College Profile: Southern University Law Center

Southern University Law Center, a campus of the Southern University System, opened for instruction in September of 1947. Its concept was born out of a response of a lawsuit by a black resident, Charles J. Hatfield, III, seeking to attend law school at a state institution. On December 16, 1946, Louisiana State Board of Education took steps to establish a Law School for African-Americans at Southern University to be in operation for the 1947-1948 session. There are full-time, part-time, and evening programs. Internships and externships abound. There are six different clinics. "Our law school's clinical program is a great asset and one which cannot be found at all law schools," boasts one student. "The clinical program provides hands-on experience with the realities of practicing law. It teaches what no textbook or case can teach and is an exceptional learning tool." For students who want to pursue the JD and MPA, the school offers a joint-degree program in cooperation with the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. There's also a study-abroad program in London, in which students take courses in International Criminal Law and Conflict of Laws. SULC also publishes two legal journals: its traditional Law Review as well as The Public Defender. SULC's students also get to experience the pleasure (and pain) of learning two different systems of law: Louisiana is a civil law jurisdiction (in the tradition of France and Continental Europe), while law in every other state is based on the common law tradition (of England). SU students learn both. Graduates employed in areas of practice: Private practice : 37% Business/Industry : 5% Government : 15% Judicial clerkships : 6% Public Interest : 7% Academic : 1% Other : 29% The Law Center itself is a nice place to spend a few years. The library serves as an official depository for government documents. Classrooms "offer cutting-edge technology and spacious seating designed so that every student has access to the professor and class discussion." "The entire Law Center is wireless, including the patio area." "Wireless printing" is another perk. The student population is very close-knit" at Southern, which allows you "to draw on the strengths of other students in areas" in which you "may be weak." "You like some people," of course, and "you can't tolerate others." In this sense, SU is "just like a grown up high school." Overall, though, "there is a great sense of unity, primarily among 1Ls," despite the small contingent of "super competitors and neurotic memorizers" that you'll find at pretty much any law school. Southern is a unique law school in that it provides "a valuable education for many nontraditional students who otherwise would not have been given a chance to succeed in law school." The student population is diverse, certainly the most diverse in Louisiana. "I think I attend the only law school in the nation where there is such a mixture of culture," explains a 2L. Beyond the "friendly" confines of the Law Center, Baton Rouge is a student's Shangri-la, especially if you like music and food. Baton Rouge is home to unique art and culture, tons of festivals, and mouthwatering cuisine of every kind. When students take a break from hitting the books, a good number of bars and clubs and a raging live music scene keep life interesting.

 

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