AT SULC - Southern University Law Center

Transcription

SULC
THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
Photo courtesy of
Louisiana House of Representatives
40
Photo by: Harold Baquet/Loyola University New Orleans
YEARS
Clinical
Education
AT SULC
EIGHT ADMINISTRATORS
have directed the steady growth and exceptional
service of the SULC Clinical Education Program.
Southern University Law Center
Administrative/Civil Law • Bankrutpcy •
Criminal Law • Divorce/Domestic Violence •
Elder Law • Juvenile Law • Mediation •
Tax Law & Externships
(225) 771-3333
www.sulc.edu
Develop perspective in client advocacy
& litigation and
Learn a structured approach
to lawyering.
(WINTER 2014) • VOLUME 23 • NUMBER 2
Southern University Board of Supervisors
HON. BRIDGET A. DINVAUT, Chair
Reserve, Louisiana
HON. JOE R. GANT, JR., Vice Chair
Shreveport, Louisiana
HON. RONALD MASON, JR., B.A., J.D., SU System President
and Secretary to the Board
HON. MURPHY F. BELL, JR.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
HON. CALVIN W. BRAXTON, SR.
Natchitoches, Louisiana
HON. ANTONIO “TONY” M. CLAYTON
Port Allen, Louisiana
HON. WALTER C. DUMAS
HON. RAYMOND M. FONDEL, JR.
Lake Charles, Louisiana
HON. WILLIE E. HENDRICKS
West Monroe, Louisiana
HON. EAMON M. KELLY
New Orleans, Louisiana
HON. MYRON K. LAWSON
Alexandria, Louisiana
HON. DARREN G. MIRE
New Orleans, Louisiana
HON. MICHAEL A. SMALL
Slidell, Louisiana
HON. ANN A. SMITH
Kentwood, Louisiana
HON. LEON R. TARVER II
HON. SAMUEL C. TOLBERT, JR.
Lake Charles, Louisiana
HON. SIMONE R. BRAY (student member)
Southern University Law Center Administration
JUDGE FREDDIE PITCHER, JR.,(retired) B.A., J.D.
Chancellor
JOHN K. PIERRE, B.S., M.S., J.D.
Vice Chancellor for Institutional Accountability and Evening Division and
Vanue B. Lacour Endowed Professor
RUSSELL JONES, B.A. J.D., LL.M.
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Jesse N. Stone, Jr., Endowed Professor
ROEDERICK WHITE, B.S., M.B.A., J.D.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Charles Hatfield Endowed Professor
BERRYL GORDON-THOMPSON, B.S., J.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Support Programs & Counseling
TERRY HALL, B.S., C.P.A.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs
RUTH BAILEY WESLEY, B.S., M.B.A., J.D.
Executive Assistant to the Chancellor
STACEY ARMELIN
Administrative Assistant to the Chancellor
CALUNDRA CLARKE, B.A., M.Ed.
Director of Financial Aid
RACHEL L. EMANUEL, B.A.J., M.J., Ph.D.
Director of Communications & Development Support
TANYA M. FREEMAN, B.S., M.B.A.
Director of Development
RUTH J. HILL, B.A., M.S.L.S., J.D.
Director of Library Services and Professor
MICHELLE JACKSON, B.A., J.D.
Director of Career Counseling & Development
LATA JOHNSON, B.A., M.S., M.S.
Director of Information & Technology
D’ANDREA JOSHUA LEE, B.S., M.Ed.
Director of Records and Registration
VIRGINIA LISTACH, B.A., J.D.
Interim Director of Clinical Education Program
ANDREA LOVE, B.S., M.Ed.
Director of Admission and Recruitment
CYNTHIA N. REED, B.S., J.D.
Director of CLE & Alumni Affairs
GAIL STEPHENSON, B.A., J.D.
Director of Legal Analysis and Writing and
Associate Professor
FELTON DEROUEN, B.S.
Coordinator of Security and Inventory
CONTENTS
On the Cover...
WINTER 2014 • VOLUME 23 • NUMBER 2
Legal Practice Allows Partner
to Enjoy Other Business Goals—
SULC
Clyde Simien and Ricky Miniex, both of the
Class of 1986, celebrate more than a quarter
of a century of service to their Lafayette,
Louisiana, community. Read about the success
of their law firm, their philanthropy, and their
other business ventures in a feature article
beginning on page 22.
THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
40
YEARS
EIGHT ADMINISTRATORS
have directed the steady growth and exceptional
service of the SULC Clinical Education Program.
Clinical
Education
AT SULC
Intergovernmental Agreement
Has Potential of Saving Taxpayers
Thousands— SULC students offered an
Administrative/Civil Law • Bankrutpcy •
Criminal Law • Divorce/Domestic Violence •
Elder Law • Juvenile Law • Mediation •
Tax Law & Externships
Develop perspective in client advocacy
& litigation and
Learn a structured approach
to lawyering.
(225) 771-3333
www.sulc.edu
(WINTER 2014) • VOLUME 23 • NUMBER 2
On the occasion of the celebration of
the Southern University Centennial, it is
more than fitting to document the history
of the Law School’s clinical program, to
describe the contributions that our clinical
programs have made to innovations in legal
education and to justice reform.
Pictured first row, from left are the late Louis
Westerfield, the late Pinkie Wilkerson, Vice
Chancellor Russell L. Jones, Prof. Arthur E.
Stallworth; second row, are the late Joy
Clemons, Prof. Donald North, and Prof.
Virginia Listach. The late Julius X. Johnson is
not pictured. See story on Page 16.
opportunity to learn firsthand about heirship and
adjudicated property remediation, while improving
the city’s quality of life saving taxpayers substantial
amounts of money. Story on page 26.
SULC
REFLECTIONS
THE MAGAZINE FOR SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
ALUMNI & OTHER SUPPORTERS
Reflections is published twice a year for the benefit of alumni and friends
of the Southern University Law Center.
Comments and letters are welcome. We also are interested in publishing
articles written by alumni, including professional activities, scholarly reviews,
and editorial comments.
Louisiana Press Women’s Association
Please send manuscripts to: Reflections, Post Office Box 9294, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana 70813-9294; (225) 771-5815; Fax: (225) 771-6257; E-mail:
[email protected]; Web address: www.sulc.edu
Opinions expressed and positions advocated herein are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Law Center.
Leadership First for Lafayette Bar
Association-- Tricia Pierre, Class of 1998,
(front row, centered, fourth from right) was
installed as the first African-American president of
the Lafayette (Louisiana) Bar Association. Pierre
shares what service in the local bar association
means for practitioners. See page 35.
Chancellor
Freddie Pitcher, Jr.
Editor
Dr. Rachel L. Emanuel
Assistant Editor
Gail Stephenson, Director, Legal Analysis and Writing
Administrative Assistant IV
Carla Ball
Contributors
Chanelle Collins, Third-Year Student
Michael Jeb Richard, Third-Year Student
Professor Evelyn Wilson
Photographers
Michelle Jackson, Director of Career Services
Steve Jarreau Photography
Printer
Moran Printing, Inc.
This public document was published at a total cost of $10,400. Four thousand (4,000) copies were published in this first printing at a cost of $10,400. This document
was published by Southern University Law Center and was printed by Moran Printing, 5425 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, La., to promote the accomplishments of the
Law Center. This material was published in accordance with the standards for printing by state agencies established pursuant to R.S. 43:31. Printing of this material was
purchased in accordance with the provisions of Title 43 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.
(WINTER 2014) • SULC REFLECTIONS 1
Contents (continued)
Features
U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley, 2013 SULC Commencement speaker, challenges graduates: “Will you dare to lead and
serve?”..................................................................................4
10
Associate Vice Chancellor Elaine S. Simmons was honored by
the Law Center family for her more than 30 years of service. Simmons was noted for professionalism, expertise, and devotion to SULC and its students.................................... 28
Prof. Evelyn Wilson was a visiting professor at
Kirikkale University in Turkey.
Pledge to their alma mater
The four 2013 Alumni of the Year express appreciation for
SULC’s “Access and Opportunity” ................................... 29
Departments
4
Page 3 CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE
Page 10 LAW CENTER NEWS • SULC and Louisiana Bar welcome 250 entering students at 2013 Orientation • Turkish
2013 SULC Graduates at Commencement
law professor’s lecture traced history of Constitutionalism Movements in his country • Law Center one of 16 law schools
from across the country to host a Legal Writing Institute OneDay Workshop • New development director joins Law Center •
Prof. Roederick White promoted to vice chancellor for student
affairs • and more
Page 29 ALUMNI UPDATES • Young Alumni Share Ideas on Restarting an Alumni Association • Alumni Elected to Public Service • and more
Page 37 STUDENT ACTIVITIES • EPA summer internship provides extraordinary opportunity for SULC student • Public interest internship opens doors for student’s career exploration • 28
Chancellor Pitcher (right) and his wife, Dr. Harriet Pitcher
(left), extend their appreciation to
retiring Associate Vice Chancellor Elaine S. Simmons.
and more
Inside Back Cover • Upcoming Events
29
The 2013 Alumni of the Year are Shante Y. R. Wells, ’00, and
Alex Washington, ’99, of the Washington & Wells Law Firm,
Shreveport, Louisiana; Judge Reginald R. Corlew, ’92, of Florida’s
15th Judicial Circuit Court; and Trina Alexander Eaddy, ’98,
of Philips North America, Bethesda, Maryland.
2 (WINTER 2014) • SULC REFLECTIONS
Southern University Law Center’s Clinical Education Program was launched
some 40 years ago under the direction of Professor Louis Westerfield. When clerkship
opportunities were few and far between for SULC students, the implementation of
Louisiana Supreme Court Rule XX - Limited Participation of Law Students in Trial
Work bridged an experiential learning gap for our students and has continued to add
tremendous value to our program of legal education to this day.
In this issue of Reflections, the outstanding contributions of the late Prof. Westerfield
and the directors who followed him are featured as we celebrate the program’s milestone.
We look forward to the continued development of clinical education at SULC to meet the
needs of a changing practice environment.
U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana Stephanie Finley, Class of
1991, gave a most inspiring speech to our 2013 graduates during Commencement
as she challenged them with the question, “Will you dare to lead and serve?” Other
Commencement highlights covered in this publication are the salutes to Golden Law
Alumni and to retiring Associate Vice Chancellor Elaine S. Simmons, who coordinated
and directed her last graduation program for the Law Center. Also see pictorial highlights
of her retirement reception as the Law Center family recognized Simmons for more than
30 years of service, professionalism, expertise, and sincere devotion to SULC and its
students.
One of my priorities as Chancellor is to provide opportunities for law students
to serve in public interest law capacities during their Law Center matriculation. The
Chancellor’s Public Interest Initiatives have supported this goal by providing stipends to
students who commit themselves to working in public interest and other unpaid, serviceoriented summer law internships. Reflections’ profiles of a few of these student interns
and the assignments they completed, as well as the expressions of newfound interests for
career paths, make for encouraging reading.
Law Center news showcases our 2013 Orientation, invited speakers, seminars and
workshops, in addition to faculty
and staff presentations, publications, appointments,
?
honors, and recognitions. The depth and talent of our faculty and administration
were increased with the addition of Prof. Chris Odinet; Tanya Freeman, director of
development; Lois Holden, special projects officer; and Candice Hawkins, coordinator of
records assistant. We hope that the experience of all who engage with the Law Center is
heightened because of the quality of our faculty and staff.
This issue of Reflections, like past issues, is filled with information about the good
works and accomplishments of our alumni. We are pleased to feature Clyde Simien and
Rickey Miniex, partners in the law firm of Simien and Miniex; and Tricia Pierre, president
of the Lafayette Bar Association, attorneys who have distinguished themselves around
the state and more particularly in the Lafayette area. We are sure you will find the alumni
features quite inspiring and representative of the kinds of stories that we enjoy sharing
about our successful graduates.
Since our last publication of Reflections, alumni Elaine Conley, ’86; Edselle K.
Cunningham, Sr., ’76; Charles Edward McCants, ’82; and Alma Salter Jones, ’76;
former longtime employee Roberta Cummings, who served as acquisitions librarian;
Jerome Harris, retired director of financial aid; and law student Melissa Durbin Luce of
Covington, Louisiana, passed away. We extend our condolences to their families and
loved ones. In their memory, we renew our commitment to “seriousness of purpose.”
We hope that you enjoy this issue and are inspired to begin or continue to support
the Law Center.
Chancellor’s Message
Freddie Pitcher, Jr.
Chancellor
Southern University
Law Center
2013
COMMENCEMENT
SALUTE TO GOLDEN LAW
ALUMNI-Attorney Marion Overton
White of Opelousas, Louisiana, was
among the four graduates of 1963 who
were recognized as Golden Alumni,
representing those who celebrate their
50th anniversaries. Top photo, from
left: Chancellor Pitcher, alum White,
and President Mason
SALUTE TO RETIRING
ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR
FOR ENROLLMENT
MANAGEMENT-Associate Vice
Chancellor for Records and Enrollment
Management Elaine Simmons, who
retired in June 2013 after 32 years of
service to SULC. Bottom photo, from
left: President Mason, Simmons, and
Chancellor Pitcher
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS JOIN PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-Front
left: the Reverend Brady Whitton of First United Methodist Church; Hon. LaKeisha A. Ford, Hon. Ann
A. Smith, President Ronald Mason, Jr., Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr., Hon. Mike A. Small, and Hon.
Raymond L. Fondel, Jr.
“Will you dare to
lead and serve?
U. S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley,
asked the more than 170 law graduates at the
2013 Commencement held Saturday, May 11,
“Will you dare to lead and serve?”
Finley spoke to a record number of
law graduates, including top students
Deontrinelle Green of New Orleans, who was
enrolled in the Day Division, and Daren L.
Hawthorne of Elms Ford, New York, of the
Evening Division.
Opelousas, Louisiana, attorney Marion
Overton White, represented those reaching
the status of Golden Alumni from the Class
of 1963, which also included Mildred Byrd
of Birmingham, Alabama; Thomas N. Todd
of Chicago, Illinois; and Nathan Wilson of
Baton Rouge.
Finley, a member of the SULC Class of
1991, is the first female to serve as a U. S.
Attorney in Louisiana. She was selected by
President Barack Obama in January 2010,
recommended by Senator Mary Landreiu,
and confirmed by the United States Senate
in June 2010 to be the U. S. Attorney for the
Western District of Louisiana.
Finley confessed that she didn’t know
what a law degree would mean in her life
some 22 years ago when she stood where they
stood. However, paraphrasing Robert Frost,
she said she “took the road less traveled and
it made all the difference.”
Today, Finley is one of only 193 U. S.
attorneys in this country.
The reality and enormity of the
Commencement moment for the graduates is
“To whom much is given, much is required.”
Reflecting on the historical events of
the year the SULC Golden Law alumni
graduated, she asked the graduates to
consider that 1963 marked the beginning of
the end of desegregation, which galvanized
the “modern day” civil rights movement.
The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter
from a Birmingham jail professed, “Injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In
1963, Medgar Evers was killed; 250 attended
the March on Washington to hear King give
his “I Have A Dream” speech; and three little
black girls were killed in the bombing of the
church in Alabama.
