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LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center is one of America’s great law schools; it is also one of the world’s great law schools. The LSU Law Center’s significance stems from five key attributes: program, faculty, students, staff, outcomes, and being part of a fantastic university—LSU.
The Program
The legal system in Louisiana is special. It is a product of the world’s two great legal traditions: common law and civil law, and combined attributes of each. What that bijural — or dual means — is that students at LSU Law learn two ways to think about the law and to put those thoughts into operations. Put more simply, it means that LSU graduates learn to practice in both systems. As a result, students at LSU have the option to obtain a Diploma in Comparative Law, as well as a JD. In addition, students can receive earn a certificate in our Energy and Policy program, which is a part of the John P. Laborde Energy Law Center at LSU Law.
At LSU Law learning occurs in the classroom, but it also occurs in simulation courses, clinics and in externships. In simulations courses, students learn and practice legal skills such as trial advocacy, legal drafting, and more. This is an exciting time for simulation courses at LSU as we are in the process of updating and improving our one-week trial advocacy program in which all third-year students participate. And, during Apprenticeship Week, lawyers and judges spend one week on campus teaching an intensive array of skills-based courses.
In our clinics students represent real clients in real legal matters and, in recent years have included: Immigration Law Clinic, Juvenile Defense Clinic, Civil Mediation Clinic, Family Mediation Clinic, Parole Assistance Clinic, Advocacy for Victims of Sexual Assault Clinic, and Prosecution Clinic. In externships students work with judges, lawyers, and nonprofits and earn academic credit under their supervision. Hands-on learning experiences at the LSU Law Center provide students with an opportunity to hone advocacy and trial skills while seeing firsthand the impact that their work as student attorneys can have on an individual.
The Faculty
The LSU faculty is accomplished, dedicated, respected, and recognized. Our faculty take justifiable pride in being excellent teachers in the classroom and the clinic. They are universally dedicated to our student’s success. LSU takes pride in making its legal education demanding, personal, and practice-oriented. Our faculty are dedicated to the success of our students in law school and in their careers.
Faculty at the LSU Law Center are leaders in law teaching, scholarship, and law reform. Their scholarship has been relied upon by Louisiana courts at all levels, the courts of other states, and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Fifth Circuit. Our faculty have been active in law reform efforts in Louisiana and in other jurisdictions around the world. Prior to joining the LSU Law faculty, they excelled in law school, practice, clerking for judges, and serving the public interest.
The Students
LSU Law students are an intelligent, diverse, energetic, enthusiastic, and committed to making the world a better place through their legal education. They participate in the life of the law school and make it a better place. At LSU Law, we will never forget that we exist because of our students and their education is our primary mission and purpose.
The Staff
The staff at the LSU Law Center are experienced, supportive, open, and available. The staff provide outstanding service from admissions to registration to technology to library service to career development to communications and beyond. Along with the faculty they ensure that the Law Center is a welcoming, inclusive, and friendly place to learn. Together they also work to bring about the tremendous success of our students and graduates.
Outcomes
The LSU Law Center has always had extremely high passage rates on the Louisiana and other state bars. We believe that our bar passage rates are a direct and clear manifestation of the exceptional education we all work and succeed in providing.
We are also extremely proud of our career placement success. Our graduates are leading lawyers all over the state of Louisiana and around the world; we have significant numbers of graduates in Texas, Florida, Georgia, California and D.C, and in almost every other state in the country. We also have graduates practicing in countries around the globe, from France to Argentina. We are pleased that for the class that graduated in 2016, some 91 percent were employed within ten months after graduation.
LSU
Finally, we are part of one of the world’s best public universities. We are an important part of the LSU community and enjoy wonderful relationships with other units of the university. We offer four joint degree opportunities and have a new accelerated 3 + 3 program with in conjunction the LSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences. And being part of LSU and located in South Louisiana means fantastic arts, music, food, athletics, outdoor activities, and people who love life.
In conclusion, the LSU Law center is a marvelous law school at a flagship, public university where we excel at training our students to be distinguished practitioners, community leaders, and active citizens. I look forward to getting to know you during your years at LSU Law.
Sincerely,
Thomas C. Galligan
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