Southern University Law Center

Southern University Law Center is a public law school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is part of the historically black Southern University System and was opened for instruction in September 1947. It was authorized by the Louisiana State Board of Education as a Law School for blacks to be located at Southern University, a historically black college, and to open for the 1947-1948 academic session.

The school offers full-time, part-time, and evening programs. For students who want to pursue the JD and MPA, the school offers a joint-degree program in cooperation with the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Southern. SULC's students learn two different systems of law: Louisiana is a civil law jurisdiction (in the tradition of France and Continental Europe), while law in every other state is based on the British common-law tradition.

A study-abroad program is offered in London, in which students take courses with international subject matter. SULC publishes two legal journals: its traditional Southern University Law Review and The Journal of Race, Gender and Poverty.

According to SULC's 2019 ABA-required disclosures, 43.9% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage-required employment (i.e. as attorneys) ten months after graduation, excluding solo practitioners. SULC is consistently ranked as one of the worst law schools in the United States.

History
In 1946, Charles J. Hatfield, III, an African-American veteran of Louisiana, applied to Louisiana State University Law School, the only state school that offered a law degree. Although he was academically qualified, he was rejected because of his race, as the state system was segregated. Hatfield filed suit against the state for rejecting his application. While he did not win in court, the State Board of Education decided to found a law school for African Americans.

The State Board of Education responded by deciding at its January 10, 1947, meeting to found a law school at Southern University to serve African-American students, to open in September of that year. On June 14, 1947, the Board of Liquidation of State Debt appropriated $40,000 for the operation of the school. The Southern University Law School was officially opened in September 1947 to provide legal education for African-American students in the state. The first dean of the law school was Aguinaldo Alfonso Lenoir, Sr. After 38 years of operation as a School of Law, the Southern University Board of Supervisors re-designated the school as the Southern University Law Center. The building that houses the law center is named A.A. Lenoir Hall after its first dean.

From 1972 to 1974, the law school dean was Louis Berry, a civil rights attorney originally from Alexandria, Louisiana.

Today, the law school is one of only two public law schools in the state. Its student body is the most diverse in the state of Louisiana.

Accreditation
The Law Center program is presently accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), the Supreme Court of Louisiana, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is approved also by the Veterans Administration for the training of eligible veterans. It’s 2021 graduates failed to meet the 75% bar examination passage within two years required to maintain ABA accreditation.

Admissions
The Southern University Law Center 2018 first year class had an admission rate of 60.71% with 46.09% of admitted students enrolling, enrolled students having an average LSAT score of 145 and average GPA of 2.99.

Bar examination passage
In 2023, the overall bar examination passage rate for the law school’s first-time examination takers was 52.94%. The Ultimate Bar Pass Rate, which the ABA defines as the passage rate for graduates who sat for bar examinations within two years of graduating, was 72.15% for the class of 2021, which is below the 75% passage threshold to maintain ABA accreditation.

Clinical programs
At Southern University Law Center, clinical education is available to second and third-year students but not required.
 * Administrative/Civil Law Clinic
 * Criminal Law Clinic
 * Domestic Violence Clinic
 * Elder Law Clinic
 * Juvenile Law Clinic
 * Low-income Taxpayer Clinic
 * Mediation Clinic

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

Employment
According to SULC's official 2019 ABA-required disclosures, 43.87% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage-required employment (i.e., as attorneys) ten months after graduation, excluding solo-practitioners. SULC's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 19.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2018 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.

Costs
The total cost of full-time attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at SULC for the 2019-2020 academic year is $19,010 for Louisiana Residents and $31,610 for non-residents. The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $156,305 for residents and $205,106 for non-residents.

Recognition

 * SULC has the ranking #178-196 (out of 196; lowest 9% at most) in 2024 Best Law Schools by U.S. News & World Report. SULC is consistently ranked as one of the worst law schools in the United States.

Notable alumni

 * Shana M. Broussard -- commissioner on the Federal Election Commission since 2020; served as chair in 2021
 * Jeff Cox -- judge of the 26th Judicial District in Bossier and Webster parishes since 2005
 * Cleo Fields (1987) -- politician, former United States Congressman for Louisiana's 4th Congressional District 1993-1997, former gubernatorial candidate
 * Stephanie A. Finley (1991) -- former United States Attorney for Western District of Louisiana
 * Mike Foster (2004) -- former Governor of Louisiana
 * Randal Gaines -- member of the Louisiana House since 2012 for St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes
 * Rick Gallot -- tenth president of Grambling State University and Democrat member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature: House (2000-2012), Senate (2012-2016)
 * Kip Holden (1985) -- mayor of Baton Rouge (2005–2016)
 * Marcus Hunter (2005) -- current judge-elect of the Louisiana 4th Judicial District Court. Former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 17 in Ouachita Parish
 * Faith Jenkins -- Miss Louisiana 2000, Miss America 2001 first runner-up, attorney, legal analyst, and TV personality
 * Edmond Jordan -- member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 29 in West and East Baton Rouge parishes since 2016
 * Sherman Q. Mack (1999) -- former District 95 Louisiana state representative
 * Robert M. Marionneaux (1995) -- Louisiana State representative from District 18 from 1996–2000, Louisiana State Senator from District 17 from 2000 to 2012
 * Jonathan W. Perry (1998) -- judge Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit
 * Meshea Poore -- former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
 * Jesse N. Stone, Jr. (1950) -- Louisiana Supreme Court associate justice pro tempore, chancellor of SULC 1971-72, president of SU System 1975-85, civil rights attorney, and political leader
 * Ledricka Thierry (2003) -- politician, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for St. Landry Parish since 2009
 * Rick Ward, III - Louisiana state senator from District 17; native and resident of Iberville Parish
 * Alfred C. Williams (1977) -- member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for East Baton Rouge Parish since 2012; Baton Rouge attorney and former school board member