Southern University Law Center

Southern University Law Center, a campus of the Southern University System, opened for instruction in September 1947. Its concept was born out of a response of a lawsuit by an African American 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 blacks at Southern University to be in operation for the 1947-1948 session. The University is a member-school of Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

There are full-time, part-time, and evening programs. 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 with international subject matter. SULC also publishes two legal journals: its traditional Law Review as well as The Journal of Race, Gender and Poverty. SULC's students also learn 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.

Rankings and Employment statistics
According to The Faculty Lounge, 43.2% of the Class of 2012 was employed in full-time, long-term positions requiring bar admission, ranking 161st out of 197 law schools.

History
Plans for the law school were approved by the State Board of Education at its January 10, 1947, meeting. On June 14, 1947, the Board of Liquidation of State Debt appropriated $40,000 for the operation of the school. The Southern University Law School was officially opened in September 1947 to provide legal education for African-American students.

After 38 years of operation as a School of Law, the Southern University Board of Supervisors re-designated the school as the Southern University Law Center.

Accreditation
The Law Center program is accredited by the American Bar Association, the Supreme Court of Louisiana, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Association of American Law Schools. It is approved also by the Veterans Administration for the training of eligible veterans.

Clinical program
The clinical education program at Southern University Law Center is ranked 42nd out of 216 clinical education programs nationally by the American Bar Association. At Southern University Law Center, clinical education is available to third years students but not required.
 * Administrative/Civil Law Clinic
 * Criminal Law Clinic
 * Domestic Violence Clinic
 * Elder Law Clinic
 * Juvenile Law Clinic
 * Low-income Taxpayer Clinic
 * Mediation Clinic

Physical plant
Housed in the 93400 sqft A. A. Lenoir Hall, the Law Center's program of study is designed to ensure that students graduate with a comprehensive knowledge of civil law and common law. Though emphasis is given to the substantive and procedural law of Louisiana, with its French and Spanish origins, Anglo-American law is integrated into the curriculum.

Other accomplishments

 * Ranking among the "Best Law Schools for Public Service" in 2012 by preLaw Magazine.
 * Ranking first among law schools awarding "Law Degrees With Most Financial Value at Graduation" in 2011 by U.S. News & World Report.
 * Ranking fourth most popular law school by U.S. News & World Report.
 * Ranking in the top ten among law schools for competitiveness and diverse faculty and student body in the 2000 edition of The Princeton Review: The Best Law Schools.
 * Ranking third among institutions awarding law degrees to African Americans by Black Issues in Higher Education (2000)
 * Ranking first among accredited law schools in the country for women-friendliness in a Woman’s Guide to Law Schools (1999)
 * Ranking in the top 20 percent of the nation’s accredited law schools in favorable student/faculty ratio (13:1)

Notable alumni

 * Jesse N. Stone, Jr. (1950) -- Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice, Chancellor of SULC 1971-72, President of SU System 1975-85, civil rights attorney, and political leader.
 * Sherman Q. Mack (1999) -- District 95 state representative
 * Louis Moore, Jr. (1972) -- Federal Magistrate Judge on United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (appointed 1985).
 * Willie Hunter, Jr. (1977) -- Former Louisiana State Representative.
 * Annette M. Eddie-Callagain (1981) -- First African-American to have a private legal practice in Japan as a registered foreign attorney (a Gaikokuhō Jimu Bengoshi or gaiben).
 * Cleo Fields (1987) -- Former United State Congressman for Louisiana's 4th Congressional District 1993-1997, former gubernatorial candidate,
 * John M. Guidry (1987) -- Judge of First Circuit of the Louisiana Courts of Appeal, former Louisiana Representative 1991, former Louisiana State Senator 1993.
 * Claire Babineaux-Fontenot (1989) -- Sr. Vice President and Chief Tax Officer for Walmart Stores, Inc.
 * Hillar C. Moore, III (1989) -- District Attorney for the 19th Judicial District, Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
 * Taylor Townsend (Louisiana politician) (1989) -- Louisiana State Representative from the 23rd District.
 * Jody Amedee (ca. 1995) -- Louisiana state senator from District 18
 * Robert M. Marionneaux (1995) -- Louisiana State Representative from District 18 from 1996–2000, Louisiana State Senator from District 17.
 * Jonathan W. Perry (1998) -- State representative from Vermilion and Cameron parishes.
 * Mike Foster (2004) -- Former Governor of Louisiana
 * Faith Jenkins -- Miss Louisiana 2000, Miss America 2001 first runner-up, attorney and legal analyst