	On The Move Archives

	Spring 2010

James Carville to Deliver Keynote Address at May 28 Commencement Ceremonies

James “The Ragin’ Cajun” Carville, America’s best-known political consultant and a 1973 graduate of the LSU Law Center, will deliver the keynote address at the LSU Law Center Commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday, May 28, 2010. Ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the LSU Campus.

Carville’s long list of electoral successes evidences a knack for steering overlooked campaigns to unexpected landslide victories. He is known for re-making political underdogs into upset winners.

Gene W. Lafitte Named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year

Gene W. Lafitte, a 1952 graduate of the Law Center, has been named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, announced Chancellor Jack M. Weiss during the spring meeting of the Law Center Alumni Board of Trustees.

“This is the highest professional honor awarded by the LSU Law Center, and Gene is extremely deserving of this honor. He has been a leader in the legal profession in Louisiana and beyond for decades. Just as importantly, Gene is universally respected as a person of unquestioned integrity.” Lafitte was nominated by long-time friend, John P. Laborde (’49), who was also present for the announcement, along with Gene’s wife, Jackie. Lafitte will be honored at special ceremonies this fall.

S. Gene Fendler Named President of Alumni Board of Trustees; Executive Committee Also Appointed

S. Gene Fendler of New Orleans has been named President of the LSU Law Center Alumni Board of Trustees by Chancellor Jack M. Weiss. Fendler, of Liskow and Lewis, is a long-time member of the alumni advisory board, and he will serve a two-year term as President, beginning Spring 2010.

Pulitzer-Prize Winning Journalist Steve Coll Engages Law Center Audiences

Steve Coll, a provocative investigative journalist and Pulitzer-prize winning author, provided an “on the ground assessment” of the current war and political situation in Afghanistan at events held with students, faculty, staff, and alumni on Friday, April 16. Coll is the author of numerous books, including Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, and most recently, The Bin Ladens: Arabian Family in the American Century. He spoke at the Law Center and to alumni at the annual Chancellor’s Council dinner. The events commemorated the 150 year LSU Sesquicentennial.

New Faculty Appointed

Chancellor Jack M. Weiss has announced the appointment of two new faculty members to fill important positions at the Law Center.

E.D. White Lectures Address Higher Education Funding and The Case of Louisiana

This year’s E.D. White Lectures, jointly sponsored by the Law Center and the LSU Department of Political Science, featured nationally-noted scholar of higher education, Professor Michael McLendon of Vanderbilt University.

Moot Court and Trial Advocacy Programs Gain National Recognition

Seventeen of the LSU Law Center’s 26 Moot Court and Trial Advocacy teams received either team or individual awards in competitions held throughout the United States this school year. The teams and individual members were recognized at the April 8 annual awards banquet held in downtown Baton Rouge.

LSU Law Center Hosts Symposium on Transfer of Juveniles to Adult Court

“Where is justice?” asked Gerald Gault, as he ended his interview during a symposium on juvenile justice at the LSU Law Center on Friday, March 19. Gault was the petitioner in the 1967 landmark U.S. Supreme Court case In Re Gault that revolutionized the field of juvenile law. In its ruling in the Gault case, the Court extended the right to counsel and other due process protections to juveniles during delinquency proceedings. Gault, at age 15, was sentenced to state custody until his 21st birthday following proceedings that denied him access to an attorney or application of rules of evidence. He spoke, along with numerous state and nationally recognized experts, to a standing room only audience at the day-long symposium.

LSU Law Library Ranked #5 Best in the Nation

The LSU Law library has been ranked among the top five best law libraries in the nation. The National Jurist magazine rankings were released in late March, and the LSU Law Center’s top ranking placed it ahead of many elite public and private law schools. A photo of the library also appeared in the article titled, What Makes a Great Library.

Professor Paul Baier Voted Professor of the Year by Class of 2010

LSU Law Professor Paul Baier, George M. Armstrong, Jr. Professor of Law, was voted Professor of the Year by the Law Center Class of 2010. His students characterize Professor Baier as an extraordinary teacher who uses extraordinary teaching methods. The students honored Baier at a reception held Thursday, April 15 at the Law Center and presented him with an inscribed plaque.

Law Center Retains Top 100 Ranking in 2011 U.S. News Best Graduate Schools

The LSU Law Center remained solidly positioned among the top 100 American law schools in rankings released on April 15. The 2011 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings placed the Center at 80th nationally, down slightly from the previous rankings in 2010.

ABA Re-accreditation Team Visits LSU Law

On March 24–27, the Law Center completed its site evaluation process for re-accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA). Academic institutions must be re-accredited every seven academic years, according to standards established by the ABA’s Section on Legal Education and the Association of American Law Schools.

Upcoming CLE Seminars at the Law Center

May 14
Medical Malpractice Seminar
May 21
Advocacy for the Ages – Persuading Genders, Baby Boomers, and the X, Y and D Generations (on your jury)

Student News

Law Review Banquet Held—More than 40 Law Review members and just as many Law Review alumni, professors, and guests were in attendance at the LSU Law Review Annual Dinner and Banquet held April 10, 2010 at Juban’s Restaurant in Baton Rouge.

Grads and Crawdads Set for Thursday May 27—

The Grads and Crawdads celebration for seniors and their families will be held Thursday, May 27 at 5 p.m. in the Law Center parking area. Rain location will be the AgCenter’s 4-H Mini-Farm Building on campus.

Reservations are required. Graduates are free, but must register. Guests are $15 each. Menu includes all the crawfish you can eat along with potatoes, corn, jambalaya, soft drinks, and beer.

Reservation Form (pdf). Forms are also available in the Student Lounge.

Class of 2010: Give a Gift, Get a Gift!—The 2010 Class Gift drive is now underway. Leading the campaign are Mike Smith and Hanlon deVerges, who are confident the 2010 class will match or beat the Class of 2009’s gift participation rate of 53%.

With a donation to the 2010 Class Gift Fund, graduating students may select from either a set of four (4) LSU Old-Fashioned glasses OR a set of two (2) “Class of 2010” champagne flutes. A Class of 2010 T-shirt is also available. (Note: students will be notified by email when orders are ready for pick-up; t-shirts will be ready week of graduation.)

Faculty & Staff Highlights

Find out more about the recent achievements and work being done by the LSU Law Center's Faculty and Staff.

Alumni News

Find out the latest news on where and what your classmates are doing these days.