W. Shelby McKenzie has been named the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center’s 2005 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Law Center Chancellor John J. Costonis made the announcement at the spring meeting of the Law Center Alumni Board of Trustees. McKenzie will be honored at the Distinguished Alumnus Breakfast to be held on the LSU Campus on Saturday, October 15, 2005.
W. Shelby McKenzie was born in Baton Rouge. He received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University and then entered the LSU Law Center. He is a 1964 graduate of the Law Center where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Louisiana Law Review, member of The Order of the Coif, and recipient of the ODK-Mortar Board Outstanding Law School Senior Award.
Since graduation, McKenzie has practiced with the Baton Rouge law firm of Taylor Porter, Brooks & Phillips. There, he was mentored by some of the state’s best trial lawyers – Frank Middleton, Robert Vandaworker and Tom Phillips – all LSU Law graduates.
McKenzie’s professional activities have included terms as President of the Baton Rouge Bar Association and the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, as well as a frequent speaker at CLE seminars. Recently, McKenzie served as President of the LSU Law Center Alumni Board of Trustees, which he describes as a very rewarding experience.
