LSU Law News
July 2023
More than 110 LSU Law students, alumni participating in Trial Advocacy Program at LSU Law
July 26, 2023Legal experts from across the nation—including 40 LSU Law alumni—are converging at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center on Aug. 7-9 to lead rising third-year law students in intensive training sessions as part of the annual Trial Advocacy Program. Held each year just before the start of the fall semester, the Trial Advocacy Program covers every aspect of trial practice, from jury selection through closing arguments. It regularly features some of America’s top trial lawyers and judges who work in small groups with students, and it was established with a major gift from Vinson & Elkins in 1987. The trial…
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Your Gifts at Work: Meet the 10 LSU Law students receiving PILS fellowships through Dean's Council funding
July 24, 2023The LSU Law students selected for a Dean’s Council 2023-24 PILS Fellowship are (from left to right, top row to bottom): Rochelle Bogle, Matthew Broussard, Alvaro de la Cruz-Correa, Miriam Grant, Summer Knight, Kayla Meyers, Sarah Scott, Olugbemisola Soyebo, Tonya Verhaal, and Britney Young. Along with providing LSU Law students with direct scholarship support, tuition waivers, and funding for public interest field placements and advocacy competition travel throughout each academic year, the Dean’s Council is generously providing funds for 10 Public Interest Law Society (PILS) Fellowships this summer. The fellowships are designed to provide a modest financial incentive to students…
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Rising LSU Law 3L Joseph Kaiser wins national ABA law writing competition
July 20, 2023As the national winner of the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial & Insurance Practice-Admiralty and Maritime Law Writing Competition, rising third-year LSU Law student Joseph Kaiser will travel to New York City in August to participate in the “A Day in Marine Insurance with Gard Inc.” and present his paper to the firm’s North American headquarters office. “I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity,” said Kaiser, a native of Pensacola, Florida. “It was an indescribable feeling to find out I had won.” Kaiser penned the first draft of what would become his award-winning paper, “Righting the Ship: Analyzing the Fifth…
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2023 PILS: Britney Young
July 20, 2023At age 14, Louisiana native Britney Young developed an interest in criminal justice and reform. In a high school class assignment, where she could have written on any topic, she tackled the complex subject of mass incarceration. “I wrote about America's incarceration statistics and methods when compared to other countries, and I also mentioned the school-to-prison pipeline,” Young explained. From that essay, she learned about criminal justice reform around the world and her fascination grew. “It definitely piqued my interest in criminal law and, eventually, law school,” said Young, now in her third year at LSU Law. Her career goal…
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2023 PILS: Tonya Verhaal
July 20, 2023After teaching high school English in Northern Utah, Tonya Verhaal knew she could make a greater impact on the community by becoming a child advocate. “Those years really opened my eyes to the needs of kids and the ways in which I was just part of a larger flawed system,” Verhaal said. Wanting to be a part of the solution, she traveled to Louisiana to study public interest at LSU Law. “The clearest path to being a child advocate is somewhere in the public interest realm,” Verhaal explained. “This will still allow me to work with kids in a positive…
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2023 PILS: Olugbemisola Soyebo
July 20, 2023Olugbemisola Soyebo wants to help expand healthcare access to underserved populations, so her internship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia has been a great fit. “It allows me to work toward my desired goals, which directly falls within the realm of public interest,” said Soyebo, a rising 3L at LSU Law. As the national public health agency in the United States, operating under the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC is dedicated to safeguarding the nation's well-being through evidence-based and data-driven practices. Soyebo interned for a Public Health Analyst at the Global Immunization…
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2023 PILS: Sarah Scott
July 20, 2023LSU Law student Sarah Scott wanted to give back to the community that she has called “home” for the past two years. “Louisiana has given so much to me in the time that I have been here so I would like to return the favor in some way,” said Scott, a South Carolina native and 3L at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center. She found the opportunity to give back in her summer clerkship with the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights. At the nonprofit law office, she assists with juvenile life without parole cases and other juvenile defense cases. She…
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2023 PILS: Kayla Meyers
July 20, 2023Rising 2L Kayla Meyers chose to attend LSU Law after she learned about the Public Interest Law Society’s Fellowship program. “I thought it was an amazing way to encourage students to do public interest work,” Meyers said. Eager to learn more about public interest law, she attended a student organization fair during her first semester where she met LSU Law Assistant Director of Career Services McKinzie Hall. “She told me about the internship at the ACLU of Louisiana and I immediately knew I wanted to pursue it,” Meyers said. The ACLU of Louisiana works to advance and preserve constitutional rights…
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2023 PILS: Summer Knight
July 20, 2023Summer Knight has spent most of her internship surrounded by Liberty and Justice. While Liberty and Justice happen to be the names of the two office cats, these are also the ideals that she is passionate about achieving for her clients. “I care a lot about people, especially people who may have additional disadvantages compared to others who are criminalized,” said Knight, a 2L at LSU Law. Under attorney Rhonda Covington, Knight completed an internship with the 20th Judicial District Court Public Defender’s Office covering East Feliciana and West Feliciana parishes. Knight attended court twice a week, helped develop case…
