ProQuest Digital U.S. Bills and Resolutions 1789-2013

All versions of all full-text bills, resolutions, hearings and reports for the first Congress to the present day.

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Slavery and the Law

This collection provides invaluable insight to scholars, students, and general readers of the humanities into testimony on a broad range of subjects by a variety of southerners—Black and white, slave and free, slaveholder and non-slaveholder, man and woman. The documents include State Slavery Statutes, a master record of the laws governing American slavery, covering 1789–1865 and petitions to state legislatures and courthouses.

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John P. Laborde (’49)

The LSU Law Center community, along with family and friends, honored alumnus John P. Laborde (’49) on Thursday, May 2, 2013, for his historic gifts to the Law Center. Mr. Laborde has made a $2 Million gift to LSU Law, creating a Double Endowed Chair in Energy Law and a programmatic support fund to establish the LSU John P. Laborde Energy Law Center.  Mr. Laborde’s gift is the largest gift in the history of the Law Center.  LSU Law Center Chancellor Jack M. Weiss presented Mr. Laborde with the Law Center’s Distinguished Service Award during ceremonies held at the Audubon Tea Room in New Orleans.

View photos of the dinner.

Biography of John P. Laborde

Mr. Laborde has made a $2 Million gift to the Law Center to create a $1.2 Million Double Endowed Chair in Energy Law and an $800,000 programmatic support fund to establish the LSU John P. Laborde Energy Law Center. Mr. Laborde’s gift is the largest gift in the history of the Law Center.

Mr. Laborde graduated from Louisiana State University with B.A. and J.D. degrees. After his graduation from LSU Law in 1949, Mr. Laborde spent 5 years with Richardson & Bass, an independent oil and gas exploration company and then 40 years leading Tidewater Marine, an international marine service company that he co-founded. Tidewater’s story began in 1955, when a group of investors led by the Laborde family of New Orleans pioneered the development of the first offshore service vessel tailor-made to support the new and growing offshore oil and gas industry. A year later, Tidewater Marine Service, Inc. commenced operations as a publicly owned company with John P. Laborde at the helm.

Now, more than 55 years and many vessels later, Tidewater remains the leader of the industry it created, following the search for oil and gas into increasingly deeper waters globally and extending its proven record of service to installations closer to land. In the process, the company has earned a reputation for anticipating and responding to the changing worldwide needs of energy exploration and production. Mr. Laborde has also served on the Boards of several major corporations, including BellSouth Corp., American Bankers Insurance Group, United Gas Pipeline Co., Stewart Enterprises, Inc., and VT Halter Marine, Inc. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Laborde Marine Lifts, Inc., Laborde Products, Inc., Lab-More Properties LLC, and Laborde Integrated Services, Inc., and currently serves on the Board of Stone Energy Corporation. He retired from Tidewater in 1994.

Mr. Laborde is a well-known and respected civic leader in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana. In 2000, Louisiana Public Broadcasting honored him as a “Legend of Louisiana” and in 2003, Junior Achievement honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He was recognized by LSU A&M as the Peoples Health “Illustrious Alumnus of the Game” during the LSU-Kentucky game in 2011, and has also recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association for Corporate Growth.

Mr. Laborde has served in multiple leadership roles with the Law Center and was honored as the LSU Law Center’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 1993. He is a longtime member of the Law Center’s Chancellor’s Council, a former member of the Law Center’s Alumni Board of Trustees, and a member of the Law Center’s Forever LSU Campaign Steering Committee. Mr. Laborde served as Chair of the Law Center’s Annual Fund Campaign from 1999 – 2003.

Upon entering LSU as an undergraduate student, Mr. Laborde was an active participant in the ROTC program until he was called to active duty in 1943. Before leaving LSU, he successfully acquired the rank of Cadet Colonel, Infantry Regiment of the LSU ROTC. Mr. Laborde served in the United States Army (Infantry) in the Pacific in World War II, where he attained the rank of captain. He also served on the Adjutant General’s staff of General Douglas MacArthur.

The Laborde family is deeply committed to the success of LSU. Mr. Laborde’s son, Cliffe (’76), has a long record of service to and support of LSU Law. Mr. Laborde’s son, Gary, received his undergraduate degree from LSU and is the current Chair of the LSU Foundation. Mr. Laborde’s son, John Tracy Laborde, received a Business degree from LSU and Mr. Laborde’s granddaughter, Celeste Claire Laborde McNulty, is a 2008 LSU Law graduate. Mr. Laborde is married to Sylvia Laborde, and they reside in New Orleans.

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 U. S. Army War College, located in Carlisle Barracks, PA., represents the highest level of education offered by the military services, according to program literature.  The Eisenhower Series College Program is designed to encourage dialogue on national security and other public policy issues between students of the Army’s senior educational institution and the public at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Guantanamo Bay: Is There a Better Way?
• Legal Aspects of Cyber War and the Cyber Domain
• U.S. Policy on Drone Strikes

Date:               Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Time:               12:40 p.m. – 1:40 p.m.

Location:         LSU Law Center, 1 East Campus Drive (corner of East Campus Drive and Dalrymple)

                        McKernan Auditorium

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.

Left to Right: Harry J. “Skip” Philips, Jr.; Honorable Thomas Stagg; David LaCerte; Lorraine Meyers; Chancellor Jack M. Weiss; John P. Laborde; Len Kilgore; and W. Arthur Abercrombie. Not pictured: Norma Bennett and Lauren Wolfe

The alumni of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center have a long tradition of service to our country.  At this year’s Chancellor Council Dinner, held on March 9 at the LSU Union Ballroom, the Law Center paid tribute to decades of Law Center graduates who have valiantly and faithfully served our nation.

A highlight of the evening was the viewing of a Louisiana Public Broadcasting/Law Center-produced video tribute to our veterans.  Featured in the video are seven outstanding LSU Law graduates: John P. Laborde (’49), Honorable Thomas Stagg (’49), William Meyers (’48), W. Arthur Abercrombie (’69), Norma Bennett (’00), David LaCerte (’08), and Lauren Wolfe (’12).  Sadly, Mr. Meyers passed away on February 22, 2013 not long after the taping of the video.

The National World War II Museum’s charming vocal trio, the Victory Belles, took the crowd on a nostalgic journey through World War II-era musical classics.

The Chancellor’s Council annual dinner recognizes alumni and friends of the LSU Law Center who are Chancellor’s Council members and others who have provided major gifts to the Law Center. Annual contributions from Chancellor’s Council members are used to support a variety of student and faculty activities, academic programs and alumni services. Student financial aid, facility and technology improvements, as well as other initiatives that enhance the standing of LSU Law, would not be possible without the generosity of our Chancellor’s Council members and major gift donors. 

Click here to view photos of the event.

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.