New faces abounded at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center as the first classes of the new academic year got underway on Monday, Aug. 19.
Along with one of the largest classes of first-year law students in recent history—228 students, up from 211 a year ago—the fall semester began with 10 new faculty members and seven new staff members who have started in their roles since the summer.
Total enrollment at LSU Law this fall stands at 644 students. There are 198 second-year students at LSU Law this semester, 201 third-years students, and 17 students pursuing their LLM.
Among this year’s class of first-year students, 55% are female and 45% are male, while 67% are Louisiana residents. Students of color make up 25% of the class, which is three percentage points higher than last year’s first-year class.
This year’s class of first-year students also has a slightly higher median GPA compared to last year’s class, while its median LSAT score is unchanged. The average first-year student is 22 years old. The youngest 1L is 19, the eldest is 47, and 18% of the class is 25 or older.
The first-year class comes to LSU Law from 76 undergraduate schools and represents 23 states and countries. The top five undergraduate majors of the incoming class are Political Science, English, Finance, Psychology, and Sociology, while the top five undergraduate schools are LSU, Southeastern Louisiana, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana Tech University, and Texas A&M.
During the week prior to classes starting on Aug. 19, the incoming 1L class participated in orientation at the Law Center, which included a Welcome to the Profession Dinner on Aug. 15 and a class photo on the steps of the Old Law Building the following morning.
Meanwhile, more than 75 rising third-year LSU Law students participated in the 2024 Vinson & Elkins Trial Advocacy Program, which was held at the Law Center on Aug. 12-14. Following their impressive performances in the program, 18 third-year LSU Law students were nominated to join the LSU Law chapter of the Wex Malone Inns of Court. See a gallery of photos from this year’s Trial Advocacy Program.
The 17 international students pursuing their LLM at LSU Law this year hail from Bangladesh, China, France, Iran, Ireland, Mauritius, and Nigeria. The LLM students’ orientation took place over two weeks leading up to the start of the fall semester, and it included tours of several Baton Rouge locations as well as a trip to the Louisiana Supreme Court in New Orleans, where they met with LSU Law alumni and Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer (’80).
Original source can be found here.