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2023 PILS: Miriam Grant
July 20, 2023Third-year LSU Law student Miriam Grant wanted to use her award-winning litigation skills to make a difference for disadvantaged communities this summer. She was particularly excited about her internship with the Brevard County Public Defender’s Office in Florida where she could help indigent defendants. “I have been able to work on cases, interact with clients, negotiate with the prosecutors, and speak before the court,” said Grant, a recipient of the Spring 2023 Dudley DeBosier Annual Advocacy Program Award. In her role as a Certified Legal Intern, Grant had the opportunity to sit second chair in trials and successfully defended her…
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2023 PILS: Alvaro de la Cruz-Correa
July 20, 2023His childhood experiences, the needs of his community, and his newborn son inspire third-year LSU Law student Alvaro de la Cruz-Correa as he embarks on his journey to become a public interest lawyer. Growing up, de la Cruz-Correa valued the community support he found within local city programs while his mother worked to make ends meet. But it was there that he witnessed first-hand how individuals with language barriers struggled to receive the help they needed. “So many issues can be solved without strain or pain, but hills seem to turn into mountains when you do not know where to…
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2023 PILS: Matthew Broussard
July 20, 2023Matthew Broussard has always had a heart for public service. Before he became a rising 2L at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, he was a full-time paramedic. When Broussard decided to return to college, he only had one career in mind. “I made the decision to go to law school with the overwhelming intention to pursue a career in public defense,” Broussard said. In his first legal internship with the Colorado Springs Public Defender’s Office, he has had the opportunity to witness criminal trials, help in juror selection and assist with critical legal research. “I cannot imagine a more…
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2023 PILS: Rochelle Bogle
July 20, 2023After her past fellowship at a public defender’s office, third-year LSU Law student Rochelle Bogle decided to take a different approach to public interest law this summer. At the Georgia Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to represent the imprisoned innocent using newly discovered evidence, she has explored the “unique” world of innocence work. “I knew that I wanted to do something where I could help real people,” said Bogle. “I am grateful for this opportunity because it has broadened my view of what I want to do in public interest law.” Bogle assisted attorneys at the Georgia Innocence…
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LSU Law legal writing professors extend expertise outside of classroom
July 20, 2023What can attorneys and judges learn from Bob Dylan? Probably more than you would think. The demand for more legal writing instruction comes, in part, from attorneys and judges who missed out on the training when they attended law school. Even those well-versed in legal writing return to learn the latest change in the rules or the newest technique LSU Law’s professors. The legal writing program at the Law Center has continued to evolve since its 30-year inception to remain on the cutting edge of grammar and writing and produce “practice-ready” graduates. Rising third-year LSU Law student Joseph Kaiser brought…
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Johnson joins LSU Law staff as embedded clinical mental health counselor
July 10, 2023Brittina Johnson has joined the LSU Law staff as the embedded clinical mental health counselor at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, where students have access to free on-site individual counseling sessions, mental health workshops, and additional services tailored to their needs. “Students can expect to have a welcoming experience that is professional, confidential, and discreet,” said Johnson, a licensed professional counselor in Louisiana and Texas with more than 10 years of experience working with college students both a mental health and academic counselor. “The Law Center understands how essential it is for its students to be mentally healthy and…
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'Journal for Social Justice and Policy' names 10 Junior Associates for Volume IV
July 5, 2023The LSU Law Journal for Social Justice and Policy Board of Editors are proud to announce the 10 students selected to serve as Junior Associates for Volume IV. The Volume IV Junior Associates are: Taylor Guice Mary Langley Ryan McNeil Monesha Miller-Becnel Claire Monsour Grant Murphy Christina Ryan Adam Sequeira Robert Vetter Kassie Wilson
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'Journal of Energy Law & Resources' selects 15 Junior Associates for Volume XII
July 5, 2023The LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources Board of Editors and Senior Associates are proud to announce the 15 students selected to serve as Junior Associates for Volume XII. The Volume XII Junior Associates are: Brandon Andrews William Brady Elizabeth Bueche Alexis Carmichael Ethan Dupree Logan Goodwin Macy Heroman Emma Irvin Asia Jackson Madeline Kraus Benton Marcotte Sarah Miller Isabelle Rowan Marissa Torres Mary Matteson Zepernick
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'Louisiana Law Review' selects 25 Junior Associates for Volume 84
July 5, 2023The Louisiana Law Review Board of Editors and Senior Associates are proud to announce the 25 students selected to serve as Junior Associates for Volume 84. The Volume 84 Junior Associates are: Ashton Austin Grace Bordelon Tyler Brewster Kris Bromley Patrick Calhoun Kenli Conyers Graham Core Kaleb Delatte Aidan Doughty Jack Ducote Madelyn Graves Haley Grieshaber Daniel Gunn Blaine Jacob Nathon Jagot Gabriella Leccese James LeDoux Thomas Makie Caleb O'Connell Morgan Pilcher Tara Roussel Sarah Szwak Susannah Theus William Wood Philip Young
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Extended Library Hours
July 5, 2023Beginning Wednesday July 5 through Thursday, July 20, the Law Library will be open until 10:00 p.m. each night for the exam period. Best of luck students on your upcoming exams!
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