LSU Law students and donors at the 2024 Scholarship Reception, which was held at The Club at Union Square on Feb. 6.
More than 150 LSU Law students, alumni, faculty, and staff members gathered at The Club at Union Square on Tuesday evening, Feb. 6, for the annual LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center Scholarship Reception honoring scholarship benefactors and recipients.
“Thank you to those of you who give, and help us help others,” Dean Alena Allen told attendees. “For many students, it can seem like access to law school is behind a locked door due to financial access. Your gift helps to unlock those doors for many students.”
LSU Law’s endowment has grown exponentially over the past decade, allowing the Law Center to expand its scope and scale of scholarship awards. This academic year, 218 students received awards, marking a 46% increase over the past 10 years. Two scholarships were created in the 2023 fiscal year, including the Professor Cheney Cleveland Joseph Jr. Scholarship and the Jones Downer Family Scholarship.
Dozens of LSU Law scholarship recipients chatted with the donors who make their scholarships possible at the reception, and two of them—Monesha Miller-Becnel and Brock McKiness—made special presentations. Monesha Miller-Becnel, a second-year law student, said scholarship support has provided her with the extra encouragement needed to persist through the challenges of law school.
“Every time I am blessed to receive a scholarship, it encourages me to continue,” said Miller-Becnel, an LSU Law Student Ambassador and member of both the Black Law Students Association and the Women Law Students Association. “That’s why LSU Law means so much to me. LSU Law has made a stand in my life and encourages me to go on.”
McKiness, a third-year law student and U.S. Army combat veteran, talked about his non-traditional path to LSU Law and thanked the donors for helping him explore new opportunities and develop new talents throughout his time at the Law Center.
“LSU Law has helped me to achieve more than I could’ve imagined at 18,” he said. “I’ve been able to successfully represent numerous veterans through my law school experiences. Just like the military, I am proud to have gone to LSU Law.”
Two types of scholarships are awarded to students at LSU Law. Endowed scholarships are invested into perpetuity and are awarded annually. Non-endowed scholarships are akin to annual gifts and are awarded each year, so long as there is enough money to fund the award.
Each year, LSU Law submits applications to the Louisiana Board of Regents for endowed scholarship matching funds through the Endowed Superior Graduate Student Scholarship subprogram. LSU Law has consistently scored high on its applications for the subprogram, which is extremely competitive among graduate schools.
In fiscal year 2023, LSU Law received three matches totaling $200,000 for the Class of 1978 Endowed Scholarship, Jeff and Ashley Raborn Scholarship, and E. Kay Kirkpatrick Scholarship. Over the past decade, LSU Law has been awarded matching contributions from the Board of Regents totaling nearly $1 million.
The generous support of donors who fund scholarships helps offset the rising cost of law school. While the Paul M. Hebert Law Center continually works to control costs, tuition and fees for in-state students is approximately $23,000 per year.
See a photo gallery from the 2024 Scholarship Reception.
Learn more about how you can support LSU Law students through scholarships.
