Critical mass for clinic
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Many LSU law students praise their education but bemoan their lack of real-world law experience while in school.
That live-client clinical education is at the epicenter of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center’s fight to acquire more state funds to jumpstart the program. It also is helping stave off accreditation threats from the American Bar Association.
“Essentially, what we need to do is build what amounts to a small law firm here,” said LSU Law Center Chancellor Jack Weiss.
After years of criticism, the ABA told LSU in June that the law center faced probation or the loss of accreditation unless immediate action was taken to install a full clinical education program.
Weiss took charge in July of the law school that enrolls about 570 students.
LSU recently hired a new clinical education director. But the school is still seeking from the state an additional $770,000, which was excluded from the governor’s executive budget, for necessary renovations and extra faculty hires.
LSU also is seeking law center tuition and fee increases for the next academic year.
State Commissioner of Administration Angèle Davis said in an e-mail statement that she is working to ensure that all the state’s institutions of higher education have the necessary resources. But she refused to comment specifically on the law center.
Weiss said he is optimistic the state could provide the funding in May.
Arguing that the ABA has a “gun” to the law center’s metaphorical head, Weiss said, “Obviously, it’s something we absolutely have to do.”
The ABA requires that law schools offer “substantial opportunities” for students to acquire pro-bono work, which carries no charge, with real clients. The ABA also counts other field experience in courts and law offices, which are considered “externships.”
But Weiss emphasized that LSU was moving in this direction apart from the ABA taking action, noting that the faculty had drawn up a clinical education plan before he became chancellor July 1, 2007.
The state’s other law schools at Tulane University, Loyola University and Southern University all have clinical programs.
Former LSU Law Center Chancellor John Costonis focused on building renovations during much of his tenure, which also were major accreditation issues.
But Costonis left the clinical aspect for his successor to complete after finishing some late beautification and renovation projects, including his new office.
First-year LSU law student Chris Odinet from New Orleans said clinical education at LSU is long overdue.
“Having a clinical program at LSU is more than just a necessity,” Odinet said. “It’s a shame we haven’t had one before.”
LSU law professor Lucy McGough, who is teaching the clinical classes, agreed real-world experience for students is past due.
“You wouldn’t dream of sending a doctor out to conduct his first operation without clinical experience,” she said.
Weiss said that for this fall, LSU is adding a family mediation clinic for child custody issues and a domestic violence protection clinic to assist those who have been victimized. LSU previously established a juvenile justice clinic to represent young people in juvenile court.
Robert Lancaster, LSU’s new clinical education director, said he sees the chance to set up a top clinical program from the “ground level.”
Clinical law education gained momentum nationwide in the 1970s and LSU is behind the curve, said Lancaster.
But LSU now has the chance to catch up quickly with a strong 50 percent student participation, he said, while also helping the community.
Third-year law student Catherine Kitchen of New Orleans said she is concerned about the impact on job opportunities for graduates because of the law center’s rankings.
The LSU Law Center is ranked 88th nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
“We’re one of the few flagship universities — if not the only — without it (a clinical program) and it’s affecting our rankings,” Kitchen said. “There’s absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be ranked in the top 50.”
McGough said she has never been more optimistic about progress being made in her more than 25 years at LSU.
Clinical education always unfairly took a distant backseat to classroom education in the past, she said.
“Most of the time we were asleep at the wheel and only the students were saying, ‘Why don’t we have a clinical program?’” McGough said. “There’s such a pent-up demand from students.”
But the tide has turned as more younger faculty have arrived at LSU in recent years.
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