Young law graduates during that time
began “making changes and altering the
unjust laws of the past.”
“You too have the responsibility to
galvanize the movement to redress the
wrongs and enhance this legal profession,”
she said.
In sharing an honest account of what
being a lawyer means, she noted 1) Make a
difference; 2) Be a change agent; and 3) Be
prepared to change the world.
SALUTE TO LATEST ALUMNIMore than 170 graduates received
the Juris Doctor Degree in the 2013
commencement. The top student for the
Day Division was Deontrinelle Green,
New Orleans, and for the Evening
Division was Daren L. Hawthorne, Elms
Ford, New York. There were 39 honor
graduates, comprising 11 magna cum
laude and 28 cum laude graduates. Front
row, from right: Top student for the Day
Division Deontrinelle Green and top
student for the Evening Division Daren
L. Hawthorne.
HONOR GRADUATES-Front row, from left: Amanda Lea Maillet, LaKeisha A. Ford, Edgar L. Redding, II, Chauntelle R. Wood, Tamyra Craig,
Deontrinelle Green, Sherry Sanders, Sharika King, Merrick K. Cosey, and Rebecca Block; middle row, from left: Christopher Granger, Hayden
Moore, Cathryn Gits, Peter Ellis, Jenny Richardson, James Bullman, Allie LeBlanc, Evan Edwards, Jamien A. Arvie, and Cortney Heard; back row,
from left: Rolando Padilla, Shawn Bordelon, Heather Duhon, Jennipher Williams, Parker Mitchell, Curry Landry, Harold Register, Adam Credeur,
Daren Hawthorne, Tomas E. Alarcon, and Willie Saltz
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW-Front row, from left: Jenny Richardson, Sharika
King, Grant Herrin, Rebecca Block, Sherry Sanders, and Carol Sept; middle row, from left:
Crishauna Lloyd, James Bullman, Deontrinelle Green, Amanda Lea Maillet, Tamyra Craig,
Chauntelle R. Wood, Jamien A. Arvie, Amelia Colomb, and Merrick D. Cosey; and back row,
from left: Parker Mitchell, Adam Credeur, and Curry Landry
LAW REVIEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEFront row, from left: Sharika King, Prof. Gail
Stephenson, and Sherry Sanders; back row,
from left: Rebecca Block and Grant Herrin
JOURNAL OF RACE, GENDER and POVERTY-Front row, from left: Ashely Ogbonna, Martha
Gillespie, Sherrie Williams, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Paul Hanchett, and Tamara Holliday;
middle row, from left: Edgar Redding, II, Oni Groves, Yourseheka George, Tiffany Ford, and
Dwayne Braithwaite; back row, from left: LaKeisha A. Ford, Jamiel J. Peterson, Antoine Floyd,
Daren Hawthorne, Gary Smith, and Jennipher Williams
ADMINISTRATIVE/CIVIL LAW CLINICFrom left: Tyler Breaux, Diane Simpson,
Hayden Moore, and John Kitto
BANKRUPTCY LAW CLINIC-From left: Kobena Arthur, Jr.,
Jamiel Peterson, Avia Rice Gauthier, Raven A. Bailey, Lashanda
Jamila Willis, and Matthew Joseph
CRIMINAL LAW CLINIC-Front row, from left: Mukhaye Nangalama, Tamyra Craig, Amanda T. Brown, Shirlee P. Gilliam, Seanice Etienne,
Tiffany Ford, Yoursheka George, Susan Raborn, Ashley Collins, Lori Palmintier, and Abigail Cole; back row, from left: Isis Djata, Kobena
Arthur, Jr., Kerry Hill, Gregory Ramos, John Willis, Gary Smith, Edgar Redding, Keith F. Verrett, Jr., Justin Simon, Shawn Garner, Jacob Davis,
Prisca A. Zeigler, Glenn K. Fleming, Daniel A. Dailey, and Bianca Lee
DIVORCE/DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
CLINIC-Front row, from left: Kurt Dominic
Jones, Jr., Jasmyne McConnell, Bianca Lee, and
Karen Boutte; back row, from left: Crishauna
Lloyd, Bradrick J. Collins, Tamara Holliday,
and Chandni Patel
ELDER LAW CLINIC-From left: Amanda
Lea Maillet, Courtney Michelle Richardson,
Joshua K. Williams, Amelia Dawn Colomb,
and Kimberly A. Sams
JUVENILE LAW CLINIC-Front row, from
left: De-Neita Peoples, Deontrinelle Green,
and Laura Alemany; back row, from left:
Alberto Galan, Martha Gillespie, Jennipher
Williams, and Dwayne Braithwaite
MEDIATION LAW CLINIC (Evening Division)-From left: Duran
Keller, April Hibbler, Karen Boutte, Ryssa Toussaint, and John Willis
LOW-INCOME TAX LAW CLINIC-Front row, from left: Ericka
Smith, Ephraim Lucas, Sherry Sanders, and Matthew Joseph; back
row, from left: Antoine Floyd, Bobby Menefee, II, Willie Stephens,
Rolando Padilla, and Stasha M. Rhodes
MEDIATION LAW CLINIC (Day Division)-Front row, from left: Jasmyne McConnell, Cortney
Heard, Shawon Bernard, Lashanda J. Willis, Duran Keller, Adam Guillory, Bianca Lee, and Lori
Palmintier; middle row, from left: Kurt Dominic Jones, Jr., Shirlee P. Gillam, Kimberly A.Sams,
Ericka Smith, Jerne` C. Theriot, Chauntelle R. Wood, Clarence Dortch, IV, Prisca A. Zeigler,
and John Kelley; back row, from left: Willie Stephens, Jr., Kobena Arthur, Jr., Ashleigh J. ClareKearney, Samantha Mallet, Christopher Strickland, Willie Cyprian, Glenn K. Fleming, and
Merrick Cosey
ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAM TEACHING ASSISTANTS-Front row, from left: Diane Simpson, Sharika King,
Amanda Lea Maillet, Sherry Sanders, Chauntelle R. Wood, Jenny Richardson, Tamara Holliday, and Deontrinelle Green;
middle row, from left: Grant Herrin, Christopher Granger, Sherrie Williams, Jennipher Williams, Martha Gillespie,
Antoine Floyd, Shawn Bordelon, Amelia Colomb and Merrick D. Cosey; back row, from left: Catherine Gilmore, Justin
Dick, Harold Register, Daren Hawthorne, Willie Saltz, Tomas E. Alarcon, and Justin S. Brashear
MOOT COURT GRADUATES-Front row, from left:
Amelia Colomb, Catherine Gilmore, and Chauntelle
R. Wood; back row, from left: Tyler Breaux, Kerry Hill,
Daren Hawthorne, Parker Mitchell, and Merrick D. Cosey
RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE-Front
row, from left: Jamien A. Arvie, Jerné C.
Theriot, and Sherrie Williams; back row,
from left: Daniel A. Dailey, Kerry Hill,
and Merrick D. Cosey
STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION-Front
row, from left: Jenny Richardson, LaKeisha
A. Ford, and Prisca A. Zeigler; back row,
from left: Christopher Strickland, Justin
Simon, and Joshua Williams
INN OF COURT GRADUATES-Front row, from left: Faith J. Butler, Sherry Sanders, Bianca Lee, Sharika King, Oni Groves, Prisca A. Zeigler,
Trenika Fields, and Angel Jenkins; middle row, from left: Chiquita Hall-Jackson, Abigail Cole, Grant Herrin, Shirlee P. Gilliam, Ericka Smith, Jerné
C. Theriot, Kristi N. Julien, Summer-Marie Miller, Tamyra Craig, Deontrinelle Green, LaKeisha A. Ford, and Tavares Walker; back row, from left:
Edgar L. Redding, II, Jacob Davis, Antoine Floyd, Adam Kwentua, Kobena Arthur, Jr., John Willis, Jennipher Williams, Shawn Garner, Crishauna
Lloyd, and Ashley Ogbonna
FACULTY--Front row, from left: Maurice Franks, Cynthia N. Reed, Gail Stephenson, Linda Fowler, Chancellor
Freddie Pitcher, Jr., Evelyn Wilson, Vice Chancellor Russell Jones, Virginia Listach, and Stanley Halpin; and back row,
from left: Arthur Stallworth, Wendy Shea, Michael Garrard, Prentice White, Dorothy Jackson, Paul Race, Herb Brown,
Vice Chancellor Roederick White, Marcia Burden, Mark Thurmon, Berryl Gordon-Thompson, Ollivette Mencer,
Tracie Woods, and Shawn Vance
Law Center News
Constitutional Movements
In Turkey Discussed
By Prof. Evelyn Wilson
Dr. Osman Can, professor of law at
Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey,
presented a history of the Constitutional
Movements in Turkey in a lecture on
September 23 at the Southern University
Law Center.
Dr. Can spoke on the topic of “Constitutionalism Movements in Turkey: A
Painful Democratization Adventure.” In
his talk, he traced the history of Turkey’s
efforts to operate under a constitution from
its first in 1876 up to its current on-going
effort. Turkey has had five constitutions
and is drafting its sixth.
Explaining the shortcomings of the
earlier constitutions and examining the
major events that shaped Turkey’s constitutional history, Can recounted: The
advent of trade with the Americas, making
Turkey’s control of the Silk Road between
Asia and Europe less valuable and causing
Turkey--or the Ottoman Empire, as it was
then known--to become comparatively
poor. Other determining factors were Turkey’s choice to side with Germany in World
War I; Turkey’s occupation by Europeans;
Turkish military assumption of power and
creation of a one-party system; and the
increased number of educated Turks who
have the political power to insist on a fair
and democratic constitution that offers a
decentralized government and is tolerant of
diversity.
Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr., commented that the secret of the success of the
United States Constitution lies in its first
three words, “We the People.” A constitution needs to reflect the interests of all of
the people who will be governed by it, the
Chancellor said.
Prof. Can is a former reporting judge
at the Turkish Constitutional Court. He
is also a member of the Central Decision
and the Board of Directors of the Justice
and Development Party, the current ruling
party in Turkey.
Prof. Evelyn Wilson is pictured with
Rector Ekrem Yildiz of Kirikkale University in Turkey, during her visit to
the university on a faculty exchange.
Faculty exchange opportunities
provided in Turkey
Prof. Evelyn Wilson taught students
at Kirikkale University in Turkey during
the 2013 fall semester as part of a faculty
exchange agreement between the university and Southern University.
Wilson presented lectures on civil
law versus common law and comparative property laws. She also addressed
a political science class regarding the
United States Constitution and comparative property laws.
Profs. Dena Sonbol and Stanley
Halpin are also a part of the faculty
exchange program, which may provide
additional opportunities for faculty in
the future.
Pictured from left are Dr. Ali Kumandas, visiting professor at SUAg Center from Kirikkale University, Turkey; Dr. Furkan Kilic, visitor from Turkey;
Prof. Evelyn Wilson, SULC; Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, SULC; Prof. Dr. Osman Can, invited guest speaker; professor of law at Marmara University,
Turkey; former reporting judge in the Turkish Constitutional Court; and executive board member of the current ruling part in Turkey; Dr. Ummugulsum
Kilic, visiting professor at SULC from Abant Izzet Baysal University, Turkey; Dr. Fethi Kilic, visiting professor at SULC from Abant Izzet Baysal University, Turkey; Dr. Osman Kandara, professor of computer science and University Liaison for Turkey, SUBR; Dr. Barbara Carpenter, dean of International
Affairs, SUBR; and Dr. Memis Isik, visiting professor in Computer Science from Karabuk University, Turkey.
Jocelyn Limmer
“
Gabrielle Goodwin,
Donna Lee
Overall, a great day for discovering new
ideas about what we teach and how we
teach it.
William Blais, SULC
Bethany Dumas
Grace Barry
Front row, L-R Gail Stephenson, SULC; Bethany Dumas, Tennessee;
2nd row: Michael Sackey, Tulane; Agnieszka McPeak, Loyola New
Orleans;; and Back row: Susan Warose, Dayton
“
Kim Chanbonpin
I came away with a lot
of ideas about integrating my research on
language variation into
publications/teaching
on legal language.
Susan Warose
Bethany K. Dumas
University of Tennessee
Michael Sackey
Gabrielle Goodwin
Susan Cedotal
Linda Fowler
SULC Vice Chancellor John Pierre
Heidi Thompson
Wendy Shea William Blais
The Legal Writing Institute
selected SULC as one of sixteen law
schools from around the country to
host an LWI One-Day Workshop last
fall. SULC’s workshop focused on
the evolving, more diverse legal writing classroom and featured speakers
from nine law schools.
Conrad Sturm
“
Thank you Gail and
everyone at SULC for
a fantastic conference.
I learned so much and,
best of all, met some
wonderful people!
Gabrielle L Goodwin
Indiana University
Maurer School of Law
Back row, standing L-R Tracie Woods, SULC; Susan Warose, Dayton; Jocelyn Limmer, Faulkner; William Blais, SULC; Herbert
Brown, SULC; Gabrielle Goodwin, Indiana; Conrad Sturm, Qatar; Bethany Dumas, Tennessee; Michael Sackey, Tulane. Middle
row: Linda Fowler, SULC; Regina James, SULC; Grace Barry, LSU; Kim Chanbonpin, The John Marshall. Front row: Heidi
Thompson, LSU; Marlene Krousel, LSU; Gail Stephenson, SULC; Susan Cedotal, Lexis
Annual Orientation Program for Entering Students
August 15-16, 2013
The 250 entering law students for
fall 2013 were selected from a pool
of approximately 772 applicants. The
students are from 22 states and from 88
colleges/universities.
The highest GPA is 3.96 and the
highest LSAT score is 160. The average
age is 28. The male/female ratio is 48/52
and the diversity is 59 percent African
American; 37 percent Caucasian; and 4
percent other.
From left: Vice Chancellor Russell Jones, Associate Justice John L. Weimer, Bethany
Black, Richard K. Leefe, LSBA president; Barry Grodsky, chair of the LSBA Committee on
the Profession; and Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr.
Thanks to LSBA Volunteers
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Louisiana State Bar Association Volunteer judges and attorneys
conducted “Student Orientation on Professionalism” programs
in small group break-out sessions for the entering law students.
Pictured are volunteers for the 2013 Orientation:
1) From left: Judge Trudy White, Joyce Marie Plummer, Claire E.
Bergeron, Jason Verdigets, Roy K. Burns, Jr., and Malinda Hills
Holmes.
2) Seated from left: Judge Kirk A. Williams and Judge John D.
Saunders; standing from left: Monique M. Edwards, Caroline Russ
Minor, and La Koshia Roberts.
3) From left: Grant J. Guillot, Charlotte McDaniel-McGehee; April
M. Leon, and Judge Ernestine L. Anderson-Trahan.
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4) From left: Judge Curtis Calloway; Mary Ann Wright; Roy K. Burns;
Cynthia N. Reed, director of CLE and alumni affairs; Rudie R. Soileau, Jr.; Eugene G. Gouaux, III; and Judge Parris Taylor.
5) From left: Judge Jewel “Duke” Welch, Marsha Wade, Kathy Wright,
Lisa A. Freeman, Magistrate Quintillis Lawrence, and James “Jimmy”
Courtenay.
