LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center

Programs

• Juris Doctor (J.D.)
• Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law (D.C.L.)
• Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy
• Master of Laws (L.L.M.)

As the state’s flagship public law school, the mission of the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center is to prepare a well-qualified and diverse group of men and women to be highly competent and ethical lawyers through a demanding and comprehensive program of legal education; to be leaders in private practice, public service, and commerce; and, to serve the cause of justice and advance the common good, consistent with the rule of law.

From its founding in 1906, the Law Center has offered its students a legal education recognized for its high standards of academic excellence, an outstanding teaching and research facility, and integrated programs in Louisiana civil law and Anglo-American common law. Students at LSU Law are trained rigorously in the same common law and federal law subjects that are taught at other leading American law schools. The curriculum also reflects the Law Center’s role as a curator of the civil law. 

The LSU Law Center derives its designation as a Center from the centralization on its campus of the J. D. and post-J.D. programs, several specialized Centers and Institutes, the Louisiana Law Institute, which provides assistance to the Louisiana Legislature, and the Louisiana Judicial College, which provides continuing education for the state’s judges. 

As a law school that strives to embody excellence in legal education, the Law Center seeks to create a vibrant, stimulating, diverse, and challenging educational environment through the admission of an exceptionally well-qualified and broadly diverse student body. The student body is drawn from a rich cross section of backgrounds, talents, experiences, and perspectives from throughout the state, the nation, and other jurisdictions, including those that share our civilian heritage. 

The student body is enriched by the commitment of the Law Center to support and assist in the continuing professional endeavors of our alumni; to service members of the legal profession of the state, the nation, and the global community; to provide scholarly support for the continued improvement of the law; to promote the use of the Louisiana’s legal contributions as reasoned models for consideration by other jurisdictions; to develop the Law Center as a bridge between the civil law and the common law; to facilitate the exchange of ideas among legal scholars; and to embrace the responsibilities of a public law school to the varied segments and regions of the state.

Each year, the faculty members of the LSU Law Center Chapter of The Order of the Coif may induct students who rank in the top 10 percent of each graduating class as members of the Order. The purpose of the Order is to stimulate scholarship work of the highest order and foster and promote a high standard of professional conduct. The LSU Law Center also recognizes outstanding academic achievement by awarding the J.D. degree summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude to students graduating with the requisite rank in class for each honor.

The LSU Law Center is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and also is a member of The Association of American Law Schools (AALS).

Juris Doctor and Optional Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law Programs

All LSU law students must complete the requirements for the traditional Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree by earning a total of 94 credit hours. Students may also earn the optional Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law (D.C.L.) degree by completing some fifteen credit hours as part of the 94 credit hour program. These courses may be selected from a list of designated D.C.L. courses. 

Specific details of the requirements for the J.D. degree and the D.C.L. diploma may be found in the LSU Law Center Catalog.

In the first year, Contracts, Torts, Federal Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Legal Writing and Research are required, as well as Obligations, Civil Law Property, and Legal Traditions, a study of the traditions and methodologies of the civil law and common law systems. After the first year, students have freedom to explore a wide variety of upper-level courses in a sequence that suits their professional interests. Students who choose to earn the D.C.L. must select 15 credit hours of coursework from a grouping of designated courses with a global, comparative, or civil law focus.

Students make their decision to pursue the D.C.L. during their second or third year. Students who do not wish to pursue the degree may file a notice of intent with the Law Registrar. Should a student who opted out of earning the D.C.L. subsequently decide to complete the requirements for the D.C.L., the student may notify the Law Registrar of the change prior to graduation. 

Admission Procedure

The LSU Law Center’s Faculty Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach in reviewing applications for admission. Although the undergraduate GPA and LSAT score(s) play an integral role in the decision-making process, the Admissions Committee encourages applicants to submit other information that would be of assistance in evaluating the applicant’s aptitude for the study of law and likely contributions to the academic community life of the Law Center. Such factors might include: 

• Academic performance and accomplishments;
• Evidence of significant leadership and/or public service;
• Professional and/or military service; and
• Cultural and/or experiential background.

