moore Lot; Burden Oak Lot; Lot 2A (on Nicholson Drive; Nicholson at N. Stadium Road); Tennis Court Lot; and Alaska Street Lot.

**Please be reminded that the construction of the Tiger Stadium south end zone addition has closed South Stadium Road to through traffic. Families and guests coming to the commencement ceremonies on May 31 are encouraged use Nicholson Extension, Nicholson Drive or Dalrymple to get to the parking areas on the west side of campus for ceremonies in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Also be aware of the construction on Stanford Avenue coming into campus that may cause traffic delays and allow sufficient time to arrive on campus.

Instructions for graduates and registration forms for events and activities are available here.

Commencement

Friday, May 31, 2013

LSU Pete Maravich Assembly Center

9:30 a.m.

LSU Campus

Graduates must report to the L Club Room no later than 8:30 a.m.

The Order of the Coif Ceremony

Friday, May 31, 2013

LSU Law Center McKernan Auditorium

8:00 a.m.

Honorees must report to Law Center Room W220 by 7:30 a.m.

Grads and Crawdads

Thursday, May 30, 2013

5:00 p.m. – till

LSU 4-H Mini Barn, off Highland Road

Registration Required (see above link for registration form)

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

May 10                        Notify Office of Student Records if you will not participate in commencement ceremony

May 10                        Provide Office of Student Records with contact information if you are a possible Order of the Coif inductee

May 10                        Register for Crawfish Boil (set for evening of May 30)

May 17                        Request special seating accommodations for individuals with disabilities

May 17                        Pay all fees owed to the University at the LSU Bursar’s Office

May 17                        Submit Requests for Certificates of Appreciation for Family/Special Persons to LSU Law Alumni Office, 4^th floor or to      Tracy.Evans@law.lsu.edu

May 20                        Submit photos for graduation slideshow to Jennifer.Roche@law.lsu.edu

May 27                        Begin Cap & Gown pick-up at LSU Student Union Book Store

Before June 30          Consider supporting the Class of 2013 Leave a Legacy Campaign

Employment and salary statistics show that 92% of LSU Law graduates from the class of 2012 were employed within nine months of graduation. Some 77% of the graduates were employed in positions where bar passage was required; an additional 7% were employed in positions where J.D. was an advantage. 

The LSU Law Center ranked 11^th in the nation in the percentage of 2011 graduates employed in full-time, long-term legal jobs within 9 months of graduation, according to an analysis published on June 25, 2012, by the Wall Street Journal. The ranking was based on detailed legal employment data reported by all accredited law schools to the American Bar Association. 

In addition to the impressive employment statistics of LSU Law graduates, LSU Law continues to move upwards in a number of state and national rankings of law schools.  The school recently moved up three spots to #76 in the 2014 U.S. News rankings.  The #76 ranking is the second highest in LSU Law history, bested only by the school’s ranking of #75 in 2010. 

LSU Law students have historically had high success rates on passage of the state Bar Exam.  In February 2012, the National Jurist magazine recognized LSU Law as the #1 school in the nation in terms of first-time bar passage ratios in a predictive statistical model based on LSAT scores. LSU Law Center students achieved the second highest passage rate among all examinees on the latest Louisiana State Bar Exam, according to results released October 12, 2012 by the Committee on Bar Admissions of the Supreme Court of Louisiana.

An important element in the school’s continuing success is its focus on strong academics and practical experience.  LSU Law students have the opportunity to “learn by doing” through a number of experiential opportunities at the Law Center.  Through the LSU Law Clinic, the Law Center offers second- and third-year students the opportunity to practice law and represent indigent clients in Baton Rouge and surrounding communities. Current clinic offerings include: Civil Mediation; Family Law; Family Mediation; Immigration Law; and Juvenile Defense. 

The Externship program places selected students with local, state, and federal government agencies, judicial chambers at the state and federal level, and not-for-profit agencies.  Placements during the regular academic year include: Louisiana Supreme Court; Louisiana Department of Justice; Catholic Charities; and Innocence Project New Orleans.

The competition is judged by energy law specialists from around the country.  The advanced rounds are presided over by judges from the West Virginia Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  Professor Jeff Brooks coaches the Law Center’s Energy Moot Court teams. 

“VITA is a great opportunity for law students to put their tax skills to use and aid international students and scholars in the LSU community,” said Randall Thomas, LSU Law student and VITA quality reviewer.

Each law student must attend a two-hour training with Professor Phil Hackney and pass two IRS certifications: Volunteer Standards of Conduct and Foreign Student Certification.  LSU Law students have offered this service since 1999.

