Student Organizations

* Websites linked below are maintained by individual organizations.

The LSU Law ACLU (LSULaw ACLU), is a local chapter of the national and state ACLU that, as an organization, focuses on defending individual civil liberties that are protected by the Bill of Rights. While addressing national and local issues in this vein, our organization helps to conduct pro-bono research with regard to cases where civil liberties are potentially being violated. In addition, the LSULawACLU sponsors lectures, the annual Angola Prison trip, co-sponsors debates with fellow law school organizations, assists in drafting legislation, and encourages students to participate in the legislative lobbying process.

Black Law Student Association — The Black Law Student Association (BLSA) addresses not only legal issues of general concern but also legal issues of particular concern to the minority community.

The Christian Legal Society at LSU is a local group of the national CLS. It seeks to provide a support group for all law students, particularly the freshmen; to encourage the integration of one’s Christian faith with the legal profession; and to provide a forum for those Christians involved in the legal profession to address the organization.

The Civilian is LSU Law’s student run news publication published once a month, four times a semester. The Civilian serves the LSU Law community with in-depth journalism, reports on current events, thoughtful opinions, editorials, and regular columnists.

The Civilian Student Society is an organization of students dedicated to preservation of Louisiana’s civil law tradition. The Society holds meetings and sponsors lectures dealing with topics in the civil law. It also interacts with other organizations that study and foster development of the civil law.

The Environmental Law Society exists to promote environmental awareness and to allow students to participate in projects that will enable them to learn more about environmental law.

The Federalist Society attempts to create a sense of community and promote the exchange of ideas among conservatives through scholarly debate and discussion.

The International Law Society attempts to promote the study and publication of materials on any topic in international law. This group is the central location for the disbursement and updating of international L.L.M. and summer school programs and internships abroad. The ILS also coordinates the Jessup Moot Court team.

The Justinian Law Society is an organization designed to foster unity, fellowship, and support amongst Italian-American law students who share common educational, professional, and cultural pursuits. The Justinian Law Society will offer a place for people interested in the past and future history of the Italian-American legal community.

The Labor and Employment Law Society is an organization of students interested in labor and employment law. The Society sponsors presentations by attorneys who practice in this area of the law, advises the members of student writing competitions, and provides a forum for discussion of developments in the law.

The Legal Association of Women (L.A.W.) serves the school and community in recognizing the role of women in the law profession as well as assisting future female attorneys in Louisiana and elsewhere.

The Louisiana Law Review was established to encourage legal scholarship in the student body, act as an incentive to and provide a method of training in individual research, contribute to the development of the law by scholarly criticism and analysis, foster the study of civil and comparative law, and serve the bar of the state by comments on and discussion of current cases and legal problems. It is edited by a board of student editors, with faculty cooperation. The Law Review selects student editors by considering first-year academic performance and participation in an annual writing competition.

The Moot Court Board is a student-run organization that works with Law Center faculty and administrators towards its goal of increasing the proficiency of students in appellate advocacy. The Board oversees the Robert Lee Tullis Competition, appellate advocacy interschool competition teams, and has hosted various national moot court competitions.

The Board is run by a dedicated group of students who are selected for membership by demonstrating skill in brief-writing and oral argument through the Robert Lee Tullis Competition. Each year, the top performers in the Tullis Competition are selected for membership on the following year’s Board.

Phi Alpha Delta is an international legal fraternity that fosters legal education and the profession, not only in law schools, but also in undergraduate universities, high schools and even in elementary schools. P.A.D. pursues a plan to promote and enhance the image of the law student and the legal profession in the general community.

Phi Delta Phi is an international legal fraternity devoted to promoting a higher standard of professional ethics. Students in the freshman class earning a grade-point average of 2.65 or higher upon completion of the first semester are eligible to join. Phi Delta Phi works with the SBA to sponsor various events including the Day of Hope canned food drive to benefit the Baton Rouge Food Bank.

The Progressive Society for Law and the Public Interest works to establish a forum for discussion among the students of the Law Center, to create a network of progressive law students and alumni, to develop an understanding of the public consequences of the law, to examine the social responsibilities of the legal profession, and to serve our communities.

