Law Center News
30th Anniversary of Legal Challenges that Changed the Louisiana Judiciary Forever Set at Southern University Law Center, Feb. 26
As a continuation of “2016: The Year of Charles J. Hatfield III” celebration at the Southern University Law Center (SULC), on Friday, February 26, the Law Center will host a commemoration of the 30th anniversary of landmark cases that led to greater diversity in the Louisiana State Judiciary.
The 30th Anniversary Commemoration of Clark v. Roemer and Chisom v. Edwards will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in 129-130 A. A. Lenoir Hall.
SULC joins co-sponsors the Carter G. Woodson Historical Society, FPC; the Network 2016 Coalition; and the Council of Former Student Government Association Presidents for this Black History Month event, “Two Legal Challenges that Changed the Louisiana Judiciary System Forever.”
“The plaintiff in the Clark v. Roemer case was none other than a 1976 alumna of the Southern University Law Center, Judge Janice Clark, who now serves on the 19th Judicial District Court, located in Baton Rouge,” Interim Chancellor John K. Pierre stated. “In addition, Law Center alumni such as Ernest Johnson and Arthur Thomas, among others, were attorneys who litigated the case,” Pierre said.
Subsequent to the Clark case, another landmark case was filed in New Orleans: Chisom v. Edwards, which ultimately led to the first African American to be elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court, Justice Revius O. Ortique, Jr., a 1956 Southern Law graduate. Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson is the first African American to serve as Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
“We anticipate the presence of many state dignitaries such as Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, Judge Janice Clark, former Governor Edwin Edwards, former Attorney General Richard Ieyoub, and Governor John Bel Edwards, if the special session schedule permits his presence,” the Interim Chancellor said.
A reception will follow the event in the Law Center Atrium.
The event is free and open to the public.
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