6) From left: Harry J. “Skip” Philips, Virginia G. Benoist, Judge Roxie
F. Goynes, Erika Green, and Judge Paul A. Bonin.
Volunteers not pictured are: Judge John Michael Guidry, Barry
H. Grodsky, Raveen A. Hills, Michael E. Holloway, Raushanah S.
Hunter, Denise J. Lee, and Tavares A. Walker.
SULC Welcomes Latest Faculty/Staff
The following indviduals joined the faculty and administrative
staff during the 2013 Fall Semester:
Tanya Freeman is the new director of
development. Freeman comes to the Law
Center with more than nine years of experience as manager of business development for
the University of Phoenix.
The Baton Rouge native earned a
bachelor’s degree in business management
from Southern University and an MBA from the University of
Phoenix.
A graduate of the 2006 Leadership Class of Greater Baton Rouge, Freeman currently is a member of the Leadership
Alumni Board of Directors. She is serving a second term as vice
chair on the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control and is past chair of the Women’s Council of Greater Baton
Rouge. Involved with many fund development and philanthropic growth campaigns, Freeman also has been active in the
community through the American Heart Association, Go Red
for Women Campaign.
Candice Hawkins, a 2009 graduate of Southern University, has
joined SULC as administrative assistant III in the Office of Records and Enrollment Management. Hawkins comes to the Law
Center from Westaff, where she was employed as administrative
assistant for one year. She has previously been a human resource
manager for Weiser Security Services.
Lois Holden is special projects officer in the Office of Financial
Affairs. Holden, a 1976 graduate of SUBR, came to SULC from
the SU System, where she was employed as assistant to the Vice
President for Finance and Business Affairs for 13 years. She was
formerly an accountant, SUBR Comptroller’s Office; and budget
analyst, SUBR Budget Office.
Christopher K. Odinet has joined the SULC
faculty as an assistant professor of law. Prior
to joining the faculty, Prof. Odinet was an associate in the real estate and business finance
group in the Baton Rouge office of Phelps
Dunbar, LLP.
A 2010 magna cum laude graduate of the
LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Odinet was editor-in-chief of
the Louisiana Law Review and inducted into the Order of the
Coif. He formerly worked for Governor Kathleen Blanco in
her legislative office. Odinet has published multiple law review
articles in the areas of commercial and property law, as well as
real estate financing.
His primary research interests deal with the intersection of
commercial and property law with modern public policies and
changing societal views. He teaches Security Devices, Obligations, Sales and Lease, and Seminar on Urban Legal Problems
(Housing and Community Development).
He is also a member of the Louisiana State Law Institute’s
Committee on Security Devices, the board of the Baton Rouge
Speech and Hearing Foundation, the Housing Authority of East
Baton Rouge Parish Board of Commissioners, as well as chair of
the public law section and an ex officio member of the board of
the Baton Rouge Bar Association.
Faculty/Staff Honors and Promotions
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Roederick
White has been promoted to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs with increased responsibility and supervisory duties over
the Office of Records and Enrollment Management, as well as
the Office of Admission and Recruitment.
Vice Chancellor White joined the Law Center faculty in
1993 and was named associate vice chancellor for student
affairs in 2003. In 2012, he was named the Charles Hatfield
Endowed Professor of Law.
Virginia Listach, ’88, associate professor of clinical education, was appointed interim director of the Clinical Education
Program.
Prof. Listach, who supervises the Administrative/Civil Law
Clinic, replaces Prof. Donald North, Johnnie Cochran Endowed
Professor of Law, who has assumed a full-time teaching load on
the faculty. Listach serves as the Moot Court Board adviser and
coach and also served as coach and adviser for the American
Trial Lawyers Association team.
Herbert C. Brown, Jr., is director of the Louis Berry Civil
Rights and Justice Institute. Brown, ’08, assistant professor of
legal analysis and writing, replaces Prof. Evelyn Wilson. He is
faculty adviser for the Journal of Race, Gender, and Poverty.
Chancellor James Llorens and Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr., congratulate the
20-year employees attending the Service Awards Luncheon at left, Prof. Judith
Perhay, and at right, Josie Washington of the Clinical Education Program office.
Five SULC faculty and staff were recognized for their years of
service to the Southern University System.
Prof. Steve Barbre was honored for 30 years. The 20-year
employees were Prof. Ollivette Mencer, Prof. Judith Perhay, Josie
Washington of the Clinical Education Program office, and Associate Vice Chancellor Roederick White, who holds the Charles
Hatfield Endowed Professorship.
Chancellor Pitcher presented the awards during the annual
SU Service Awards Luncheon held in conjunction with the 2013
SU Founders’ Day.
FACULTY AND STAFF Publications/Presentations/Appointments
Prof. Nadia Nedzel, the Reilly Family Endowed Professor, was
interviewed during her visit to Russia in fall semester 2013 to address
the Russian Constitutional Court (roughly the equivalent of the
U. S. Supreme Court) on the difference between the Rule of Law and
the Legal State. An article from her interview titled “N.E. Nedzel:
An Ideal Lawyer Is Someone Who Listens Carefully,” can be read at
http://alrf.msk.ru/journal/ articles-and-interviews/ne-nedzel-anideal-lawyer#blog_body.
Prof. Angela A. Allen-Bell’s article,
“Perception Profiling and Prolonged
Solitary Confinement Viewed Through the
Lens of the Angola 3 Case: When Prison
Officials Become Judges, Judges Become
Visually Challenged and Justice Becomes
Legally Blind,” was published in the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly.
Prof. Ruby Andrew was an invited
speaker at the annual Government Law
Reviews Symposium, “Voiceless Cargo:
Human Trafficking & Sex Slavery in the
Modern Era,” at Albany Law School, New
York, February 28. Andrew spoke during
the panel on international perspectives on
human trafficking.
Prof. Marcia Burden was presented
the Century Club Award by Baton Rouge
Bar President-Elect Darrel Papillion for
donating 100 pro bono hours through the
Baton Rouge Bar Foundation Pro Bono
Project.
Rachel L. Emanuel, director of communications and development support,
was co-facilitator of a community discussion of the documentary, “The Loving
Story,” on November 14; led a community
discussion on the documentary, “Freedom
Riders,” February 9; and moderated a panel
on the documentaries, “The Loving Story,”
“Freedom Riders,” “The Abolisitionists,”
“Slavery By Another Name,” and “Signpost
to Freedom: the 1954 Baton Rouge Bus
Boycott,” February 26. The programs were
part of a series of black history film showings and discussions called “Created Equal:
America’s Civil Rights Struggle,” a special
initiative of the National Endowment for
the Humanities (NEH).
Prof. Maurice Franks were featured
on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s public
affairs show, “Louisiana the State We’re In,”
discussing the national and statewide debate over gun control, including Governor
Bobby Jindal’s proposal to open up mental
health records of prospective gun buyers.
Donna F. Glasper, administrative assistant IV in the Office of Academic Affairs,
completed the Master of Science in Legal
Studies from Kaplan University School of
Legal Studies, graduating with honors.
Prof. Shenequa Grey was a presenter
at a conference, “Stop Gun Violence: Remembering Yoshi Hattori 20 Years Later,”
October 19-20, at the Unitarian Church of
Baton Rouge.
Harold Isadore, head of reference,
has been appointed to a second three-year
term on the Louisiana Advisory Council of
the State Documents Depository Program,
as one of the representatives of Special
Libraries. Isadore has been nominated to
be a member of the Federal Depository
Council.
Angela Mason, academic counselor
in Academic Support Programs, earned a
Master of Library and Information Science
from Louisiana State University.
Vice Chancellor John Pierre received
the 2012 Louisiana State Bar Association
(LSBA) Crystal Gavel Award for his work
in educating individuals about legal matters through the Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance program.
Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr., addressed “En Banc in New Orleans,” the
first ever Joint Conference of the National
Association of Administrative Law Judges
and Federal Administrative Law Judges
(NAALJ/FALJC), held September 9-13 at
the Ritz Carlton Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana. Pitcher was a panelist for the session,
“Diversity in the Courtroom.” Pitcher also
has been selected as a board member for
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baton Rouge.
Pitcher was approved unanimously for the
two-year term.
Prof. Paul Race discussed the U.S.
Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act on the Jim Engster Show.
Race and Prof. Winston Riddick also were
interviewed on the topic by Alfreda Bester
and Joyce Marie Plummer of “Perspective.”
Prof. Gail Stephenson, director of
legal analysis and writing, presented on the
topic “Bringing Students to the Bar” at the
Legal Writing Institute One-Day Workshop
in Charleston, South Carolina, on December 7, 2013, at Charleston School of Law.
The theme of the conference was “Preparing Practice-Ready Students.”
Vice Chancellor Roederick White
and Profs. Tom Richard and Evelyn
Wilson have been reappointed by Chancellor Pitcher to serve on the Louisiana
Law Institute. Wilson is reporter for the
Power of Attorney Abuse Committee, an
ad hoc committee; and is a member of the
Tutorship Procedure Committee. Additionally, she has been appointed to a one-year
term as a member-at-large of the Council’s
Executive Committee.
Prof. Evelyn Wilson taught students
at Kirikkale University in Turkey this fall
as part of a faculty exchange agreement
between the university and Southern University. Wilson presented lectures on civil
law versus common law and comparative
property laws. She also addressed a political science class regarding the United States
Constitution and comparative property
laws. Profs. Dena Sonbol and Stanley
Halpin are also a part of the faculty
exchange program, which may provide
additional opportunities for faculty in
the future.
SULC Clinic Education Program Celebrates 40 years!!
Clinical education has been referred to as
experiential learning that improves the quality of
legal education. Such training has been called a
vehicle to address an unmet legal need, and it is
said to provide firsthand involvement by students
in cases that reflect the social issues of the day.
For forty years, the clinical education
program at SULC has offered students the
opportunity to perfect their lawyering skills,
while providing a valuable public service.
The program was the only one offered in Baton Rouge when it was initiated in the mid
1970s, by then Chancellor B.K. Agnihotri.
SULC’s commitment to establishing
and supporting a clinical education program
was fueled by the recognition of a strong
need to not only educate students in the law,
but to additionally train them in the art of
lawyering.
Chancellor Emeritus Agnihotri believes
that the establishment of the clinical education program boosted the skills development of the total law school program. “With
this skills development, the students attained a level of confidence that goes a long
way in their ability to be effective lawyers,”
Agnihotri said.
According to longtime clinical education professor and interim director of the
clinic education program Virginia Listach,
“Part of our (SULC) historic mission and
quest for equality has always been to offer a
legal education to those who may otherwise
not be able to obtain one. Consistent with
that struggle for opportunity, when jobs
were very limited for African American law
graduates, we had to prepare our students to
be ‘practice ready.’”
Vice Chancellor Russell Jones, a former
clinical education director, said the mission of SULC “to train a [diverse] cadre of
lawyers equipped with the skills necessary
for the practice of law” made developing
practice-ready lawyers an important part of
the SULC curriculum.
Initially, classes such as trial advocacy,
appellate advocacy, and law office practice
provided simulated arenas to teach students
the intricacies of practice. However, with the
implementation of La. Supreme Court Rule
XX - Limited Participation of Law Students
in Trial Work in 1971, SULC saw the opportunity to better advance its mission and
better prepare students for practice through
live-client clinics, Vice Chancellor Jones
said.
“The live-client limited-practice clinics allow students to hone important skills
that lead to successful practices and legal
careers,” Jones explained. “Thus, developing
clinics is a strong component of clinical education, a tradition that SULC has embraced
and continues to support.”
Describing the program’s strengths in
offerings, interim director Listach believes
clinics provide students with a solid founda-
tion for the application of legal theory and
facts. “The purpose behind Rule XX, the
Student Practice Rule, is to build confidence
and competence in the legal profession,” she
said.
“Externships provide legal opportunity
outside of the clinical experience and offer
networking and job opportunities; while
simulated trials allow a valuable learning
experience to students where they can practice, learn from their mistakes, and grow
from their knowledge and skill,” Listach
said.
The Clinic Education Program also
offers a Motion Practice Class, which is
taught by Judge Jewel “Duke” Welch of
the First Court of Appeal. Judge Welch not
only teaches the class, but also assists the
program in various developmental activities
building and improving the students’ legal
skills.
Chancellor Agnihotri says there has
always been strong support for such a
program at SULC. Those who have served as
clinical education directors have been very
qualified and committed to the program,
which shows in the development and successes that each has had during his or her
tenure, he said. (See sidebar “Leadership of
the SULC Clin Ed Program.”)
Continued on page 18
Leadership of the SULC Clin Ed Program
Louis Westerfield (deceased) 1975-1978
As the first director of the Clinical Education Program at
Southern, Westerfield established the groundwork for the clinic.
A DeKalb, Mississippi, native reared in New Orleans,
Louisiana, Westerfield earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern
University at New Orleans, a J.D. from Loyola University School
of Law in New Orleans, and a Master of Laws from Columbia
Law School in New York City.
He began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in
New Orleans in 1974, before coming to the Law Center. Westerfield was later a member of the law faculty at Loyola of New
Orleans and the University of Mississippi. Dr. Westerfield served
as law dean at North Carolina Central School of Law and at
Loyola. In 1994, he made history as the first black law dean at
the University of Mississippi, a position he held until his death
in 1996.
Juluis X. Johnson (deceased) 1979-1981
Continuing the clinic’s development and finding its niche
by establishing a strong relationship with the Baker City Court
and Baker District Attorney office is the legacy of SULC’s second
clinical education program director.
Johnson, a native of Alexandria, Louisiana, was a June 1967
graduate of Howard University Law School.
Pinkie Wilkerson (deceased) 1981-1984
During her almost three-year tenure as director of clinical
education, Wilkerson improved the clinic’s image by establishing
a strong classroom component where students discussed trial
strategies, learned procedure, and obtained feedback on their
performance.
“She was a very dynamic lawyer, very professional, and a
good leader and example for our students,” Chancellor B. K.
Agnihotri said.
After leaving the Law Center, Wilkerson was an assistant
district attorney and an assistant state attorney general. In
1992, she was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in District 11, in North Louisiana.
Wilkerson, a native of Grambling, Louisiana, was best
known for her work on education and social issues. She
earned an undergraduate degree from Grambling State University, a master’s degree from Ohio University, an LL.B. from
Southern University Law School, and an LL.M. from Tulane
University.
Russell L. Jones (1984-90)
During his tenure as clinical education director, Jones
acquired Title IX Federal funding to expand and improve
the clinic; expanded the clinic to the Juvenile Court; accepted Louisiana Supreme Court appointments to cases;
and strengthened the classroom component.
Jones, a native of Monroe, Louisiana, is a 1982 magna
cum laude graduate of the Law Center, where he served as
the articles editor of the Southern University Law Review. He
joined the law faculty in 1983 and is currently Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Jesse N. Stone, Jr., Endowed
Professor of Law.
In 1992, Jones earned an LL.M. in labor law from Georgetown University School of Law. He is a co-author of two books
on evidence.