The Public Interest Law Society (PILS) helps LSU law students advance the public interest through one-time projects, semester-long efforts, and public interest careers. PILS works to increase the number of public interest opportunities available to LSU law students in the Baton Rouge community and nationwide by administering a fellowship fund for summer public interest internships and organizing projects to help the local community during the school year.

The Student Bar Association comprises all students in the Law Center. The association promotes and coordinates student activities within the Law Center and serves as an instructional medium for postgraduate bar association activities.

students.law.lsu.edu/SBA

• SBA Election Rules and Procedures
• SBA Club Events Online Request Form

The SBA Amnesty International Legal Support Network works in conjunction with Amnesty International in a nonpolitical human rights campaign to end imprisonment without cause and torture by governments worldwide.

The Student Legal Network attempts to foster a relationship between upperclass students and underclass students to facilitate, in an informal setting, the adjustment and guidance to underclass members. The Network also sponsors programs for the benefit of the entire law school.

The Tax Club is quite active at the Law Center. The Tax Club has been in existence since 1996. For the last two years, the Tax Club has sponsored a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (“VITA”) site where LSU law students help low-income taxpayers fill in their income tax returns. The club has also offered (and plans to offer) a session for the Tax Club members on how to perform tax research. The club sponsors guest speakers and panel discussions on issues involving tax practice and information about the various L.L.M. programs in taxation.

The mission of the Trial Advocacy Board is to advance and promote trial advocacy at the LSU Law Center. The Board is run by third-year students who are selected based on their achievement in the Ira S. Flory Trials, as well as service and assistance with interschool competitions and other mock trial programs.

Each year, LSU Law students participate in mock trial competitions at the Law Center and at law schools around the country. The Trial Advocacy Board plays an integral role in facilitating these opportunities. Each semester, the Board hosts the Ira S. Flory Trials, an intraschool mock trial competition open to all second and third year students at the Law Center. Additionally, the Board assists in the process for selecting the LSU Trial Team and the various interschool mock trials in which the Team will compete. This year, the Board had the added responsibility of hosting a regional competition for the 2007 National Trial Competition.

The organization, Unification of Diversity Under Law (U.D.U.L.), serves as a forum for students of various cultures, races and creeds. Their motto, “Appreciation through understanding,” is an accurate portrayal of the ultimate goal of U.D.U.L.

Activities

Back to School—New freshmen get acquainted with the upperclassmen at an annual tradition held the first Friday of the semester.

Tiger Tailgate Parties—Under the oaks at the Law Center before all of the home football games, students and teachers alike enjoy bands, food, and fun!

TGIF—“Thank goodness it’s Friday!” Enough said about these end-of-the-week traditions held on the steps of the Law Center all year long.

Family Days—Family members accompany law students to their classes to get a “taste” of law school. They also share lunch with students and professors.

Hats and Canes—Seniors put on top hats and wield canes for a champagne toast from the Chancellor on the steps of the Law Center prior to one of the home football games. This is a LSU Law tradition that dates back over 30 years!!!

Halloween Party—Students dress up for a night of fun sponsored by the LSU Law Student Bar Association; the last bash before finals; law students compete in a costume contest.

Fall Semester Celebration—Students kick up their heels and toast the end of finals. They’ve earned it!

Still alive at 65—This party, held the first Friday of the spring semester, welcomes the freshman students back for the second semester—a rite of passage at the Law Center.

Assault and Flattery—A friendly roast and night of good-natured fun where seniors roast the Law Center’s favorite professors. Students perform skits for the faculty, staff, and fellow students. An LSU favorite!

Barristers Ball—The much anticipated yearly formal. Students get decked out and dance the night away to a great band at a local reception hall. A chance to socialize in style with your professors!

Barristers at Bat—An all day charity softball tournament, with area law firms squaring off against student teams. Lots of friendly competition but don’t forget your sun screen!

Race Judicata—Everyone’s invited to the foot races! There is a choice of a 5K walk or run through the LSU campus. There is also a 1-mile fun run for the less adventurous. The race is followed by a huge crawfish boil with over 2,000 pounds of crawfish boiled on site.

Senior Cocktail Party—Held every year the night before graduation, this party is a landmark event for every senior! A great night of celebrating with friends and family.