On the campus of Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge. Photo provided by Southern University Law Center.

238 December 2009 / January 2010 Southern University Law Center:

More Than 60 Years of Access and OpportunityNetwork to Assist Colleagues

By Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr.

et me take you back to the program at that time. first dean, A.A. Lenoir. As founding dean, year 1946. Harry S. Truman Hatfield’s letter created a buzz among Lenoir had the arduous task of creating, was president of the United state educators. In September 1946, rep- with serious underfunding, an institution States. The Best Years of Our resentatives of LSU, the State for African-Americans to pursue a legal LLives and It’s a Wonderful Life both were Board of Education and the Louisiana State education in Louisiana.2 nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. Department of Education met and agreed to Thirteen students enrolled in Southern The first all-electronic computer was recommend to their respective boards that University Law School, which offered a designed. The first meeting of the United a law school for qualified Negro students three-year program for college graduates Nations General Assembly took place in be established at Southern University. In and a six-year program in combination with London. Benjamin Spock published The October, attorneys A.P. Tureaud, Louis the College of Arts and Sciences, leading Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Berry and Thurgood Marshall filed suit on to the bachelor of arts and sciences and Care, selling 25 million copies and revo- behalf of Hatfield against LSU’s Board of the bachelor of law. The first graduating lutionizing child care. The United States Supervisors, its president and Dean Hebert class — the class of 1950 — was composed began a series of tests at Bikini Islands in in the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton of six students, Ellyson Frederick Dyson, the Pacific, including the first underwater Rouge. The suit sought to have LSU admit St. Elmore Johnson, Alvin Basile Jones, test of the atomic bomb. The St. Louis Hatfield because there was no separate Leroy White, Jesse N. Stone and my cousin Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox law program for African-Americans in Alex Pitcher. 4-3 in the World Series. Louisiana. Hatfield never enrolled in Southern was the governor of Louisiana. To the surprise of many, the court University Law School. A.P. Tureaud, granted the writ of mandamus on Oct. 19, fearing for the safety of his client, advised A Plessy Beginning 1946, commanding LSU to admit Hatfield him to accept an offer to enroll in graduate for the 1946-47 school year. Three days school outside Louisiana, which he did. In January of that year, Charles J. later, on Oct. 22, 1946, the Louisiana Hatfield’s life was threatened because Hatfield of , a World War II State Board of Education agreed to open of his suit against LSU. During the 2002 veteran, wrote to the registrar at Louisiana a law school at Southern University. The commencement, Charles Joseph Hatfield State University seeking admission to the plans for the school were approved on received the first honorary Juris Doctor school of law. Dean Paul M. Hebert replied Jan. 10, 1947. degree awarded by Southern University that Louisiana State University (LSU) With a state appropriation of $40,000, Law Center. Hatfield, a cancer patient, “does not admit colored students.” Hebert the law school at Southern University died less than two months later. Professor directed Hatfield to apply to Southern opened in September 1947 as a Plessy1 Evelyn Wilson chronicled Hatfield’s life in University for legal training, even though separate, but surely unequal, institution, her book Laws, Customs and Rights.3 Southern University did not have a law with four full-time professors, including its Lenoir led the institution until 1970.