He founded the SULC Chapter of the Marshall-Brennan
Constitutional Literacy Project in 2009. He was named 2010
Distinguished Professor by the Louisiana Bar Foundation. Continued on page 19
Ranked among the top 50 out of 216 clinical education programs nationally by the American Bar Association, SULC offers “clin ed”
to third-year students through eight clinics. On the recommendation of Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr., managing attorneys of the clinics
received the title of clinical education professors in February 2008. The clinics and the clinical education professors managing them are:
• CRIMINAL
LAW CLINIC,
established in
1975, Donald
North, Johnnie
Cochran, Jr.,
Endowed Professor (Former
managing
attorneys:
Joy Clemons,
Arthur Stallworth)
• JUVENILE
LAW CLINIC,
established in
1988, Jacqueline
Nash, Associate
Clinical Professor
(Former managing attorneys:
Cleveland Coon,
Russell Jones,
and Kimberly
Morgan)
• ADMINISTRATIVE/
CIVIL LAW
CLINIC, established in 1991,
Virginia Listach,
Associate Clinical
Professor (Former managing attorney: J. Rodney
Pierre)
• ELDER
LAW CLINIC,
established in
1998, Dorothy
Jackson,
Associate Clinical Professor
• LOWINCOME
TAXPAYER
CLINIC,
established in
2002, Christian
Fasullo,
Associate Clinical Professor
• DIVORCE
AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
LAW CLINIC,
established in
2003, Marcia
Burden,
Assistant Clinical Professor
• MEDIATION
CLINIC, established in 2005,
Alvin Washington, Associate
Clinical Professor
• BANKRUPTCY CLINIC,
established in
2013, Booker
Carmichael,
Assistant
Clinical
Professor
Clin Ed celebrates 40th continued from page 16
Providing a quality clinical legal
education program that satisfies student
interest and needs while meeting those
of the Law Center, the judiciary, and the
community, continues to be welcome challenges for the administration of a clinical
education program at SULC, Listach noted.
“Trying to develop new clinical areas,
such as immigration law, legislative drafting, real estate law, or military law, presents
staffing and budget issues,” Vice Chancellor
Jones said.
Chancellor Agnihotri recalled that
despite limited funding, the budget was
initially carved out for the establishment of
the clinical education program because it
was deemed very valuable to the total legal
program offerings.
Today, the SULC program is funded
through state allocations, as well as the U.S.
Department of Education Title III funding for Strengthening Institutions Program
(SIP) and Predominantly Black Institutions
Program (PBI), and an Internal Revenue
Service Low Income Taxpayer Clinics
(LITC) grant. Application to other public
and private grant sources is a continuing
effort to supplement and establish additional clinics.
According to Listach, over its 40-year
history the achievements of clinical education at SULC have been three-fold:
1) Building the framework for confident and competent attorneys as envisioned by the Louisiana Supreme Court;
2) Providing opportunity and exposure to practice in various areas of the law
for our student population; and
The new Clinic Ed Annex
is designed to enhance the
academic and administrative
integration of the clinical programs. The dynamic new space
allows in-house clinics to operate using a law firm model and
facilitates student and faculty
collaboration across clinics.
3) Developing professionalism and
commitment to providing legal services to
the poor.
Vice Chancellor Jones agreed with the
Law Center’s achievements in the program
and added that the clinical education
program has been a tremendous asset in
acquiring and maintaining accreditation,
and has helped student job placement.
The clinical experience incorporates
both trial advocacy and legal writing and
analysis into its curriculum.
Additionally, through the many
components and clinical opportunities,
students are introduced to individuals who
would not otherwise receive representation
in their pursuit of justice through the court
system, Listach stated.
“By assisting those whose income
is 200 percent below the federal poverty
guidelines, the clinic instills a desire to
legally assist those less fortunate,” she said.
“Students are encouraged to continue
to provide access to justice to the poor in
their practice as licensed attorneys through
their pro bono work.”
The wave of the future
Interim director Listach believes
“things can only get better.”
“The Law Center, the community (legal and non-legal), the Louisiana Supreme
Court, and law students recognize the
value of a legal clinical education experience,” Listach said.
In recognizing what a valuable tool
clinics offer, the clinical and experiential
learning experience is being incorporated
into the classrooms across the country.
Law students are taking advantage of the
opportunity.
“We hit the ground running with this
effort and have continued to grow and provide a quality clinical experience,” Listach
affirmed.
“We are continuing to develop additional quality clinics and extern opportunities. Clinics are the wave of the future, and
we’ve been riding it for a long time.”
Clinical Education students tried Dorothy Hiller v. Charles Cutler and Fleet Trucking Co. during the 2013 Simulated Trials, November 5 and 7. After deliberations, the juries in both trials (Day and Evening Divisions) returned a verdict in favor of the defendants, Charles Cutler and Fleet Trucking Co. Since its original
student enrollment cap of 11, the program has grown to more than 130 students annually, with the acceptance of second-year students in the externship component.
Clin Ed Leadership continued from page 17
Jones is the recipient of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Foundation Outstanding Community Service Award, the Kean Miller
Diversity Achievement Award, and the Louisiana State Bar
Association Stephen T. Victory Award.
Arthur E. Stallworth (1991-1993)
Stallworth, a full professor of law, formerly served as vice
chancellor after his tenure as director of clinical education.
Stallworth’s leadership in the clinical education program
established increased involvement in public interest law for
law students. “Our students sat second chair to lawyers in the
Baton Rouge Public Defender’s office, and they also conducted
the jury voir dire,” he recalled.
During his tenure as director, he also managed the expansion of the Criminal Law Clinic in the 19th Judicial District
Court. “Students could handle felony cases because of this
expansion,” he said.
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Prof. Stallworth earned
a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from Southern
University Law Center.
Prior to joining the faculty at the Law Center, Stallworth
held the position of division chief of the Civil Division at
the Louisiana Department of Justice. He was the first SULC
graduate to be appointed to this position, where he was responsible for advising Louisiana’s attorney general on matters
regarding public law, litigation, consumer protection, and
personnel management.
Joy Clemons (deceased) 1993-1998
A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Marilyn “Joy” Clemons earned an undergraduate degree from the University of
Southwestern Louisiana and a J.D. from the Southern University School of Law.
Clemons brought to the clinical education program a
wealth of experience in public interest law, civil rights law, and
equal employment law. At the time of her death in 1998, she
was executive assistant to the Chancellor of Southern University Law Center.
She began her legal career after admittance to the Louisiana Bar in 1977, as an assistant attorney general under the
administrations of William Guste and Richard Ieyoub. She
also served as EECO coordinator for the Louisiana Office of
Revenue and Taxation; was a partner in the Lake Charles Law
firm of Gray, Clemons, and Spruel; and was assistant district
attorney in Caddo and Ouachita parishes.
Clemons served five years as general counsel to the Louisiana State Conference NAACP and served on the NAACP
National Board’s Economic Development Committee. She
was a member of the Board of Governors of the Louisiana Bar
Association.
Vice Chancellor Arthur Stallworth 1998-1999
Stallworth served as interim director, following the death
of Prof. Clemons.
Donald North 1999-2013
In 1999, Donald North, the Johnnie L. Cochran Endowed
Professor of Law, became director of the program after serving on the Law Center faculty for one year. Prof. North has
the distinction of being the longest serving director when he
stepped down to teach full-time in 2013.
The hallmark of North’s tenure as clinical education director is an increase in the number of clinic opportunities. He
directed the development of additional clinics, doubling the
number from four to eight.
North said he wanted the “best clinic in the nation”
and devoted his life to that effort. “I had to expand to keep
students’ interest,” he said. When Vice Chancellor John Pierre
presented him with the idea of applying for a grant to establish
a low-income taxpayer clinic at the start of his tenure as director, he applied for and secured the grant.
After earning a B.A. and an A.S. degree from Grambling
State University, North earned a J.D. from SULC. He served in
the United States Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps and
continues as a reservist with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
North left active military duty in 1991 to join the Louisiana Department of Justice as an assistant attorney general,
serving as a prosecutor in the criminal and Medicaid fraud
divisions.
Virginia Listach, 2013-present
Listach’s goals are to increase clinic opportunities to
include more second-year students and to improve the externship program.
Since being named interim director in the fall of 2013,
Listach has focused on the implementation of a case management system so that the law clinic can better operate like a law
firm; a new student assessment tool to better assist the clinical
professors in assessing students’ skill level, knowledge, professional development and responsibility; and streamlining the
simulation process to include the entire trial process beginning with the voir dire and ending with the jury verdict. The
simulated trials are also presided over by a judge who offers
critiques throughout the trial process.
Listach earned a B.A. from Shippensburg University of
Pennsylvania and a J.D. from SULC. She serves as the Moot
Court Board adviser and coach and also served as coach and
adviser for the American Trial Lawyers Association team. Before joining SULC in August 1997, Listach was an assistant director of the Bureau of Appeals of the Louisiana
Department of Health and Hospitals and Administrative Law
Judge Supervisor, handling a large number of complex cases
brought by providers.
She was formerly an assistant attorney general with the
Louisiana Department of Justice from 1988 through 1992,
serving in the consumer protection, civil rights, and road
hazard sections.
Statements on the importance of clinical education
Judge Jewel “Duke” Welch of the First Circuit Court of
Appeal teaches Motion Practice and serves as judge in
the clinic’s simulated trials.
The Clinical Education Program at
SULC cultivates palpable proficiencies in
law students, such as trial preparation skills
and intricacies of client representation.
Students who participate in the program
enjoy the unique benefit of combining their
theoretical and clinical education.
Whether enrolled in one of the eight
clinics, completing mediation training, or
participating in the externship program,
students gain valuable insights into the
practice of law and public service. Former
and present clinical education students
share their experiences below:
“I have participated in the Elder
Law Clinic for two semesters and the
experience has been rewarding. Through
my work within this clinic I have firsthand
experience dealing with different types
of clients. Also, I have gained experience
drafting and filing various petitions
and motions. The Elder Law Clinic has
provided me with practical knowledge and
skills that I will use throughout my legal
career.”
–Rashida D. Barringer
“The mediation clinic, while
nontraditional by
definition, gives
students like me
an opportunity to
bring our theoretical knowledge into
the practical arena
by interacting with real parties with real
dilemmas. This clinic is invaluable in that it
gives us the opportunity to facilitate solutions by becoming a conduit between the
parties and sometimes by means of crafting
unconventional solutions under the supervision of a practicing attorney.”
–Johnathan “Colby” Coghlan
“I have had
the opportunity to serve in the
Clinical Education Externship
Program with the
East Baton Rouge
Parish District
Attorney’s Office.
I have had the opportunity to work side by
side with practicing attorneys on complex
legal issues. It has opened my eyes to the
practical side of law. I am blessed to have
this opportunity.”
–Diangleo S. Frazer
“The only way to describe my
experiences with the clinical education
program is as invaluable. The program has
given me an opportunity to learn practical
application skills that I would not have
been able to learn otherwise. I have learned
interviewing skills, trial preparation skills,
how to draft documents and learned what
it really takes to represent clients. It would
be very difficult, if not impossible, to be
ready to practice law upon graduation
without taking part in the clinical
education program. Any students that
do not take part in the clinical education
program are depriving themselves of what
may be the greatest experience during their
law school career.”
–Ryan C. Hart
“The clinical
education program
provided us with
the skills to be
“practice ready.”
As one of the
earlier law students
to enroll in the
program, I was
able to work closely with the judge and the
attorneys of the Baker City Court as well as
the attorneys in the District Attorney’s Office. It was a pleasure to know that our legal
skills and know-how were being used for a
valuable public service as well.
–Ernest Johnson, ’76
While volunteering in the Touro Law Center’s
Disaster Assistance Clinic to help victims of
Hurricane Sandy, SULC students also enjoyed
networking opportunities at the Nassau County
Bar Association.
“The practical
experience that I
have gained through
my enrollment in
clinical education
has been very beneficial to my skill set
as a future attorney.
This experience has
allowed me to take the classroom knowledge I have gained, and put it in to action
in the courtroom. My experience has included interviewing clients, filing motions,
pleadings, orders, answering discovery,
attending court proceedings, such as rule
hearings and pre-trial conferences. Clinical
education has also fostered networking opportunities with local attorneys and judges,
which is imperative to building my brand
as a new future attorney. “
–M. Reah Linton
“By being a
part of the Juvenile
Law Clinic, I was
able to combine my
knowledge of family
law and criminal
law. Through my
clinic experience, I
was able to learn the
importance of client relationships and of
keeping good records.”
–Aisha Sanders
Clin Ed Students Committed to Advocacy and Helping Those In Need--From left: Quinn M. Eubanks, Iriane Lee, Kyla Hemphill, Theresa M. King, Summerian L. Green, and Diangleo S. Frazer
spent a week in Central Islip, New York, at Touro Law Center’s Disaster Assistance Clinic to help
victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Students teamed up with Touro Law students to help
Long Islanders affected by Hurricane Sandy
Six SULC students traveled with Prof. Donald North to Central Islip, New
York, last August to spend a week at Touro Law Center’s Disaster Assistance Clinic
to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Touro Law students have visited the Gulf Coast every year since Hurricane
Katrina to provide disaster relief, and this service trip of SULC students Quinn
M. Eubanks, Diangleo S. Frazer, Summerian L. Green, Kyla Hemphill, Theresa M.
King, and Iriane Lee marks the first time that students from the Gulf Coast will
visit the New York area to provide similar assistance.
According to Touro Law Center Dean Patricia Salkin, “This (service) highlights the fact that law students are committed to advocacy and helping those in
need.”
Lee stated, “Over the years, people from across the world have left their families, schools, and jobs to assist in revitalizing cities along the Gulf Coast. We are
extremely excited about the volunteer opportunities Touro Law has provided us to
help others in need.
“In any capacity, we were willing to assist the residents of Long Island in
rebuilding their confidence and assessing their legal needs.”
Following an orientation, SULC students have joined Touro Law’s efforts
in the field as part of a Legal Needs Survey and Outreach project, assisting with
research of difficult hurricane-related questions and more.
Touro Law opened the Touro Law Center–Hurricane Emergency Assistance
and Referral Team (TLC-HEART) just days after the storm to provide help, referral and assistance to storm victims.
Giving Back to the Community
Their motto:
“We have the energy,
experience, and
dedication to work
hard on your behalf.”
Rickey Miniex
Clyde Simien
The south Louisiana natives have successfully presented more than 1,000 civil and criminal trials in the Acadiana area and
throughout the State of Louisiana, since they opened the doors of Simien and Miniex in 1987. Pictured from left: firm executive director
Patricia H. Simien and firm partners Clyde Simien and Ricky Miniex. Simien & Miniex is the legal adviser for the Lafayette Airport
Commission, among other civic clients.
“O
ur best work is giving
back to the community,” say attorneys
Clyde Simien and Rickey Miniex, who for
a little more than a quarter of a century
have been practicing law in the firm they
founded in Lafayette, Louisiana.
In beautifully appointed professional
offices that they designed and had built,
SULC alumni Simien and Miniex shared
their thoughts about their law partnership,
their philanthropy, and current and future
business goals they admit being able to
pursue and achieve because of the success
of their legal practice. They believe much
of this success stems from time spent in
preparation and seriousness of purpose at
their law school alma mater.
