Research & Centers
The Southern University Law Center serves as the intellectual center for a number of leading-edge institutes and programs supporting its mission of research, programming, student growth, and public service.
Louis A. Berry Institute for Civil Rights and Justice
The Louis A. Berry Institute for Civil Rights and Justice is committed to the advancement of civil rights and social justice, especially in Louisiana and the South. It supports research, student activities, and serves as a convenor for legal scholars, policy experts, and practicing attorneys to confront legal and social issues of greatest concern to racial and ethnic minorities, to the poor, and to the underrepresented or neglected portions of society. The Center also supports the work of the Journal of Race, Gender, and Poverty, which serves as one of the Law Center’s student-run scholarly publications. For more information, contact Prof. Angela Allen-Bell.
Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project
In 1999, Prof. Jamin Raskin at the American University Washington College of Law started the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project. This project, named in honor of the late United States Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and William Brennan and founded with the support of Mrs. Cissy Marshall and the late Mrs. Mary Brennan, was designed to engage law students in their second- and third-year to teach courses on constitutional law and juvenile justice in public high schools. Although the national program remains headquartered at the Washington College of Law, the Southern University Law Center is proud to have its own chapter of the project, which allows students to engage with the local school system and bring the lessons of justice and advocacy to youth in the community. For more information, contact Prof. Russell Jones.
Legal Writing & Analysis Program
The Southern University Law Center’s legal writing and analysis program is one of the best in the country. Focused on intensive training and skills-building, the legal writing and analysis faculty take a hands-on approach to student learning and are nationally known teachers and writers in the field. For more information, contact Prof. Gail Stephenson.
Law & Society Faculty Forum
The Law & Society Faculty Forum serves as a platform for the faculty of the Law Center to make connections with legal scholars outside Southern University. The forum regularly hosts professors from other law schools for lunchtime presentations on works-in-progress and completed papers. The series allows for authors to engage in valuable discussions about and receive insightful critiques of their papers. For more information, contact Prof. Chris Odinet.
Pro Bono Project
The Pro Bono Project strives to inspire law students toward a lifelong commitment to social justice, public interest, and pro bono work. The Project serves as a bridge between academics and action, encouraging students to be leaders for justice. For more information, contact Prof. Donald North.