Applicants must have good moral character. Good moral character includes honesty, trustworthiness, and other traits relating to the role of a lawyer in society and the legal system. 

Admission is contingent on the accuracy of information received. Failure to fully disclose information may result in the revocation of an admission offer or in disciplinary action by the Law Center or Bar disciplinary authorities.

The Law Center accepts transfer applications from students who have satisfactorily completed the first full year curriculum at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. 

Students from other law schools may petition for admission as a non-matriculating student or summer-only applicant. Petitions are granted with the stipulation that credit earned during this enrollment cannot be applied toward a degree from the Law Center in the event the non-matriculating student later matriculates.

Any student who is not continuously enrolled at the Law Center (except for summer terms) and students who have been academically excluded may petition the Admissions Committee for readmission. Law students applying for reentry are not guaranteed admission. Applicants who have not made satisfactory academic progress and/or do not show sufficient promise for success in the law curriculum may be denied permission to reenter.

Please visit the LSU Law Center’s website at www.law.lsu.edu for more details on the admissions process for regular admission, transfer admission, non-matriculating admission, summer only admission, readmission, and readmission after academic exclusion.

Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy

The Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy (Energy Certificate) may be earned by students who have demonstrated substantial competence in the study of energy law and related subject matter. The certificate prepares graduates for careers in energy law and related fields through coursework and exposure to relevant applied learning experiences.

Admission Procedure

Any LSU law student in good standing who has completed at least one full year of full-time law study with a grade point average of 2.4 or higher is eligible to participate in the certificate program. An interested student must complete an application, after which the student will participate in an orientation session with the energy law faculty. In order to earn the Energy Certificate, a student must successfully complete at least 18 credit hours within the certificate curriculum and earn the required grade point averages in mandatory and elective courses, as well as an overall grade point average in all Law Center coursework. Specific details of the requirements for the Energy Certificate may be found in the LSU Law Center Catalog.

Master of Laws

The Law Center offers an advanced program of study leading to the degree of Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Comparative Law. This degree requires two semesters in residence and a minimum of 26 credit hours of study. The LL.M. in Comparative Law is open to students with either civilian or Anglo-American training.  Students pursuing the LL.M. gain a foundation in the American common law taught from the perspective of a law school grounded in both the civil law and common law traditions. The LL.M. program is offered in English. 

Admission Procedure

The LL.M. Program is selective. Candidates who have exhibited exceptional ability in the past and whose record, as a whole, promises high potential for the future will be considered for admission to the program.  Applicants must have completed a Juris Doctor from an ABA-approved law school, or its equivalent from a foreign law school. Admission decisions are made by the LL.M. Program Committee of the law faculty. Students are admitted for study beginning in the fall semester only.

Dual Degree Programs

The LSU Law Center offers its students the opportunity to enroll in several LSU A&M graduate programs. These concurrent degree programs allow students to pursue parallel degree programs with common areas of study. Students complete the requirements of both programs in approximately four years.

The dual degree programs are:

• Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration
• Juris Doctor and Master of Finance
• Juris Doctor and Master of Mass Communication
• Juris Doctor and Master of Public Administration
• Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work

Applicants to the dual concurrent programs must be admitted separately into the law and graduate programs.  Please visit the LSU Law Center’s website at www.law.lsu.edu for more details on admissions for the dual degree programs.

3+3 Program – LSU Law and the LSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences

The LSU Law Center and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have launched a new 3+3 program allowing students to receive a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in six years. The program provides a cost-effective and expeditious way for qualified students to earn both degrees.

Admission Procedure

LSU HSS students may apply for admission upon entering their undergraduate junior year. If admitted to the LSU Law Center, students will be eligible to begin studying at the Law Center during their fourth year at LSU. During that time, all completed coursework will count toward the final year of the undergraduate degree, as well as the first year of the law degree.

To learn more, visit http://www.lsu.edu/hss/programs/Undergraduate/prelaw.php.