From the moment she stepped inside the Plaquemine City Court as a middle school student in 2014, Elizabeth Bueche knew she wanted to become an attorney. Having been selected to serve as her hometown’s “Mayor for the Day,” Bueche had the privilege of presiding over a monthly City of Plaquemine Board of Selectmen meeting. The experience had an immediate and lasting impact.
“The late former Mayor Tony Gulotta showed me around the city courtroom, and I remember thinking, ‘This is where I am supposed to be,’” said the second-year LSU Law student.
As an undergraduate at LSU, Bueche was selected for the Governor’s Fellow Program in Louisiana Government, which provides college students with the opportunity to gain valuable experience and insight through collaboration with state agency leaders on existing projects. She also served as chapter president of her sorority, Delta Delta Delta, before graduating from LSU in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in political communication and minors in both international studies and political science.
Initially uncertain about remaining in Louisiana for law school, Bueche said she was inspired to stay home after hearing former Gov. John Bel Edwards—a 1999 LSU Law alumnus—speak about the importance of investing in one’s home state.
“I chose LSU Law because I love Louisiana and I knew the Law Center produced outstanding attorneys—so many LSU Law graduates become superstars in our communities and worldwide,” Bueche said. “Staying in Louisiana and coming to LSU Law was definitely the right decision for me. I’ve met so many of my best friends and intelligent, caring, and approachable professors here, and as a bonus, I’ve found that I love civil law.”
During her time at LSU Law, Bueche has served as a tutor for Professor Grace Barry’s legal writing class and as a junior associate for the Journal of Energy Law and Resources, which she said has been among her most enjoyable law school experiences thus far. She’s a recipient of the Dean’s Council, Phelps Dunbar, and Craig and Meepsie Murray Endowed Scholarships.
Elizabeth Bueche’s hometown newspaper, Plaquemine Post South, took this photo to commemorate her “Mayor for a Day” experience, which inspired her to attend law school. Pictured from left, Lin Rivet, Mickey Rivet, Timmy Martinez, Elizabeth Bueche, Mayor Mark “Tony” Gulotta, Jimmie Randle Jr., and Oscar Mellion.
“These scholarships have taken a tremendous financial burden off of my family and me,” Bueche said. “The donors who make it possible for students like me to receive scholarships make such a difference in our lives, and I hope I can do the same one day.”
As she looks ahead to her final year of law school, Bueche said she’s excited to bring to fruition a vision she first had a teenager inside the Plaquemine City Courtroom.
“I want to practice in Baton Rouge and litigate after graduation,” she said, “so I’ll most likely return to that courtroom during my career.”