Louisiana Bar Journal Vol. 57, No. 4 239 58 percent African-American, 40 percent white and 2 percent other ethnicities. Not only are we diverse racially, we are also diverse geographically. Approximately 19 percent of our students are non-residents and come from 20 different states, four nations and 34 different universities. Our students also have diverse educa- tional backgrounds. We have engineers, nurses, teachers, pharmacists, accoun- tants, realtors, anthropologists, architects, geologists, computer scientists, psy- chologists, and Ph.D.s in education and engineering. The class of 2009 included two physicians. Our alumni have assumed positions of influence around our state, our nation and abroad. Southern alumni serve in the Participating in the 2009 Louisiana State Bar Association’s Law School Professionalism Orientation Louisiana Legislature. More than 65 hold at Southern University Law Center were, from left, Vice Chancellor Russell L. Jones, Louisiana judicial offices. Our graduates are mayors, Supreme Court Associate Justice John L. Weimer III and Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr. Photo by district attorneys, prosecutors and public John H. Williams/Southern University Law Center. defenders, and hold other elected offices that influence policy and help improve Four other deans, now called chancellors, The Fordice Evolution our community in crucial ways. They are have headed Southern University Law partners and associates in international, Center. Vanue B. Lacour of Shreveport, We have long since evolved from a regional and local law firms; solo practi- 1970-71, one of the school’s original fac- 4 Plessy institution to a Fordice institution tioners; and counsel to private and public ulty members and a noted legal scholar, where all vestiges of the prior de jure entities. Today our students are being placed emphasis on faculty and student system of segregation have been elimi- recruited by major law firms all over the legal scholarship. Jesse N. Stone became nated. Beginning with the tweaking of the country with starting annual salaries as dean in 1971. The Shreveport native Mission Statement, SULC evolved from high as $170,000. Five of our graduates in focused the program of instruction on an institution that catered only to African- the 2007 and 2008 graduating classes were flexibility to meet the varied needs of the Americans to an institution that embraced hired by the international law firm of Sidley student and curriculum revisions to test the diversity. The Mission Statement today Austin. Three were hired in the New York role of law in solving societal problems. states: “It is the mission of the Southern office and two in the Chicago office. Over Stone later became the first president of University Law Center to provide access the past five years, the Sidley firm has -re the Southern University System, where he and opportunity to a diverse student body cruited at least 10 of our graduates between continued to support the growth of the law in pursuit of the juris doctor degree, while New York and Chicago. Sidley Austin, by school. Louis Berry, one of the attorneys maintaining our historical tradition of the way, is the law firm where President who filed the 1946 Hatfield suit, initiated providing legal educational opportunities Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle the seriousness-of-purpose axiom for law to under-represented racial, ethnic, and Obama were formerly employed. students, still a part of today’s academic economic groups, professionally equip- Our alumni give testimony to the op- life. Berry served from 1972-74. ping them for positions of responsibility portunity that SULC affords. Monica Azare B.K. Agnihotri, 1974-2001, led the way and leadership.” is a senior vice president for Verizon Com- in development and expansion of facilities, As of March 2009, SULC has gradu- munications in New York and Connecticut; programs, faculty, staff and student body. ated approximately 3,256 students since Claire Babineaux Fontenot is senior vice Under Agnihotri’s tenure, the law school it opened in 1947. Of the total number of president and chief tax attorney for Wal- was re-designated a law center, with the graduates, 2,299 are African-American mart; and Marcus Brown is vice president dean’s status upgraded to chancellor. In and 1,157 are Caucasian. The first Cauca- and deputy general counsel for the Entergy October 2003, the Southern University sian law student graduated from the Law Corporation. These are just three of many Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Center in May 1972. Now, 35 years later, who have used their SULC degrees to attain to name me the sixth chief executive of- Caucasians represent roughly 34.5 percent success in the corporate world. ficer of Southern University Law Center of the total alumni population. First-time bar passage was long our (SULC). We currently have 599 students enrolled Achilles heel, even though 94 percent of all in three divisions: full-time day, part-time SULC graduates have passed and been ad- day and part-time evening. Our students are mitted to the practice of law. Improving the

