LSU Law News
April 2024
LSU Law Professor Tracy Norton appointed to tenure track as Assistant Professor of Law
April 30, 2024LSU Law Professor Tracy L. M. Norton, a national and international leader in the fields of legal writing and legal education, has been appointed to the tenure track as an Assistant Professor of Law at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. "I am deeply honored by the faculty's recognition of my potential contributions to LSU Law's scholarly community. Even more than that, after many years focused on teaching and service, I am honored to be part of an institution committed to fostering faculty excellence by allowing faculty members to align our efforts with our individual strengths and interests,” Norton…
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Board of Advocates elects 2024-25 Executive Committee
April 17, 2024The Executive Committee of the 2024-25 Board of Advocates was elected on Tuesday, April 16, with the following students being elected for leadership positions: Patrick D. Riley — President Keeley Jones — Vice-President of Internal Competitions Jason Parker II — Vice-President of External Competitions Caroline Elizabeth Hardy — Vice-President of Judicial Relations Taylor Guice — Vice-President of Undergraduate Relations Kenneth John Nilsson — Director of Internal Appellate Competitions Rachel Caroline Taylor — Director of Internal Trial Competitions Andrew Livaudais Kuebel — Director of Internal Dispute Resolution Competitions Daniel J. Harry — Director of External Appellate Competitions Raegan Elizabeth Thanh Nguyen…
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‘She selflessly made time to fan the flames of my own dream’: How LSU Law’s first US Supreme Court clerk helped its second land one of the nation's most coveted clerkships
April 16, 2024Speaking to a group of his fellow LSU Law alumni at a special event in Houston, Ben Aguiñaga (’15) said his journey from the hallways of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center to the corridors of the U.S. Supreme Court serves as just one example of how invaluable alumni-to-student mentorship can be in the career paths of aspiring attorneys. “I cannot overstate how instrumental Michelle and other mentors have been in my life,” said Aguiñaga, referring to LSU Law Class of 2009 alumna Michelle Shamblin Stratton, who was also among those gathered for the event in November to introduce…
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Catching up with 2009 LSU Law alumna Michelle Shamblin Stratton, partner at Murphy Ball Stratton LLP
April 16, 2024You kicked off the new year by launching Murphy Ball Stratton LLP with Land Murphy and Dane Ball. We’ll discuss some of your experiences leading up to launching MBS, but can you describe what makes your firm unique? I won’t go so far as to say we are “unique,” but I do think we’re special! We are a civil and white-collar trial and appellate boutique comprised of lawyers with deep and wide experience in those areas: it’s the rare day when we encounter something we’ve never seen before, but when we do, we’re ready to take it on. That’s why…
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Catching up with 2015 LSU Law alumni and Louisiana Solicitor General Ben Aguiñaga (’15)
April 16, 2024You were appointed Solicitor General for Louisiana by Attorney General Liz Murril in December. Before we get to what brought you here, how does it feel to be back in Louisiana? It’s great to be back in Louisiana. I didn’t miss the bridge traffic in Baton Rouge, but I did miss Cajun food, LSU culture, and the like. Our daughter loves to watch sports and live bands, so we recently took the kids to an LSU women’s basketball game, and we did a day trip to the French Quarter, where there’s no shortage of live music. The kids had a…
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Fifth Circuit US Court of Appeals Judge Dana Douglas to deliver LSU Law Class of 2024 Commencement address on Saturday, May 18
April 16, 2024The Hon. Dana Douglas of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will deliver the address at the LSU Law Class of 2024 Commencement, which will take place at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the LSU campus at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. Judge Douglas was nominated for the federal bench by President Joe Biden on June 15, 2022, and was confirmed by the Senate on Dec. 13, 2022, becoming the first Black female judge on the court’s bench. Prior to joining the Fifth Circuit bench, Judge Douglas had served as a magistrate judge for…
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3L Alaysia Johnson to be honored with 2024 LSBA Student Pro Bono Award
April 15, 2024Third-year LSU Law student Alaysia Johnson will be honored with a 2024 Louisiana State Bar Association Law Student Pro Bono Award in recognition of her outstanding work in three of LSU Law’s legal clinics at the LSBA 39th Annual Pro Bono Publico & Children’s Law Awards Ceremony on May 21. Through her participation in the Parole Assistance and Re-entry, Wrongful Conviction, and Juvenile Defense clinics, Johnson represented clients in legal proceedings, and even continued to represent them after the conclusion of her semester in two of the clinics. Additionally, Johnson has volunteered for the past year at the East Baton…
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94% of LSU Law Class of 2023 employed within 10 months of graduation, ABA data shows
April 12, 2024Ninety-four percent of the graduates in the LSU Law Class of 2023 found employment within 10 months of earning their law degree, according to new employment and salary figures from the American Bar Association. Among them, 92% were employed in positions where bar passage was required, and an additional 7% were employed in positions where a J.D. was an advantage. “Helping our graduates launch their legal careers is as important as providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in those careers,” said LSU Law Dean Alena Allen. “We are extremely proud of the outcomes being achieved…