“SULC provides unimaginable
opportunities for anyone who will embrace
it,” said Simien, who believed that the Law
Center has changed their lives.
The two love the practice of law, and
with this love has come the opportunity
to fulfill their life’s purpose and to achieve
other personal goals. “These blessings have
provided us with the fortitude to rise above
challenges and rebound from setbacks,”
says Miniex.
Despite excellent grades in law school
and passing the bar on the first attempt,
when Simien and Miniex returned to
the area to practice law, “not one law
firm would hire us,” Simien said. Miniex
graduated second and Simien was fifth in
their class of 117 students in 1986. Both
were members of the Southern University
Law Review, Miniex as managing editor
and Simien as editor. Also while in law
school, they both were members of the
Moot Court Board and Delta Theta Phi
Law Fraternity, were on the National
Dean’s List, were recipients of Best Team
Oral Argument Award, and were named
Best Team in the Trial Advocacy and Trial
Notebook Competition.
Whether a stroke of good fortune or
because of their outstanding legal skills,
great reputation, tenacity, and drive, the
opportunity to establish their own law
firm was secured for the dynamic duo.
On the recommendation of a Lafayette
businessman, the two were able to obtain
a small bank loan–$7,500 to be exact–to
hang their shingle and are currently
members of The Million Dollar Advocates
Forum, joining the elite ranks of “The Top
Trial Lawyers in America.”
PERFECT PARTNERSHIP
The pair shares a dynamic that has
helped them bring a dream to a realization.
“The two of us have similar competitive
drive, shared ethical values, and similar
professional goals,” Simien said. “We have
complementary skill sets and personality
traits, such as technical or functional
expertise, problem-solving or decisionmaking skills, and interpersonal skills that
make us work well as a team.”
Before pursuing a law degree, Simien
earned a business degree with a major in
accounting and Miniex earned bachelor’s
degrees in accounting and finance from
the University of Southwestern Louisiana,
both in 1981. Simien’s primary function
in the firm is litigation. He has extensive
trial experience, especially in the area
of personal injury cases. Miniex is more
analytical and a numbers person. Miniex
has been a licensed Certified Public
Accountant since 1983. The first three
years out of undergraduate school, he was
employed as a certified public accountant
with the Lafayette CPA firm of Broadhurst,
Sikes, and Gardes. He worked in the areas
of audit, tax, and management advisory
services.
Their early legal experience includes
that of law clerks working closely with
judges in the 15th Judicial District and
the 16th Judicial District. As law clerks,
they were exposed to a variety of ways
of presenting cases by attorneys in the
community and had the opportunity to get
critical insight from experienced judges as
to which methods were most effective.
Continued on next page
Giving back continued
Simien also served in a number of
law clerkships, proofing, drafting, and
researching Senate bills in the Bureau of
Legislation, for the Louisiana Senate and
House bills for Chairman of the Commerce
Committee, Louisiana Representative Ron
Gomez.
In 1985, both alums clerked for
attorney L. D. Sledge. Their assignments
included legal research, analyzing legal
problems, and preparing pleadings.
For more than fifteen years, they
were assistant district attorneys. Simien,
a native of Opelousas, Louisiana, and
Miniex, a native of Sunset, Louisiana,
are licensed to practice in Louisiana
and Texas. Additionally, both were
appointed counselors in the Special
Services Department of the University of
Southwestern Louisiana, have served as
adjunct professors at the university, and are
members of the Louisiana Society of Public
Accountants.
Simien and Miniex credit Vice
Chancellor Russell L. Jones and Prof.
Steve Barbre among others at SULC
with impressing upon them a sense of
professionalism, earnestness, and fortitude.
Around the conference table each morning,
the two find themselves very supportive in
strategizing as they discover how each looks at
the intricacies of a case.
These same law professors recall being very
impressed with these law graduates.
Asserting that the two were destined
for success, Vice Chancellor Jones stated,
“Always determined to reach the top
both carried the Law Center mantra,
‘seriousness of purpose,’ as a badge of
honor.”
“Not only did they strive to excel in
the classroom, but their stellar professional
and ethical demeanor separated them from
most of their peers,” Jones said.
The vice chancellor recalls that Simien
and Miniex were great thinkers who dared
you to think outside of the box, he said,
stating that these students influenced his
professional development more than he
probably influenced theirs.
An excellent example of thinking
outside the box perhaps assisted in their
largest judgment–approximately $2
million–in a personal injury case tried in
St. Landry Parish. This case involved the
death of a young girl who was accidentally
killed by an intoxicated driver. A member
of the police department had stopped the
intoxicated driver earlier on the day of the
accident but failed to arrest him.
“We filed suit against the police
department and the intoxicated driver and
were able to recover damages against both
for the family of the young girl,” Miniex
said.
Prof. Barbre
says he is not the
least surprised
that Miniex
and Simien
have enjoyed
professional
success. “Mr.
Miniex had
an outstanding
intellect, quickly grasping and
resolving the intricacies of in-class and
examination questions. I recall that on an
individual level, he was personable, without
any hint of egocentricity,” he said.
As adviser to Southern University
Law Review, Prof. Barbre said he had
occasion to work with both, but especially
remembers Simien as an editor. Sometimes
tough decisions had to be made, but he was
prepared to make them to ensure that the
organization functioned effectively, Barbre
recalls.
Fortunately, their fierce competitiveness comes up against each other only on
the basketball court. Both are adamant
about keeping in good physical shape as
much as maintaining excellent work habits.
Around the conference table each morning,
the two find themselves very supportive
in strategizing as they discover how each
looks at the intricacies of a case. “The law
practice is always about thinking,” Miniex
says, “and in it we must anticipate what the
other side will do.”
On formulating a work relationship
conducive to success, they added, “We also
trust each other and have grown to depend
on each other.”
There have been personal challenges,
such in the case when Simien’s first wife,
Margo Ann St. Julian, died in 2008. After
their 22-year marriage, he was left with
tremendous grief and the responsibility
to care for their three young children.
“Rickey was there for me and I could not
have gotten through those times without
him,” Simien said.
Miniex said he experienced similar
support from his law partner after the
death of his mother, Virginia Duplechain
Miniex, in February 1995.
COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS
Serving the community to make
improvements in the quality of life of
residents who work very hard for their
money and their modest livelihoods is
very important to the legal counselors.
When asked why they started the firm,
“We wanted to practice law and make
a difference in the community,” Simien
said. More simply put, “we wanted to help
people.”
“Our law professors not only taught
us the law, but also inspired in us true
altruistic value through the practice of
law. At the time we became lawyers, many
black residents in our area had never had
the opportunity to get to know or secure
the services of a lawyer, let alone a black
attorney.”
The partners have participated
in Martin Luther King ceremonies in
Lafayette since 1986, when King’s birthday
was first observed as a holiday nationally,
including serving as financial sponsors,
speakers, and marshals in the annual
parade, among other service activities.
Simien makes no bones about the
impact his parents, Vincent and Mercedes
Simien, who still live in his hometown,
and quality of his family life had on his
success. He also feels fortunate to have
attorney mentors who were pioneers
and leaders in civil rights law. The late
Rodney Millspaugh, Marion White, and
Johnnie Jones, all SULC alumni, showed
by example the success in innovative use of
the law to achieve positive social change.
“We realized that not only had they opened
doors for us to get equal education, they
were willing to share the benefit of their
experience and wisdom,” Simien said.
The attorneys founded the Virginia
Miniex and Margo St. Julian Simien
Memorial Scholarship Fund in Lafayette
to provide financial assistance to Louisiana
residents seeking a college education. They
support the Louis A. Martinet Society
of Lafayette, and Big Brother and Big
Sister, as well as other programs that help
young people find greater educational
opportunities.
“It hurts my heart to know that many
of our youth, because of poverty and lack
of role models, mentors, and parental
support, are lost to the criminal justice
system instead of securing educational
opportunities that can prepare them to be
productive citizens,” Simien said.
EFFECTIVE ENTREPRENEURS
The remarkable partners with
their extensive legal experience and
commitment to serving their community
have been met with great success and new
exciting opportunities.
The firm began in a 750-squarefoot building in Lafayette, Louisiana. It
now occupies a 10,000-square-foot twostory office complex built to efficiently
house eight attorneys. Presently, there
are five attorneys, two paralegals, three
legal secretaries, a receptionist, and a
bookkeeper. The firm performs work in the
areas of automobile accidents, wrongful
death, offshore injuries, defective products,
energy law, tax law, and governmental
defense litigation.
Success in the growth of their law
practice has allowed Simien and Miniex to
open a state-of-the-art suite hotel near the
Lafayette airport in 2009 and presently to
work on two other lodging projects.
There’s an adage that says don’t forget
from whence you came. The partners of
Simien and Miniex embrace this concept,
recognizing SULC as a part of that
community it seeks to serve. When asked
In addition to their efficacious lawyering, Miniex and Simien have pursued and attained other business
goals. At top, on the left: they stand in front of their state-of-the-art 118-room suite hotel, Staybridge Suites
Lafayette-Airport. Because of the great success in this endeavor, two additional hotel projects are soon to
come to fruition for the effective entrepreneurs. At top, on the right: Minex and Simien are pictured at the
hotel front desk with front office manager, Delayna Taylor; and the two are photographed in the hotel’s
inhouse theatre, bottom.
what advice they would give to students
at the Law Center, the pair responded,
“Decide what is your purpose in life and do
everything you can to fulfill that purpose.
There is no ceiling on what we can do.”
Their philosophy has always been hard
work, excellence in all work performed,
and outstanding service to all clients. Our
motto is, “We have the energy, experience,
and dedication to work hard on the behalf
of our clients,” Simien said.
Photo courtesy of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government.
Preparing for a
Better Tomorrow
By Michael Jeb Richard, Third-Year Student
Known for its unparalleled ambience,
Louisiana is essentially a gumbo pot of vibrant cultures, delectable cuisines, captivating music, lively festivals, and breathtaking
sceneries that season the State and provide
it with a flavor unlike any other. Among
the unique flavors of Louisiana is the city
of Lafayette. Referred to by the New York
Times as the “geographic and cultural
center of French-speaking Louisiana,”
Lafayette has successfully managed to keep
its cultural roots alive while it, along with
the assistance of Southern University Law
Center, embraces future growth and change
with open arms and southern hospitality.
Among the projects bettering Lafayette’s future is the work of law students
enrolled in Profs. Winston Riddick and
Paul Race’s Louisiana Real Estate Transaction course. Though named by Area
Development, a publication that analyzes
workforce and economic data, as the “Best
Midsized City,” “Best City in the South,”
and “Best Overall City” in the United States
for economic and employment growth, Lafayette, like many other cities, is a victim of
the continuous expenses that a city incurs
when landowners abandon and neglect
their properties.
The 2013-14 Lafayette Heirship
and Adjudicated Property Project
not only affords SULC students
meaningful
and practical application
of their legal education,
it has inspired other cities across
the state to create
similar ordinances and
prepare for a better tomorrow.
With 800 to 1,200 adjudicated properties, approximately 75 percent of which
have been adjudicated in excess of ten
years, Lafayette and its taxpayers essentially
bear the burden of unpaid taxes, condemnation fees, and periodical upkeep of
abandoned property. Adjudicated property
is property that has been placed in state or
local governmental hands because local
property taxes have not been paid and
sequentially have not been redeemed by
the debtor.
Recognizing the substantial amount
of money these adjudicated properties cost
the city-parish government, Chad Lacomb,
a third-year SULC student and City Planner for the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, proposed that SULC
enter into an intergovernmental agreement
with the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government. The agreement offers
SULC students an opportunity to learn
firsthand about heirship and adjudicated
property remediation, while improving
the city’s quality of life, saving taxpayers
substantial amounts of money.
Lacomb and Katrena Porter, a secondyear student participating in the Chancellor’s Public Interest Initiative, successfully
drafted an ordinance that allowed for the
intergovernmental agreement with SULC
(Lafayette Heirship and Adjudicated
Property Project) and allowed the Lafayette
City-Parish Consolidated Government to
ultimately take possession of the adjudicated properties for the betterment of the city.
Adopted by the Lafayette City-Parish
Counsel and signed by Joey Durrell,
Lafayette City-Parish President, Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr., and SU System
President Ronald Mason, the Lafayette
Heirship and Adjudicated Property Project
resulted in law students initially taking on
14 of Lafayette’s adjudicated properties.
Under the supervision of Prof. Riddick, the
students conducted title research, prepared
abstracts, and drafted title opinion letters
on the adjudicated properties in order to
clear the titles and place the properties
back on the tax roll.
Among the properties students
worked on was one at 1004 South Magnolia
Street. There, property was condemned
and abandoned, and the structure upon it
had to be demolished. Over the 25 years
since the property was abandoned, the
condemnation liens, back-owed taxed, and
weed liens (periodic upkeep liens) on the
property amounted to more than $44,000,
a debt three times the property’s value.
Because liens on adjudicated property must be paid before clear title can be
rendered, many of the adjudicated properties in Lafayette, like that of 1004 South
Magnolia Street, are not only worthless,
but have a negative value. To alleviate such
problems, the SULC intergovernmental
agreement allowed SULC students to
conduct the title research on the property,
track down the legal heirs of the property,
and provide them with good notice that the
property had been adjudicated. In an effort
to better the neighborhood and encourage
development, the consolidated government
will be converting the property into a park.
With a goal of clearing titles on all
of the 14 properties by May 2014, SULC’s
contributions will ultimately convert once
burdensome properties into a park, a farmer’s market, and Habitat for Humanity low
income housing. In addition, the remaining property will be sold at auction, and the
proceeds will be reserved for neighborhood
improvement.
Through the Lafayette Heirship and
Adjudicated Property Project, SULC
students have not only been afforded a
meaningful and practical application of
their legal education, they have inspired
other cities across the state to potentially
create similar ordinances and prepare for a
better tomorrow.
“Providing meaningful experiential
learning opportunities for our students
advances the mission and brand of this Law
Center,” Chancellor Pitcher said.
“What better way to do so than
allowing students this involvement
in public interest law and serving our
communities and taxpayers,” he said.
An intergovernmental agreement has the potential of saving taxpayers thousands of dollars and addressing the root causes of urban blight. Pictured from left, Prof. Paul Race; student Chad LaComb, Lafayette
city planner; Prof. Winston Riddick; SU Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Bridget Dinvant; SU System
President Ron Mason; student Katrena Porter; Mike Hollier, Planning Manager at Lafayette Consolidated
Government; and Vice Chancellor John Pierre.
Photo courtesy of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government.
The property above is only one example of the14 properties SULC has taken on through its intergovernmental agreement. Also through this partnership, SULC and Lafayette will apply for grants to further
Lafayette economic development through the remediation of heirship, blighted, and adjudicated properties;
negotiate overhead cost on a project-by-project basis; and provide opportunities for supervised student
internships in local government.
Retirement Celebration for Elaine Simmons Honors 32 Years of Dedicated Service
Administrators, Faculty, Staff, Retirees, Alumni, Family, and Friends
express their appreciation.
From left: Simmons and alumni Monique Edwards,
’86, and Timothy W. Hardy, ’81.