240 December 2009 / January 2010 first-time bar passage for SULC graduates was one of my primary goals when I came to the Law Center in 2003. At that time, our first-time passage rate ranged between 30 percent and 45 percent, although within 18 months of graduation the overall bar pas- sage exceeded 85 percent. The quality and strength of our program of legal education, however, was being judged only on first- time takers. Our faculty, staff and student body enthusiastically joined together to turn this ship around. As a special-mission institution, we knew that we had a quality program, and it was time to stop giving our detractors ammunition to denigrate the integrity of our institution. So what did we do? We: ► Strengthened the legal writing program by expanding from two faculty members to a program with a director, six full-time faculty and 16 others involved in Alumni and friends of Southern University Law Center volunteer their time to participate in the teaching three semesters of required legal annual Louisiana State Bar Association’s Law School Professionalism Orientation for first-year law writing and research instruction. This new students. Participants at Southern’s program in 2009 included, from left, team leader Judge John emphasis on writing has resulted in our D. Saunders, Judge Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux, Charmaine Thomas-Johnson, Alfreda T. Bester and Donald R. DeRouen. Photo by John H. Williams/Southern University Law Center. students winning 17 writing competitions in the past five years, including the International Association of Defense to receive the scholarship, however, the Although we take delight in our students Counsel competition twice, and 11 of our student must participate in the in-house being recruited nationally, we also lament students being published outside of our bar review program during the school that our top students who take out-of- law review. year. We also instituted an annual golf state bar exams are not factored into our ► Tweaked the admission policy tournament, the Chancellor’s Scramble, first-time bar passage. Our Louisiana ever so slightly, which caused a bit of an excellent fund-raising event. first-time bar passage would soar if we consternation among many friends and ► Extended invitations to bar ex- could keep them in the state. foes alike. We had to be mindful of our aminers to visit the Law Center to give The overall improvement in our mission, as we are a school of access and students advice on taking the Louisiana first-time bar passage rate validates the opportunity, but we also had to be realistic bar exam. quality of our program of legal education. — you get out of the pipeline only what ► Provided additional staff to improve The employment record of our recent you put in. We were able to do this while and reinforce the Academic Support graduates also reveals the value placed remaining true to our mission. Program. on those who attain a degree from SULC. ► Initiated improved in-house student The results of these initiatives began More employers are taking advantage 5 bar review sessions that run in the evenings to take shape with the July 2006 bar of our on-campus interviews, and the in the fall and spring semesters, allowing exam. Our first-time passage jumped annual employment report conducted students to become more focused on the to 67 percent, 25 percent more than by our Office of Career Counseling and bar exam before graduation. This task the year before and 30 percent over the Development, required by the American was spearheaded by Assistant Professor 2003 results. The 67 percent passage rate Bar Association, shows that 80 percent Shawn Vance. represented the highest percentage for of those who have reported are employed ► Raised funds from alumni and first-time takers in recent SULC history. and 5 percent are enrolled in graduate friends to provide bar review need- When factoring in our graduates’ first- studies. based scholarships. Before my very time bar passage from other jurisdictions, In addition to the new bar prep initia- first commencement, I took a survey of we can easily claim a passage rate that tives, we introduced several other programs graduating seniors. I discovered that more exceeds 70 percent. Members of the class that have greatly enhanced the academic than half were not taking a bar review of 2007 who took the Louisiana bar for life of our students. These include: course because they could not afford it. the first time had a 61 percent passage ► Started a new Evening Division To help remedy this, we started a drive to rate, while we dropped to 58 percent in in 2004. raise $25,000 each year to award 50 bar 2008. Our July 2009 first-time takers ► Established a certificate program scholarships of $500 each. To be eligible again hit the 67 percent passage rate. in public law and a legislative drafting

Louisiana Bar Journal Vol. 57, No. 4 241 over the last several years. Where do we go from here? After receiving notification from the American Bar Association in October that our ac- creditation has been reaffirmed for the next seven years, we are embarking upon pursuing membership in the Association of American Law Schools as part of our continuing efforts to take SULC to new heights of excellence.

