LSU Law Center Chancellor Jack M. Weiss (center) is joined by members of the Judge Earl E. Veron family at an event commemorating the establishment of the Judge Earl E. Veron Endowed Professorship for support of the Law Center’s Clinical Legal Education program. Joining the Chancellor (L to R) are family members Louis Veron, brother; Mrs. Verdy Veron, wife; J. Michael Veron, son; and Michael’s wife, Melinda Veron.
A law professorship has been established in memory of the late Judge Earl E. Veron by his wife, Verdy Veron and son, J. Michael Veron, at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in Baton Rouge. Judge Veron was a 1959 graduate of the LSU Law Center and a widely respected jurist from Lake Charles.
LSU Law Chancellor Jack M. Weiss remembered Judge Veron as, “a friend who earned his reputation as a dedicated, thorough, and conscientious judge.”
Veron entered law school at the age of 32. He left the small family grocery business in Lake Charles to enter McNeese State University, becoming the first person in his family to attend college. After completing the necessary course work, he applied for law school at LSU. He became a lawyer at 37.
Nine years after receiving his law degree, Veron became a state district judge in Lake Charles. In 1977, he was appointed to the federal bench for the U.S. Western District of Louisiana by President Jimmy Carter. Veron held this position until his death in 1990.
“Those of us who were law school classmates of Earl Veron remember him fondly as one who combined the best traits—discipline, enthusiasm, warmth, a love for the law, and empathy for the people upon whom the law impacts. We were not surprised when he became a successful lawyer and an even more successful judge, both at the state and federal levels. It is fitting that Judge Veron will be formally remembered by the Law Center, its alumni, and its future students as one of our finest,” stated Professor Frank Maraist of the LSU Law Center, a former classmate, peer, and friend of Judge Veron.
He was married to his wife, Verdy, in 1948. Mrs. Verdy Veron and son, J. Michael, a Lake Charles area attorney at Veron, Bice, Palermo, & Wilson LLC in Lake Charles, recently attended a swearing in ceremony for LSU Law students participating in the Center’s Clinical Legal Education Program. Michael recalled his discussions with his father when he was contemplating attending law school himself. “There is always room for another good lawyer,” said the elder Veron to his son.
The Veron professorship provides support for the recently expanded Clinical Legal Education Program, where law students represent actual clients in the community or serve as externs in the judiciary and legal divisions of state agencies. The gift will qualify for a double match of funds by the 8(g) Louisiana Education Trust Fund (LEQSF). The 8(g) Fund, administered by the Louisiana Board of Regents, sustains excellence in health sciences, research, and education in Louisiana.
The Veron family gift supports the LSU Law Center’s Forever LSU campaign aimed at increasing private support for the benefit of the Law Center’s students, faculty, and programs. For more information, visit the Law Center’s website or call 225/578-8645.