From left: Vice Chancellor Roederick
From left: Simmons and husWhite, retiring Associate Vice Chancellor
band, Raymond Simmons, ’71.
Elaine Simmons, and Chancellor Pitcher.
From left: Helen Burris, Florence Scott,
Simmons, and Drusilla King.
From left: Andrea Love, director of admission
and recruitment; Velma Wilkerson, coordinator of admission; Latonya Wright, records/
enrollment assistant; Lois Daigre, administrative assistant III; Lena M. Station, recruitment
counselor; Simmons; Chancellor Pitcher; and
D’Andrea Joshua Lee, director of records and
registration.
More than 100 well-wishers attended the June 28 retirement
celebration honoring Associate Vice Chancellor Elaine Simmons
for her 32 years of dedicated service.
Simmons initiated the SULC registrar’s office as operating
independently of the Southern University registrar’s office in 1986.
Since that time, the office has expanded to include records and
enrollment duties, recruitment, and admissions.
The Glenmora, Louisiana, resident joined the Law Center staff
in 1981, serving as assistant catalog librarian until 1985, when she
was promoted to registrar and director of enrollment. In 2002, she
was promoted to the associate vice chancellor position.
A native of Rapides Parish, Simmons earned a B.S. from
Grambling State University and an M.L.S. from Louisiana State
University in Baton Rouge. She received a certificate in enrollment
management from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).
From left: Simmons and
daughter, Consuella
Simmons Taylor
Simmons and sons, Reginald, at
left; and Richard, at right.
Standing, from left: students Quinn Eubanks, Kyla
J. Hemphill, Tori M. Howze, Harold E. Cradic, and
Alonzo Jackson, Jr., with Simmons.
In addition to her participation in AACRAO, Simmons’ professional associations include the National Network of Law School
Officers, American Association of University Women, Southern
Association of Pre-Law Advisors, National Association of Female
Executives, African Americans in Louisiana Higher Education,
LSAC Minority Network, LA Council of Enrollment Management
Officers (CEMO), National Association of Bench and Bar Spouses,
and the Baton Rouge Association of Bench and Bar Spouses. She is
a founding member of the Baton Rouge Association of Barristers’
Wives and served 10 years as its treasurer. In 1996, Simmons was
appointed to serve on the Louisiana Board of Regents Statewide
Accountability Working Subcommittee.
As a member of the SULC Executive Administrative Staff,
Associate Vice Chancellor Simmons served on the Admissions,
Scholarship, Graduation, Code of Student Conduct Appeal Board,
Strategic Planning, Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals, and
Faculty/Staff Grievance committees.
2013 Alumni
of the Year
Alumni Updates
The 2013 Alumni of the Year gave
inspiring messages of heart-felt appreciation to SULC during the Alumni
Breakfast, July 31, in Miami, Florida.
Pictured at top, from left are Cynthia
N. Reed, director of CLE and alumni
affairs; Judge Reginald R. Corlew,
’92, of Florida’s 15th Judicial Circuit
Court; Trina Alexander Eaddy, ’98,
of Philips North America, Bethesda,
Maryland, and Chancellor Pitcher;
and Chancellor with Alex Washington, ’99, and Shante Y. R. Wells, ’00,
of the Washington & Wells Law Firm,
Shreveport, Louisiana.
SAVE THE DATE TO JOIN US FOR
THE 2014 ANNUAL
ALUMNI BREAKFAST
MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014
ATLANTA MARRIOTT MARQUIS HOTEL
In conjunction with the 89th Annual National Bar Association
Convention and Exhibits, July 26-August 1, 2014, Atlanta, Georgia.
SULC Alumni Association Membership Application
Name___________________________________________________________________________ Class Year_______________
Home Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone ______________________________________ E-Mail ______________________________________________________
Business Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Business Address __________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Business Phone __________________________________ Fax _____________________________________________________
Business E-Mail __________________________________________________________________________________________
Area(s) of Practice _________________________________________________________________________________________
I wish to join/renew my membership in the SULC Alumni Association.
Enclosed is a check (made payable to the SU Foundation/SULC Alumni Association) for $____________ for my annual
membership fee.
$24 First year graduates (Dues included in graduation fees)
Two-year membership
$50 Alumni within 3-5 years of graduation
One-year membership
$75 Alumni within 6-10 years of graduation
One-year memberhsip
$100 Alumni more than 10 years of graduation
One-year membership
If you choose to join online...
SULC
Visit: www.sulc.edu
Online Alumni Association
Membership Application
60s
Thomas N. Todd, ’63, has deposited
his papers in the Division of Archives
and Special Collections at the Chicago
State University Library. Todd, known
as TNT, for his dynamic speaking skills,
established the civil rights division in the
office of the U.S. Attorney in Chicago in
1969. The archival collection includes
correspondence, awards, audiovisual
materials, certificates, artifacts, and
photographs collected by Todd throughout
his long career. A native of Demopolis,
Alabama, in 1959 Todd earned a bachelor’s
degree in political science at Southern
University, Baton Rouge. He is a magna
cum laude graduate of SULC.
70s
Judge Leon L.
Emanuel, III, ’77, retired
from the Louisiana First
Judicial District Court
of Caddo Parish, in
Shreveport, Louisiana,
after 21 years of service.
Emanuel was appointed to the Shreveport
City Court in 1989 and served there
until his election to the District Court in
1992. He has more than 30 years of legal
experience with most of his time spent in
public service and government. He and
his sister, Judge Ramona Emanuel, served
together in the First JDC since she was
elected the first female to that court in
1995.
Judge Wilford Carter, ’75, one of the
first black judges elected in Calcasieu’s
state court, retired on October 31 after 21
years as judge. Carter and Judge Al Gray
were the first black judges elected in the
14th Judicial District Court when they took
office in 1992. Carter, the longest serving
judge of the district, said he never intended
to serve more than one term, but continued
to run because he enjoyed what he was
doing. Judge Carter formerly served on
the Lake Charles City Council and in the
Louisiana Legislature. He plans to return to
the practice of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Lemelle,
’76, retired as chief of the criminal division
of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Baton Rouge.
Lemelle served as the criminal division
Honored By Louisiana NAACP
Judge Janice Clark, ’76, of the 19th Judicial District Court
received an Excellence Award, during the NAACP Louisiana State
Conference’s Freedom Fund Banquet, September 28, held in Baton
Rouge.
Clark, along with former Gov. Edward W. Edwards, were honored for their work to improve voting rights for black citizens in
Louisiana. This work included the settlement agreement in the Clark
v. Edwards lawsuit filed in 1986. Clark, as an original plaintiff in the
suit, was instrumental in expanding the number of black judges in
Louisiana. The expansion was accomplished through the addition of judicial sub-districts in
majority black areas.
Prior to the settlement, Louisiana had elected only five black judges in 178 district court
seats and 1 of 48 court of appeal seats, despite black citizens comprising 30 percent of the population. Now, there are more than 80 black judges. Other SULC alumni instrumental to this case
as plaintiffs were Orscini Beard, ’78; Eddie Crawford, ’82; and the late Norbert Rayford, ’55; and
as lawyer, Ernest Johnson, ’76.
In addition to the award, Judge Clark addressed the group’s 71st Annual State Convention in Baton Rouge on Thursday, September 26, regarding enfranchisement issues as the
result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down section 4 of the Voting Rights Act.
Section 4 was a key provision of the law determining which states must receive preclearance
from the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal court in Washington before making any
changes to voting procedures, including redistricting.
chief for 18 years. In 2001, then acting U.S.
attorney Brian A. Jackson, now Chief U.S.
District Judge, had chosen Lemelle as his
first assistant U.S. attorney. Lemelle served
as U.S. attorney for the Middle District on
a temporary basis on several occasions,
the latest being three months in 2010. The
longest of those stints was 16 months, from
May 1987 until August 1988. Before he became a federal prosecutor, Lemelle worked
as a staff attorney for Southwest Louisiana
Legal Aid Society in Lake Charles and Capital Area Legal Services in Baton Rouge.
Harry R. Cantrell, Jr., ’81, former magistrate commissioner
of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, was sworn in as judge
of Magistrate Court for the Parish of Orleans, Friday, February 7,
2014, at the Grand Hall, Israel M. Augustine Criminal Justice Center,
Criminal District Court, New Orleans, Louisiana. Judge Cantrell won
in the runoff election for magistrate judge on November 16, 2013, to
fill the seat of retiring Magistrate Judge Gerard Hansen.
Derrick John Morrison, ’86, has been appointed associate judge
for the 305th District Juvenile Court, Dallas, Texas. Judge Morrison
worked as a criminal defense attorney/assistant public defender for
Dallas County, Texas, for more than 19 years. Along with the judicial
duties he acquired in 2013, he also serves as a facilitator for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
Ebony Woodruff, ’07, currently serves District 87 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, after qualifying without opposition.
Woodruff, formerly an assistant parish attorney in Jefferson Parish,
officially took office in mid October of 2013.
Honored By Louisiana State Bar
Judge Sheva M. Sims, ’94, of Shreveport City Court,
Division D, Sheva M. Sims, was presented a Louisiana State Bar
Association (LSBA) Crystal Gavel Award in recognition of her
outstanding efforts assisting many groups on a volunteer basis.
Judge Sims hosts monthly “Know Your Rights” seminars.
As a past president on the Board of Directors at the YWCA of
Northwest Louisiana, Judge Sims worked to build the organization
after several grants expired. She personally called key supporters
in the community to keep the doors open and the employees’
salaries paid. Her championing the cause of women and domestic violence has led her to
spend many hours helping others, not just as a board president, but in the personal lives of
many women she has helped.
She also volunteers her time in the support of various HIV/AIDS organizations. Judge
Sims has often donated to or organized donations for clients in need at the Philadelphia
Center. As a board member of Louisiana AIDS Advocacy Network (LAAN) , she would travel
across the state to bring back important information concerning HIV/AIDS to the board of
The Philadelphia Center and other north Louisiana HIV/AIDS organizations in need. Her
work effectively has reached people affected and living with HIV/AIDS deep within the rural
areas of north Louisiana.
Judge Sims’ spirit of volunteerism extends to her passion in teaching and tutoring
children in math. She volunteers her services to the students at the Shreveport Job Corps
Center as a tutor, lecturer and adviser. She has made contributions to many high school
graduates entering college to help them purchase books and other supplies needed to continue
their educations. She has also bought computers to enable students to do research and
complete assignments.
80s
Dwayne Murray, ’87, and Lisa Murray
have relocated their law office, Murray
& Murray Law Office, to One American
Place, 301 Main Street, Suite 810, Baton
Rouge, LA, 70825. Sirena T. Wilson, ’11, is
also practicing in that firm.
Kenneth Plaisance, ’88, earned
an LL.M. in Employment Law from
John Marshall School of Law in Atlanta,
Georgia.
90s
Alfreda Tillman Bester, ’99, NAACP
general counsel and chair of the Legal
Redress Committee, announced the 71st
Annual State Convention of the NAACP
held September 26-28, at the Baton Rouge
Marriott.
U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley,
’91, was the opening plenary speaker for
the Blacks in Government (BIG) 35th
Annual National Training Institute held
in Dallas, Texas, August 19. Finley spoke
about career opportunities in the federal
government, leadership, and professional
development. BIG was established in
1975 and incorporated in 1976 as a nonprofit organization under the District of
Columbia jurisdiction. Its goals are to
promote equity in all aspects of American
life, excellence in public service, and
opportunity for all Americans.
Dinisa Hardley Folmar, ’99, attended
the Corporate Counsel Women of Color
(CCWC) 9th Annual Career Strategies
Conference. CCWC is an international
organization of women attorneys and
corporate legal counsel of color. The
conference itinerary included informative
sessions, workshops, and headlining
speakers.
2000s
Brandon Brown, ’07, an assistant
U.S. Attorney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,
serves on the Louisiana State Bar Association Criminal Justice Committee. The mission of the committee is to develop programs and methods that most effectively
allow the bar to work with the courts, other
branches of government, and the public to
assist in maintaining a functional and effective criminal justice system in Louisiana.
Brown is assigned to the Criminal Division
and prosecutes a variety of cases involving
federal program fraud, bankruptcy fraud,
tax crimes, aviation crimes, narcotic trafficking, firearm offenses, program crimes,
and sex crimes.
Gregory A. Burrell, ’06, has been
appointed by the Executive Office of the
United States-Trustee to serve as Chapter
13 Bankruptcy Trustee for the District
of Minnesota effective October 1. In his
new role, Burrell will manage a more than
20-member staff and will be responsible for
the distribution of more than $40 million
annually in payments from debtors in
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.
Jamilla A. Bynog, ’09, earned an
LL.M. in Trial Advocacy from Temple
University, Beasley School of Law in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 23,
2013. The LL.M. in Trial Advocacy is the
only program of its kind in the country
and has been consistently ranked in the
top two for trial advocacy by U.S. News
and World Report. Bynog is currently a
felony prosecutor at the Rapides District
Attorney’s Office in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Scotty E. Chabert,
Jr., ’06, of Baton Rouge
have been certified elected secretary for 2014-15
Young Lawyers Division
of the Louisiana State Bar
Association. Chabert is a
partner in the law firm of
Saunders & Chabert.
Eric Claville, ’06, is one of 13
faculty at Hampton University honored
in Pearson’s “One Professor” movement
by their students. Through studentsubmitted stories, One Professor pays
Alumni Among Louisiana Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Jean Allen, acquisitions librarian of the Oliver B. Spellman Law Library, and Carla Ball, administrative assistant IV in the Office of
Communications and Development Support, compilied this list of alumni honorees for publication.
Dow Michael Edwards, ’00, of Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore
LCC, New Orleans, has
been listed in 2014 Best
Lawyers in America.
Edwards was recognized
in the areas of Personal
Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability
Litigation Defendants,
and Railroad Law. The
Best Lawyers in America
recognizes the top four
percent of practicing
attorneys in the United
States.
Harry Daniels, III,
’07, a partner of Daniels
& Washington, L.L.C. has
been named as a 2014 Super Lawyers Rising Star.
No more than 2.4 percent
of the lawyers in the state
are named to the list.
Super Lawyers is a
rating service of outstanding lawyers from more
than 70 practice areas
who have attained a highdegree of peer recognition
and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and
includes independent research, peer nominations
and peer evaluations.
Super Lawyers
launched Rising Stars to
recognize the top up-andcoming attorneys by state
– those who are 40 years
or younger, or who have
been practicing for 10
years or less.
Super Lawyers-2003 & 2004
Fred L. Tinsley, Jr.
2005
Samuel J. Davis
Anthony L. Schumann
Fred L. Tinsley, Jr.
2006
William L. Banton, Jr.
2007
Gregory H. Batte
Samuel J. Davis
Timothy W. Hardy
Willie James Singleton
David O. Walker
2008
Marcus V. Brown
Samuel J. Davis
David O. Walker
2009
Marcus V. Brown
David O. Walker
2010
Samuel J. Davis
Jamie E. Fontenot
Patrick S. Garrity
David O. Walker
2011
Samuel J. Davis
Patrick S. Garrity
Michael P. Hanle
David O. Walker
2012
Samuel J. Davis
Patrick S. Garrity
Michael P. Hanle
P. Craig Morrow, Jr.
Jan Elliott Pritchett
David O. Walker
2012
Frederick J. Barrow
Anderson O. Dotson, III
Karen Hayes Green
Thomas G. Hessburg
John Lee Hoffoss, Jr.