FOOTNOTES

1. Plessy v. Ferguson, 16 S.Ct. 1138 (1896). Alumni and friends of Southern University Law Center volunteer their time to participate in the 2. This underfunding would cause the law annual Louisiana State Bar Association’s Law School Professionalism Orientation for first-year school to struggle for years. law students. Participants at Southern’s program in 2009 included, from left, Judge John Michael 3. Evelyn L. Wilson, Laws, Customs and Guidry, Aneatra P. Boykin, team leader Leslie J. Schiff, Charlotte C. McDaniel McGehee and Jason Rights: Charles Hatfield and His Family (Heritage M. Verdigets. Photo by John H. Williams/Southern University Law Center. 2004). 4. U.S. v. Fordice, 112 S.Ct. 2727 (1992). seminar that we hope will enhance our stu- ► Received our first $100,000 endowed 5. Firms, courts, agencies and businesses re- dent’s employability in the public sector. scholarship. cruiting on the campus of Southern University Law Center include 16th Judicial District Court; 27th ► Initiated the Summer Studies Abroad ► Implemented the Chancellor’s Judicial District Court; Abbott Simses & Kuchler; Program in London, England. Public Interest and Public Law Initiative, Adams and Reese, L.L.P.; AT&T; Baker Donelson; ► Increased clinics from five to stipends in the amount of up to $2,500 per Blue Williams; Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson; Chaffe eight. student for those who are pursuing summer McCall, L.L.P.; Chopin, Wagar, Richard & Kutcher; Christovich & Kearney; Davidson Meaux (Lafay- ► Established the Louis N. Berry In- internships in public interest law. ette); Degan, Blanchard & Nash; Deutsch Kerrigan; stitute for Civil Rights and Justice; the J.J. ► Established a Loan Reduction As- Duplass, Zwain, Bourgeois, Morton, Pfister; Entergy McKernan Lecture Series; and the Justice sistance Program, through an annual grant Services, Inc.; Frilot, L.L.C.; Gordon Arata; Hall Revius O. Ortique Jr. Symposium of Law, from the Kendall Vick Public Law Founda- Estill (Okla.); Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, L.L.C.; Johnson, Johnson, Barrios & Yacoubian; Politics, Civil Rights and Justice. tion, for law graduates who pursue public Jones Walker; Kean Miller; King Krebs & Jurgens; ► Established a distance-learning law or public interest careers. Leake & Andersson; Lemle & Kelleher; Liskow & partnership with New York Law School At the beginning of the 2009 fall Lewis; Louisiana Department of Revenue; McCranie where our students join students in New semester, we welcomed a $4.1 million Sistrunk; McGlinchey Stafford (Baton Rouge); McGlinchey Stafford (New Orleans); Miami-Dade York through video conferencing for expansion to our Law Center. The two- State Attorney’s Office; Office of Chief Counsel; mental disability law and Americans with story, 13,500-square-foot expansion added IRS; Orleans Public Defenders; Phelps Dunbar; Disability Act law. three new classrooms, two seminar rooms, Porteous Hainkel; Sidley Austin (Chicago); Sidley ► Increased faculty research and and additional space for library stacks, Austin (New York); Simon Peragine; Taylor Porter; Terry Butcher & Associates; The Coca Cola Com- scholarship from 20 percent in 2003 to restrooms and a faculty lounge. pany; The Kullman Firm; Travelers Insurance; U.S. 73 percent today. Today we are proud that we are one Army JAG; and U.S. Coast Guard JAG. ► Summer research stipends were of the most diverse law schools in the 6. 18 Nat’l Jurist 23 (Mar. 2009). increased from $2,500 to $10,000. country, and we have been so recognized ► Increased our $100,000 endowed with regard to our student body as well as Freddie Pitcher, Jr. has been chancellor of professorships from two to 13. our faculty. The National Jurist magazine Southern University Law ► Hired eight new faculty members recently recognized SULC as ranking fifth Center since 2003. He who possess outstanding credentials and in the nation in faculty diversity.6 We have was a partner at Phelps committed research agendas. an outstanding clinic that likewise has Dunbar from 1997-2003 ► Expanded our development staff been ranked nationally. The goal for our and served as a judge from one development officer with shared clinic is to have our students as close to of the Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal duties as executive assistant to the chancel- practice-ready as possible. from 1993-97, the 19th lor to two development staff positions — Our law review recently jumped 95 Judicial District Court Alumni Fund coordinator and development spots in Washington & Lee’s law review from 1988-93 and the Baton Rouge City Court director — accompanying a development rankings, placing it in the 60th percentile from 1983-88. (P.O. Box 9294, Baton Rouge, team that includes the chancellor, the chan- of all law reviews. In March 2009, SULC LA 70813) cellor’s executive assistant, the director of hosted the National Conference of Law CLE and alumni affairs, and the director of Reviews, another indication of the respect publications and electronic media. that our law review garnered from its peers

242 December 2009 / January 2010