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47 second-year LSU Law students selected for 2024-25 Board of Advocates
April 11, 2024Forty-seven second-year LSU Law students have been selected for membership on the 2024-2025 Board of Advocates, a student honor organization dedicated to the promotion and development of oral and written persuasive advocacy skills. Rising third-year law students are selected to membership on the Board of Advocates based on a holistic application that looks at a student’s success in the Law Center’s many different internal and external advocacy competitions, teams, and other skills development opportunities. The Board of Advocates is the result of a merger of the former Moot Court and Trial Advocacy Boards. The LSU Law Class of 2025 achieved…
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Crypto scholar, former US Department of Justice prosecutor Del Wright Jr. to join LSU Law faculty in Fall 2024 semester
April 9, 2024Del Wright Jr., a former U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutor with the Tax Division and legal scholar whose research focuses on crypto and the regulation of blockchain technologies, will join the LSU Law faculty at the start of the Fall 2024 semester as the Vinson & Elkins Endowed Professor of Law. Del Wright Jr., a former U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutor with the Tax Division and legal scholar whose research focuses on crypto and the regulation of blockchain technologies, will join the LSU Law faculty at the start of the Fall 2024 semester as the Vinson & Elkins…
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Your Gifts at Work: Elizabeth Bueche
April 8, 2024From 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…
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Student Organization Spotlight: Christian Legal Society
April 8, 2024Christian Legal Society 2023-24 officers include, from left to right, Hannah Johnson, Lauren Arceneaux, Graham Core, Caleb O'Connell, John Cashen, Kara Gary, Cory Koch, and Jaymie Wright (not pictured). Each Wednesday morning, members of the LSU Law Christian Legal Society begin their day at the Paul M. Heber Law Center by gathering for Bible study, offering students a moment of prayer to help alleviate the stresses of law school and start their day on a peaceful note. “Our Bible study attendance has been steadily growing each semester, and I hope it continues to grow in the future,” said CLS President…
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Extended Library Hours
April 5, 2024Beginning Monday, April 8th through Thursday, May 2nd, the Law Library will be open until 11:00 p.m. each night for the exam period. Check the Library Hours page for full details. Best of luck students on your upcoming exams!
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Alumni and friends donate over $185K for LSU Law on Giving Day
April 3, 2024More than 90 LSU Law alumni and friends from across the country stepped up on LSU Giving Day, March 27, and donated over $185,000 in support of students at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. LSU Law chose to highlight funds on Giving Day that directly benefit students at the Law Center. Donors gifted nearly $4,000 to the General Scholarship Fund, approximately $1,000 to the Emergency/Disaster Relief Fund, and more than $11,350 the Excellence Fund, which allows the dean to respond to emergent needs and underwrite $5 million in unfunded scholarships distributed by the Law Center each academic year.…
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Davidson (’76) posthumously honored with Distinguished Service Award during 71st Mineral Law Institute at LSU Law
April 3, 2024The late Randall “Randy” Davidson ('76) was posthumously honored with the LSU Mineral Law Institute Distinguished Service Award at LSU Law on March 21. Following morning presentations on mineral leasing, recent developments in Louisiana mineral law, and the evolving use of artificial intelligence in law practice, the 71st Mineral Law Institute paused on Thursday, March 21, to posthumously honor the late Randall “Randy” Davidson with the LSU Mineral Law Institute Distinguished Service Award. A longtime member of the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute Advisory Council, Davidson graduated from LSU Law in 1976. He frequently lectured on Louisiana mineral rights law and…
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LSU Law 2L Patrick Riley wins 2024 Dean’s Cup Moot Court Competition
April 3, 2024Second-year LSU Law student Patrick Riley won the 2024 Dean’s Cup Moot Court Competition on Monday, April 1, besting 3L Foster Willie in the competition’s final round in the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center’s Robinson Courtroom. Riley was awarded the coveted foot-tall solid crystal Dean’s Cup trophy. "It was a privilege to compete for the Dean's Cup against the best future appellate litigators at LSU Law,” Riley said. “My co-finalist, 3L Foster Willie, was particularly exceptional and it was an honor to argue against him.” Riley and Willie presented oral arguments before a distinguished panel of judges that included…
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Environmental, natural resources, and cannabis law scholar Ryan Stoa joining LSU Law faculty in Fall 2024 semester
April 2, 2024Environmental, natural resources, and cannabis law scholar Ryan Stoa will join the LSU Law faculty at the start of the Fall 2024 semester. Stoa has been a faculty member of the Southern University Law Center since 2020 and he previously taught at Concordia University School of Law and Florida International University College of Law. His research and scholarship focus on environmental, energy, and natural resources law and policy, as well as cannabis regulation, coastal law, and sustainable development. “I am delighted to be joining the esteemed faculty of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. I am a dual citizen…
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