Chauntis T. Jenkins
Victor R. Loraso, III
B. Trey Morris
Janika Polk
William D. Shea
Jason M. Stein
M. Janice Villarubia
Samuel C. “Chuck” Ward, Jr.
2013
Shelton Dennis Blunt
Samuel J. Davis
Glynn J. Delatte, Jr.
Dow Michael Edwards
Kirk A. Guidry
Michael P. Hanle
Stefanie C. Moon
P. Craig Morrow, Jr.
Jan Elliott Pritchett
David O. Walker
Rising Stars-No more
than 2.4 percent of the
lawyers in the state are
named to this list.
2004
Jennine Hovell-Cox
Jonathan H. Cox
Sonya Denise Hoskins
2013
Claude P. Devall
Anderson O. Dotson, III
Derrick “Digger” Earles
Thomas G. Hessburg
John Lee Hoffoss, Jr.
Chauntis T. Jenkins
James G. Knipe, III
B. Trey Morris
Alejandro R. Perkins
Janika Polk
William D. Shea
Jason M. Stein
Cullen A. Tonry
M. Janice Villarrubia
Samuel C. “Chuck” Ward, Jr.
Tanika D. Wells
2005
Jennine Hovell-Cox
Jonathan H. Cox
Sonya Denise Hoskins
2007 & 2008
Frederick J. Barrow
2009
Gary L. Armstead, II
Paul C. Beall
(WINTER
(WINTER 2014)
2014) •• SULC
SULC REFLECTIONS
REFLECTIONS 31
33
Alumni News continued from page 32
tribute to faculty who have made a
lasting impression, inside and outside in
classroom, on the students they serve.
Claville also has been confirmed as
assistant dean of Hampton. He formerly
served in an interim capacity and is an
assistant professor within the Department
of Political Science and History. Claville
has been appointed to the second cohort of
the American Council on Education (ACE)
Spectrum Executive Leadership Program,
a leadership development program
for diverse senior-level administrators
from underrepresented groups who are
interested in seeking a presidency in the
near term.
Nicholas Dunham, ’10, joined the
Prairieville law firm of Alyce B. Landry
as an associate attorney/senior staff
accountant. Dunham received his license to
practice as a CPA in March.
Maurice D. Gipson, ’10, has been
named assistant director for constituent
relations and events in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the
University of Texas at Austin. Formerly,
Gipson has served as director of the annual
fund at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas,
and director of development for HustonTillotson University in Austin, Texas. He
is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational policy.
Cornelius Graves, ’10, aided
Winston-Salem University in expanding
its campus and enhancing its brand. He
was complimented for his efforts in a letter
from the WSU Chancellor informing the
university’s Board of Trustees, students,
alumni, and friends of the school’s progress
and Graves’s impact. By securing the
assistance of some key legislators in North
Carolina, Graves aided the University in
making a huge stride toward doubling the
size of its campus.
LaKeisha Grey, ’11, announced
the publication of her children’s book,
Cankeyo. The book is available at www.
cankeyo.com.
Kimberly Hardy-LaMotte, ’12, is
legislative assistant to Rep. Edward “Ted”
James, of Dist. 10. Hardy-LaMotte joined
the staff on April 8, 2013.
F. Stanton Hardee, III, ’05, assistant
district attorney for Vermilion Parish, was
honored as the “Assistant District Attorney
of the Year” by the Louisiana Narcotics
Officers Association. Since March 19, 2012,
Hardee has been a felony prosecutor for
District Attorney Mike Harson and handles
murders, armed robberies, felony DWIs,
and all the felony drug cases. The Kaplan,
Louisiana, resident was nominated by
Vermilion Sheriff Mike Couvillon, Abbeville Chief of Police Tony Hardy, and
Kaplan Chief of Police Boyd Adams, along
with the agents of the Vermilion/Municipal
Narcotics Task Force. In their nomination,
Hardee was noted as having an unprecedented accomplishment in his first year on
the job. Because of his work, three habitual
offenders have received life sentences,
with another three individuals facing life
sentences, as a result of successful jury trial
convictions.
State Rep. Katrina
Jackson, ’04, was
named Legislator of the
Year by the Louisiana
Municipal Black Caucus
Association. Jackson is
chair of the Louisiana
Legislative Black
Caucus. She received the award during
the Louisiana Municipal Association’s
76th Annual Convention, August 1-3,
in Monroe, Louisiana. She was featured
speaker for the Summer 2013 Southern
University Commencement, August 2.
Christal Lawrence, ’12, is a
compliance specialist for Rabo Agrifinance,
the agricultural finance division of
the Dutch bank, Rabobank. Lawrence
performs compliance reviews/audits testing
for bank adherence in the area of appraisal
notice and joint intent, in conjunction with
the bank’s legal department. She formerly
was employed with U.S. Bank doing loan
legal document review.
Tonya Ozene, ’05, and husband,
Reco Joiner, welcomed the birth of their
daughter, Milan, 6 lbs., 13 oz., born on June
12.
Robin Raasch, ’12, joined the
Railroad Commission of Texas, Austin,
Texas, as legal counsel for the chairman.
Tiffany Ratliff, ’12, is a staff attorney
for 30th Judicial District Court, Vernon
Parish, Leesville, Louisiana.
Jade Brown Russell, ’03, was featured
in Louisiana Association of Public Charter
Schools for her work over the past three
and half years as a board member for New
Beginnings Schools Foundation and at
Bricolage Academy in New Orleans. Russell
has served as the local general counsel for
Caesars Entertainment Corporation. Her
skills at advising clients with respect to
various gaming, employment, regulatory
and corporate issues, as well as budget
preparation make her a highly qualified
and competent board member.
Jimi C. Smith, ’08, was sworn
in as president of the Terrebonne Bar
Association, Thursday, June 13. Smith is
a partner in the firm of Crighton-Smith,
LLC, in Houma, Louisiana.
LaDonna Spencer, ’11, is teaching
accounting, economics and banking and
business law at a university in Dubai, UAE.
Brian F. Trainor, ’02, was named
chief deputy of the St. Tammany Parish
Sheriff ’s Office. Trainor, deputy chief of
the agency and member of the department
since 2010, replaced retired veteran Tim
Lentz. In 2002, Trainor began an eightyear career as a prosecutor with the district
attorney’s office. He has served as legal
adviser to the sheriff ’s office and as deputy
chief of corrections since 2010. Trainor
became a certified Level 1 law enforcement
officer upon graduating from the sheriff ’s
office academy in 2011. He has served as
an instructor on various legal matters for
local law enforcement agencies and for the
Louisiana District Attorneys Association.
Brittani Ware, ’12, earned an LL.M.
from Boston University School of Law in
May 2013. Ware recently joined the Ryan
Tax Consulting Firm at its Corporate
Headquarters Office in Dallas. She is a
tax consultant in the firm’s State IncomeFranchise Practice Group.
Erin Monroe Wesley, ’02, executive
vice president and COO, Baton Rouge Area
Chamber, received the Southern Economic
Development Council’s Judges Award for
Effective Use of Social Media, for “Erin on
the Go!,” a series of weekly email updates
during the 2013 Louisiana Legislative
Session.
Pierre Installed as Lafayette Bar Association President
The Lafayette Bar Association’s 20132014 president, Tricia R. Pierre, was
sworn into office with her board of directors and fellow officers by the Honorable
Paul deMahy at a banquet held in her
honor at the University of Louisiana at
Lafayette Alumni Center on December 6,
2013. Pierre will be leading one of Louisiana’s largest local bar associations, a
membership organization that represents
more than 800 attorneys and judges in
the Lafayette area. With all of her prior
leadership positions, she has exactly what
it takes to continue the organization’s
expansion. Reflections is pleased that attorney Pierre agreed to participate in the
following question-and-answer interview
for publication.
What led you to become a lawyer?
I was inspired by my cousin John Pierre
(SULC Vice Chancellor for Institutional Accountability and Evening Division). When I
was a young girl, John would come by to visit,
and my mother would always say how proud
the family was of him.
I decided in elementary school that I
would become an attorney, just like cousin
John, and from that time on no one could
change my mind. I recall reading To Kill a
Mockingbird in junior high school and remember the first time I watched the movie. Like
many others, this movie impacted my theory
of what an attorney should be. I have strived
to become an attorney that does not shy away
from challenges but attempts to represent each
client zealously.
John has been a wonderful example of
what an attorney should be. He is humble and
humility is an essential quality that an attorney
must have to represent clients that do not have
the resources to hire an attorney. Clients know
when an attorney is disingenuous. It is important for attorneys to treat their clients that lack
resources just as they would a client that can
afford to pay for services. I have been fortunate
to come from a family and community that has
this quality and exercises it through the way
they live their lives. I will always be that small
town girl that grew up in a community where
the way you treat people is how you are defined
as a person.
What will you focus on during your term as
president of the Lafayette Bar Association?
I will strive to lead with a compassionate
spirit—just as I approach serving my clients.
I look forward to a year that I hope is marked
with prioritizing member benefits and increasing outreach to outlying parishes. I welcome the
opportunity to cultivate new relationships and
nurture established relationships with members
of the bar, bench, the Acadiana community, and
other professional organizations.
How does the LBA provide value to its members?
The LBA thrives because of the commitment of volunteer members, who, no matter
the challenge, have helped change the course of
how legal services are delivered to those who
cannot afford representation in our community,
through countless volunteer hours.
Alum Leads Case Returning $1.25 Million Verdict
By Chanelle Collins, Communications Student Assistant
A jury in West Baton Rouge Parish
rendered a $1.25 million verdict in favor of
former BASF operator Mike Edmond, represented by a team of attorney led by Robert
Marionneaux, Jr., ’95.
Marionneaux was assisted by Digger
Earles, ‘04, Natashia Benoit, ‘02, and Lori
Brown.
On March 10, 2010, Edmond susMarionneaux
tained severe injuries when his 2009 GMC
pickup slammed into the trailer of an
18-wheeler operated by Sherbaston Wilson,
an employee of Jowin Express, Inc. Wilson was leaving a truck stop on
Highway 415, but due to traffic, he stopped his vehicle with the trailer
of his rig across two lanes of traffic. Edmond never realized the danger
because the trailer blocked his view of oncoming lights. The jury found
Wilson and Jowin Trucking Company 95 percent at fault in causing the
accident, attributing 5 percent of fault to Edmond.
The verdict provides for past and future medical expenses, past and
future lost wages, past and future pain, suffering, mental anguish, disability, scarring and disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and property
damage. Edmond sustained injuries to his lower back, which will require
a future fusion surgery. He had incurred substantial medical expenses,
and will be unable to return to work as a chemical plant operator.
A practicing attorney in Louisiana for 16 years, Marionneaux has
been involved in trying numerous jury trials, both civil and criminal.
He has been lead counsel in numerous multi-million dollar jury verdicts
and numerous jury awards exceeding one million dollars. He has been
involved in winning verdicts in such cases as contamination of a drinking
water aquifer by a large chemical company, contamination of property
and drinking water caused by leaking Underground Storage Tanks
(gasoline), catastrophic injury cases involving fires and explosions, and
automobile defects, including cruise control switches resulting in house
fires.
Marionneaux has tried several multi-million dollar verdicts
for wrongful death and catastrophic injury resulting from negligent
18-wheeler operators. He has become intimately familiar with the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Act, the Louisiana Commercial Driver Handbook,
and has given several seminars on “Am I Prepared to Handle an Eighteen
Wheeler Case?”
Marionneaux also has served in the Louisiana Legislature as a member of the House of Representatives from 1996-2000 and as a member of
the Senate from 2000-2012.
Lafayette Bar Association President continued from page 35
The LBA attempts to provide services to
members that address the needs of the many
different aspects of the profession. Our goal is
to provide legal education but also to provide
sufficient opportunity for members to network
with each other and local judges.
Next year we will provide CLE opportunities for members in the outlying parishes that
may not have an established bar association.
Do you feel there is any significance that you
are the first African American to serve in this
capacity?
While I understand there must be “firsts,” I
embrace the day that it will not be in relation
to race or gender, but simply for achievement. I
would prefer to simply to be recognized for my
commitment to serving the legal profession in
a volunteer capacity and for collaborating with
colleagues to provide insight that enhances the
profession.
When given an opportunity to lead, it is
important that the attorneys you are collaborating with are diverse in gender, race, and age, as
well as in legal and life experiences.
As a past president of Louis A. Martinet
Legal Society, I have personal and professional
experience regarding the various challenges
encountered by minority attorneys. During
my time as president, I worked hard to first
strengthen Martinet as an organization before
attempting to tackle some of the issues on
a local level. It is important that we support
Martinet organizations around the state and
never forget the pioneers that not only formed
the organization but that those individuals are
on whose shoulders we stand. These pioneers,
many members of Martinet or other minority organizations, helped make it possible for
law schools to exist that would not only admit
minorities, but also fought to make sure these
schools received accreditation.
You have been very active in legal associations, LSBA, Louis Martinet, and Lafayette
Bar. What has been your interest in serving
and what has such service provided to you?
The opportunity to participate in bar
service has provided endless benefits to me on a
personal and professional level. The willingness
to serve has provided me with the privilege of
working with other dedicated attorney volunteers across the state. I have been fortunate to
form personal and professional relationships
with many talented attorneys. The opportunity
to serve with past presidents and past leaders of
various associations has allowed me to observe
what it takes to be effective. I have gained
personal enrichment and an increased commitment to the legal profession by being allowed
to participate in programming that serves the
community and the profession. When the ideas
and hard work of members transform into an
actual benefit, it is rewarding to be able to say
that I was involved in the implementation.
I have been fortunate to have others
recognize my desire to be involved. As a young
lawyer, I was able to observe Judge Paul J.
deMahy devote countless hours to Mock Trial.
When I moved to Lafayette, Susan Holiday,
former LBA executive director, encouraged me
to stay involved in the LBA during a time when
there were not many minority attorneys.
I learned to appreciate how truly fundamental bar service could be when Frank
Neuner, then Louisiana State Bar Association
(LSBA) president, placed me in the Leadership
Class. That experience gave me insight into
how an individual attorney, because of his or
her desire to serve in a volunteer capacity, was
able to impact our very profession. These were
the individuals that were helping to enhance
the profession through programs and ideas that
were of value to other attorneys.
When I was appointed to the LSBA Task
Force on Diversity, it solidified my decision
of how important bar service is. I was able to
observe Chief Justice Bernette Johnson and
Wayne J. Lee, LSBA past president, transform
the way diversity was viewed in the legal profession. This transformation was significant for me
as a young minority attorney. The vision of a
few inspired the movement of many–all for the
betterment of the profession.
What has been the most valuable of your
SULC educational experience/law professors
and law degree?
At SULC, I received the benefit of being
challenged to think on my feet and confront legal problems with a love and respect for the law.
The professors encouraged students to attempt
to effect change even if it might be initially
unpopular.
Change many times comes about by simply having a few voices that become instrumental to a cause.