Professor Kenji Yoshino

Professor Kenji Yoshino will present “The Paradox of Political Power: Same Sex Marriage at the Supreme Court” to the LSU Law community on Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 12:40 p.m. in the McKernan Auditorium.  Professor Yoshino is The Order of the Coif Distinguished Visitor.

Kenji Yoshino is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at the NYU School of Law. Prior to moving to NYU, he was the inaugural Guido Calabresi Professor of Law and Deputy Dean of Intellectual Life at Yale Law School, where he taught from 1998 to 2008. A specialist in constitutional law, antidiscrimination law, and law and literature, Yoshino has published in major academic journals, such as The Columbia Law Review, The Harvard Law Review, The Stanford Law Review, and The Yale Law Journal. He has also written extensively in other popular venues, such as The L.A. Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. His award-winning book, Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights, was published by Random House in 2006. His second book, A Thousand Times More Fair: What Shakespeare’s Plays Teach Us About Justice, was published in 2011 by HarperCollins. He is currently working on a book on the Prop 8 litigation over the right of same-sex couples to marry.

He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College, took a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, and earned his law degree at Yale Law School.

Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson

Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson, LSU Law ’69, will return to her alma mater to deliver the Commencement address at the LSU Law Center’s 2013 commencement ceremonies, Chancellor Jack M. Weiss has announced.  The commencement ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 31, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the LSU campus.

“We are delighted to welcome our new Chief Justice back to LSU Law as our 2013 commencement speaker,” said Chancellor Weiss.  “Her dedication to the law, advocacy of social justice, and unique perspective as one of the first African American females to attend the Law Center will make for an inspiring address.”  A 1969 graduate of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Chief Justice Johnson was one of the first African American women to attend the law school.  She was inducted into the LSU Law Center’s Hall of Fame in 1996, and in 2004, she delivered the John H. Tucker, Jr., Lecture in Civil Law at the Law Center.  Today, her portrait hangs in the Robinson Courtroom at the Law Center.

Chief Justice Johnson is the first African American Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.  Her formal investiture ceremony was held February 28, 2013.  She was first elected to serve on the Louisiana Supreme Court in 1994 and was re-elected, without opposition, in 2000 and 2010. She serves on the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Judicial Council and has served on the Court’s Legal Services Task Force, as well as the National Campaign on Best Practices in the area of Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts. Justice Johnson has worked closely with the Court’s Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Committee on Bar Admissions. She has served as the Louisiana Supreme Court’s appointee to the Louisiana Law Institute, housed at LSU Law.

For much of her life, Chief Justice Johnson has worked as an advocate for social justice, civil rights, and community organizing.  During the 1960’s, she worked as a community organizer with the NAACP, Legal Defense & Educational Fund.  While in law school, Chief Justice Johnson worked at the U.S. Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division) in Washington, D.C., examining cases filed by the Department to implement the 1964 Civil Rights Act.  She also served as a Federal Observer during elections in Greenwood, Mississippi.

Following law school, Chief Justice Johnson became the Managing Attorney with the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, where she provided legal services to over 3,000 clients in socio-economically deprived neighborhoods.  In 1981, Chief Justice Johnson joined the City Attorney’s staff, and later became a Deputy City Attorney for the City of New Orleans.

Chief Justice Johnson’s judicial career began in 1984 as the first woman elected to serve on the Civil District Court of New Orleans.  She was re-elected, without opposition, in 1990 and was elected Chief Judge by her colleagues in 1994.

Chief Justice Johnson is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2009 Distinguished Jurist Award presented by the Louisiana Bar Foundation and the Louisiana Bar Association President’s Award for Exceptional Service as co-chair of the Task Force on Diversity in the Profession.  She has twice been presented with the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society’s President’s Award, in 1997 and 2008. 

In addition to her judicial responsibilities, Chief Justice Johnson has been actively involved in serving the community. She has served as an Executive Committee Member of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College (1991-1994); Chair of the New Orleans Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1989-1994); Member of the Martin Luther King National Holiday Planning Committee; Member of the Board of Directors of the Young Women Christian Association; and Life Member of the NAACP.

 Chief Justice Johnson is the parent of two adult children: a son, David, an accountant who lives in Atlanta with his family, and a daughter Rachael, who is a licensed attorney in Florida and Louisiana.

Paul Gillespie, Sydnee Doolittle and Joshua McDiarmid

The LSU Law Center’s Ruby Vale National Corporate Law Moot Court Team of Sydnee Doolittle, Paul Gillespie, and Joshua McDiarmid placed among the top four teams in the nation at their competition that was held March 14 to 16 in Wilmington, Delaware.  The competition is judged by attorneys and judges from the bench and bar of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey who specialize in corporate law.  The Law Center’s team is coached by Professor Glenn Morris, with assistance from Professor Christina Sautter.