Baton Rouge native and third-year LSU Law student Sarah Procopio discovered her passion for law while spearheading a transformative Louisiana healthcare policy during her undergraduate years at LSU.
While serving as a Louisiana Department of Health Governor’s Fellow as an undergraduate, Procopio developed an interest in healthcare liability, particularly in the context of administering the opiate antagonist Naloxone to those experiencing overdoses. Her commitment to the cause grew in response to an on-campus opioid emergency at LSU, and she began considering tactics to increase education on addiction and prevent on-campus opioid overdoses.
What started as a policy proposal to install opioid overdose prevention kits in LSU residence halls eventually received approval from Gov. John Bel Edwards after navigating through the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Board of Regents. Today, Procopio’s policy is effective in all Louisiana residence halls.
“The process of installing this policy is what ultimately drew me to law school,” said Procopio, who became just the 12th student in LSU history to receive a prestigious Truman Scholarship in 2020. “My calling to attend LSU Law was a natural progression of my interest in civic engagement. I wanted to continue to be an advocate for Louisiana and gain an insight into the mechanics of the legal systems that touch each of us in society.”
At LSU Law, Procopio has enjoyed deepening her passion for healthcare policy and honing her litigation skills by participating in LSU Law’s internal advocacy competitions. She earned the Best Individual Speaker award in the 2022 Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition and won the 2023 Transactional Competition along with her teammate, Yenifer Flores.
Procopio’s advocacy achievements led to her election as the 2023-24 president of the Board of Advocates, a student honor organization dedicated to the promotion and development of oral and written persuasive advocacy skills. In her role, Procopio and her executive board facilitate LSU Law’s internal and external advocacy programs, and are working to organize a unique competition centered around criminal plea deal negotiations.
Procopio enjoys overseeing LSU Law’s advocacy programs and supporting her executive team in an administrative role, but she especially loves engaging in advocacy as a participant.
“Winning the 2023 Transactional Competition was unique, valuable, and one of my favorite law school experiences so far,” Procopio said. “Instead of focusing on beating the opponent, the competition encouraged solution-minded thinking and collaboration with the other side. Every attorney wants to win their case, but a large part of practice is working together to find a solution, and I think that change in perspective will make me a better lawyer.”
Upon graduation in May, Procopio will spend a year in Alexandria clerking for Jerry Edwards, Jr. of the Western District of Louisiana before returning to Baton Rouge to practice at Phelps Dunbar in the Healthcare and Commercial Litigation groups.
A recipient of The United States District Court, Middle District of LA Judges Memorial Annual Scholarship Fund, the C. E. Laborde Jr. Memorial Scholarship, and the Ronnie Nye Memorial Scholarship, Procopio said she appreciates the opportunity to actively participate in the LSU Law community and serve her peers in the Board of Advocates.
“Receiving these awards makes me proud of my state and of this community,” Procopio said. “It’s incredible that Louisianians are giving back by investing in the legal future of their state.”
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