IN MEMORIAM
Elaine Conley, ’86, passed away
Wednesday, October 30, in New Orleans.
Conley was a hearing officer for the City
of New Orleans for the past two years.
She and her husband, Errol B. Conley,
also a 1986 SULC graduate, were formerly
principals in Conley & Conley, A Law
Corporation, specializing in personal injury
and individual bankruptcy matters. Elaine
Conley also practiced civil law in the areas of
succession and domestic work.
Edselle K. Cunningham, Sr., ’76,
passed away on August 18, after a lengthy
illness. Funeral services for Cunningham,
executive assistant to the national president
of the Southern University Alumni
Federation and former member of the
Southern University Board of Supervisors,
were held Saturday, August 24, at Donaldson
Chapel Baptist Church, Baton Rouge. He was
a former law partner of Chancellor Freddie
Pitcher, Jr., in the law firm of Pitcher, Tyson,
Avery, and Cunningham; and formerly
served as a Juvenile Court hearing officer.
Former SULC director of financial
aid Jerome Harris passed away on Sunday,
February 2, 2014. Harris came to the Law
Center after serving from 1981 to 1997
as special assistant to the SU System vice
president for finance and business affairs and
the comptroller. He retired from the Law
Center on June 30, 2012. Funeral services
were held Saturday, February 8, at St. Joseph
Baptist Church in Plaquemine, Louisiana.
Evening Division student Melissa
Durbin-Luce died January 15. Funeral
services were held Monday, January 20,
at St. Peter Catholic Church, Covington,
Louisiana.
Charles Edward McCants, ’82, died
November 3, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Funeral services were held Saturday, November
9, at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Lansing,
Michigan.
Alma Salter Jones, ’76, executive director of Northwest Louisiana Legal Services,
passed away on Tuesday, August 20, in
Shreveport, Louisiana. Funeral services were
held Thursday, August 29, at Galilee Baptist
Church, Haughton, Louisiana.
Student Activities
Not Your Average Internship for EPA Summer Intern
Sharpening her research
and writing skills was among the
skills enhancements for third-year student
Shari Trahan during her summer internship at
the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS). Supervised by the director of the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Trahan
worked in the Legislative and Public Affairs
department.
The first law student to work with the
USDA Hearings and Appeals Board, a litigation
branch of the agency that deals primarily with
employment law, Trahan worked with the
litigation specialists on research projects. She
also wrote a brief on an issue up for discussion.
Trahan assisted in the review of cases for FOIA
and was even able to assist in clearing up a
year’s backlog of cases for the department.
Her specific assignments were to respond
to requests by writing a memorandum that
would explain whether there was access to
the sought information. Trahan completed
these assignments by using and explaining the
applicable law, the Freedom of Information Act
and the Privacy Act.
On her preparedness for the position,
she used her training from SULC to complete
her tasks. Trahan utilized her research skills in
her day-to-day assignments. She was asked to
read and analyze information. She learned that
everything does not always have to be answered
immediately and how integral research skills
are in answering questions in the workplace. “If
you are unsure (of) something and need more
time to find out, take the time to do so, and
follow up. People will not hold not knowing
the answer against you,” she said.
This internship was offered to Trahan as
a result of being a Thurgood Marshall scholar.
The benefits included paid travel, housing
accomodations, transportation, and a bi-weekly
stipend. The financial support was a “huge”
benefit, says Trahan.
“Without the help of Thurgood Marshall
College Fund, my experience would have been
all together different as the standard of living
in the Washington, D.C., area is much different
than that of Louisiana.”
With the remainder of her time in
law studies, Trahan plans to maintain her
relationships with those she met during the
program. “It is important that people hear from
you, and know about what you are doing as
well as you asking about how they are doing,”
she said.
“The internship program allowed me a
wealth of hands on experience with both the
overall USDA headquarters, as well as APHIS.”
“I worked on important assignments, met great
people, and established life-long relationships with the
people with whom I worked and interacted.”
-- Shari Trahan
“I learned that the USDA is responsible
for more than just meat and plant inspection.
The USDA governs all exhibitors, breeders,
and research facilities that house animals and
plants.”
Trahan has become very interested in
seeking full-time employment with the agency.
She was surprised at this outcome as she had
never previously considered a career within a
governmental agency. “I believe the agency fits
my personality and I enjoyed the work there,”
she said.
Trahan encourages her fellow classmates
to get involved in the community, research
their areas of interests, and begin networking.
“I would say to start letting people know of
your interests, and be persistent.”
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund
(TMCF) is named for the U.S. Supreme
Court’s first African-American Justice.
TMCF, established in 1987, supports
and represents nearly 300,000 students
attending its 47 member-schools that
include public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), medical
schools, and law schools.
Chancellor’s Public Interest Initiative opens doors for student’s career exploration
“I applied to Catholic Charities
because the field of immigration law
is growing right now and I wanted to
know what all the talk was about.”
-- Second-year student Sherron Phae Douglas
Breaking cultural barriers and
exercising legal research skills were
integral to success for second-year student
Sherron Phae Douglas during her summer
internship at Catholic Charities of the Diocese
of Baton Rouge. This internship was an unpaid position.
Douglas credits the stipend she was awarded
through the Chancellor’s Public Interest
Initiative with allowing her to volunteer
with this non-profit and gain “real life” legal
experience without having “to fret” over
expenses.
Supervised by the directing attorney,
staff attorneys, and other legal professionals,
Douglas worked in the Immigration and
Refugee Services department. The department
assists refugees, immigrants, and victims of
human trafficking and torture to rebuild their
lives by providing these individuals with legal
services, case management, and translation
services to enable them to access other
assistance, gain employment, and become
productive members of the community.
During the course of her internship,
Douglas wrote memoranda on immigration
issues; attended legal orientation presentations
for detainees in Jena, Louisiana; translated
declarations; worked on briefs for detainees;
and attended Immigration Court in Oakdale,
Louisiana. Specific assignments included
researching country conditions, filling out
federal visa applications, and translating client
declarations.
“Each day my assignments were different. I
had to be flexible and do whatever was needed.
At the beginning of the week I may be working
on a case brief with one of the case managers,
and by the end of the week I may be completing
forms for clients so they will be able to remain
in the country,” the intern said.
Douglas had direct contact with clients,
many of whom spoke English as a second
language. Of these interactions and those with
staff of the department, Douglas says, “I was
warmly received and embraced like family by
the staff.”
Her knowledge through SULC coursework
aided her in the practical functions of her
internship. “Without a doubt, I used the skills
I learned in my legal research and legal writing
class every day at my job,” she said.
“I applied to Catholic Charities because
the field of immigration law is growing right
now and I wanted to know what all the talk was
about,” Douglas said. She adds she was able to
secure a great deal of direction and aid from the
directing attorney, the staff attorney, the caseworkers, and the legal assistant, as they were all
easily accessible and willing to assist her.
Douglas encourages her fellow classmates
to be open minded when considering and
choosing summer employment. “I never
imagined I would enjoy my experience as much
as I did,” she adds.
Based on her summer experience Douglas
has become interested in exploring career
opportunities in international law. “Catholic
Charities substantially changed my outlook on
my career goals,” she said.
Student Achievements
Cannon
Celestine
Tyler Breaux and Daniel A. Dailey
advanced into the quarterfinals in the
2012-13 National Black Law Student
Association (BLSA) Frederick Douglass
Moot Court Competition, placing in the
top 8 of 24 competing teams.
Shaboyd Pierre Cannon was featured
speaker on the Voting Rights Act of 1965
and other civil rights legislation and their
current impact on African Americans
and other disenfranchised communities
for Law Week activities at Albany State
University, April 25, 2013.
Patrick Celestine and Ebony Morris
received The Corporation’s Fall 2013 R.
Tyrone Kee Scholarship ($750 each). The
scholarship, established by members of a
former study group of the Class of 1985,
is awarded to two students with financial
need who exhibit academic excellence
and good moral character. The group also
awards the Brace B. Godfrey, Jr., Memorial
Scholarship to two students in the spring
semester.
Merrick Cosey and Katie Gilmore
placed second-place in the 2013 Thomas
Tang Moot Court Competition in both oral
arguments and brief placement.
Tamyra N. Craig’s article “Who’s
the Boss? Issues with Co-Domiciliary
Parenting in Louisiana,” has been published
in the March 2013 issue of Around the Bar.
Third-year student Adam Credeur’s
article, “Haynesville Shale: Those Frackin’
Alt. Wells,” was the lead article in the
February 2013 issue of Around the Bar.
Christopher Granger won first
place ($1,000) in the American College
of Legal Medicine (ACLM) 2013 Writing
Competition.
Roneeka Allyce Hill was among four
recipients of the 2013 scholarship awarded
by the Louisiana Judicial Council of the
Hamilton
Morris
National Bar Association. The LJC/NBA
awards the $2,000 scholarship annually to
a student at each of the four law schools
in Louisiana. Hill of LaPlace, Louisiana,
is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Race,
Gender, and Poverty and a former teaching
assistant.
Felicia Hamilton was a recipient of
the 2013 National Association of Bond
Lawyers’ Fundamentals of Municipal Bond
Law Seminar Law Student Scholarship.
Aimee Kaloyares’s article, The Sex
Offender Registry: A Modern Day Scarlet
Letter, earned honorable mention ($500) in
a contest sponsored by the Criminal Law
Section of the California Bar Association.
Sharika King is a recipient of the
Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF)
Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship
($6,200).
William P. Morrow was named
runner up in the ABA Health Law Section
Writing Competition for his paper, “The
Elephant in the Room: Under the Medicare
Secondary Payer Act, When Is It Necessary
to Establish a Medicare Set-Aside Fund in
Order to Adequately Consider Medicare’s
Interests?”
M. Jeb Richard’s article, “Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals: Place a Bet
or Wait on a DREAM,” has been listed on
Social Sciences Research Network’s Top
Ten download list for the Immigration,
Refugee & Citizenship Law eJournal.
Sherry Sanders was awarded the
Baton Rouge Bar Scholarship for the 2013
Spring Semester. Her article “Privacy
is Dead: The Birth of Social Media
Background Checks,” 52 S.U. L. Rev. 243
(2012), has been listed as an article of
interest to the judiciary by the Minnesota
State Law Library.
Morrow
Sterritt
David Saterfield and Tyquencia
Vessel joined Prof. Wendy Shea as
volunteers who presented a Constitution
Day lesson to the second- and third-grade
classes at the Southern University Lab
School as part of the Baton Rouge Bar
Foundation’s Junior Partners Academy
(JPA), September 17. Saterfield and Vessel
helped the second-grade students stage
their own constitutional convention
and helped the third-grade students put
together a Constitution Day performance.
JPA is designed to educate and interest
young people in the law, to promote
the image of legal professionals, and to
inspire youth to seek non-delinquent peer
association through monthly, interactive
lessons, activities, and field trips. Angel
Jenkins, Trenika Fields, and Shelvia
Grant have also assisted with a JPA activity
at the Lab School this year.
Allyson L. Sterritt received the Baton
Rouge Association of Women Attorneys
(BRAWA) scholarship for 2013. Sterritt,
a native of Suwanee, Georgia, was on the
Dean’s List for 2012. She is a member of Phi
Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. She is an active
fundraiser and advocate for cancer-related
causes, having participated in the Race for
the Cure, Relay for Life, the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night, and
the St. Jude’s Warrior Dash.
Sherrie Williams was one of the New
Leaders Council Louisiana 2013 Fellows.
William J. Wilson’s article, “PreRN
Licensure Students With and Without
Criminal Histories: A Comparative
Analysis,” was published in the Journal of
Nursing Regulation.
Kandice Williams and Jeremy Morris
participated in the six-week Coca-Cola
Summer Intern Program for 2013.
Reflections
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We salute our alumni Louisiana legislators for using their SULC law degrees in a meaningful way!!
THE SULC J.D.
A DEGREE OF ACHIEVEMENT
reP. randaL gaineS
reP. hunter greene
reP. marCuS hunter
reP. katrina JaCkSon
reP. edward “ted” JameS reP. Sherman Q. maCk
Sen. “Jody” amedee
Sen. riCk gaLLot
Sen. Jonathan Perry
reP. LedriCka thierry
reP. aLfred C. wiLLiamS reP. thomaS wiLLmott
Sen. riCk ward, iii
reP. eBony woodruff
Southern univerSity Law Center
PoSt offiCe Box 9294 • Baton rouge, LouiSiana • 70813
teLePhone: (inState) 1-800-552-5106 (out-of-State) 1-800-537-1135
weB addreSS: www.SuLC.edu
Calendar of Events
MARCH
3-4
Mardi Gras Holidays
5
Classes Resume
7
Final Date for Dropping Classes Without Receiving
the Grade of “F”
16-23
Law Week, CALI Awards, & Barrister’s Ball,
Contact Iriane Lee, [email protected]
26-27
Symposium, “Quality Education as a Constitutional Right and the Role of Historically Black Colleges and
Universities,” 9 a.m.-4:15 p.m., A. A. Lenoir Hall; 6-8 p.m., Premiere of PBS’s “Freedom Summer,” Royal Cotillion Ballroom, Smith-Brown Memorial Student Union, SUBR;
and 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Smith-Brown Memorial Student
Union; Reception, 6-8 p.m., Shaw Center for the Arts, downtown Baton Rouge. For more information, contact
Vice Chancellor John K. Pierre, [email protected];
(225) 771-2552 or Kandice N. Williams,
[email protected]
24-25 Pre-registration for Summer and Fall 2014
MAY
2
9
10
23
APRIL
2-5
11
14-16, 22-24
17-21
22 24 25 28
JULY
4
7
7-Aug. 1
11 14 18 28
SULC Alumni Round-Up. For more details,
contact Cynthia N. Reed, director of CLE and alumni
affairs, [email protected], (225) 225) 771-2155; or Tanya Freeman, director of development, [email protected], (225) 771-5044.
Classes End for Graduating Students
Final Examinations for Graduating Students
Easter Holiday Break Begins (8 a.m.)
Classes Resume
Classes End
Reading Day
Final Exams Begin
Grades Due for Graduating Students
Spring Semester Ends
Spring Commencement, Featured Speaker, Honorable
James E. Graves, Jr., Judge, United States Fifth Circuit
Court of Appeals, 10 a.m., F.G. Clark Activity Center.
Grades Due for 1L/2L Students and Non-Graduates
JUNE
2 Summer Term Registration (Late Registration Only with Permission of the Chancellor)
3 Classes Begin
6
Final Date for Adding Classes
13 Final Date for Dropping Classes Without Receiving Grade of “F”
22-Aug. 22 Studies Abroad Program, University College of London,
London, England; For more information, contact Prof. Maurice
R. Franks, program director, [email protected];
(225) 771-5340.
Independence Day Holiday Observed
Classes Resume
Summer Pre Law Program; Contact Associate Vice Chancellor Berryl Gordon-Thompson, [email protected]; (225) 771-4913.
Classes End
Final Examinations Begin
Summer Term Ends
Alumni Breakfast, 89th Annual National Bar Association Convention and Exhibits, TBA, Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, contact Cynthia N. Reed, director of CLE and alumni affairs, [email protected]; (225) 771-2155.
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