Nathalie Banoun, LLM 2005 (Paris, France)

A Story of Success!

After receiving her LL.M. at LSU in 2005, Nathalie Banoun was a law clerk for a Louisiana judge; she passed the New York bar exam; and is now living in Switzerland, working as a staff attorney for the Claims Resolution Tribunal. She is another of LSU Law Center's proud boasts.

Ms. Banoun came to LSU from France to pursue her LLM degree in 2004. She graduated in 2005, and was Judge Byron Hebert's law clerk atthe 15th Judicial District Court, Division "C" in the city of Abbeville (Louisiana) for two years. She also passed the New York Bar exam and had a profession training experience in New York. After spending some time in Paris, she moved to Zurich, Switzerland where she accepted a position as a staff attorney for the Claims Resolution Tribunal. The CRT is responsible for processing claims relating to assets deposited in Swiss banks by Victims or Targets of Nazi persecution prior to and during World War II. The official language at work is English, but attorneys also work in French or Hebrew.

Nathalie still keeps a close bond with the LSU Law Center. She treasures her friendship with her LSU professors, especially with Professor Paul Baier.

Nizar Fadhlaoui, LLM 2007 (Lyon, France)

On March 25, 2009, Nizar wrote: "The LLM obtained from the Paul M. Hebert Law center gave a whole new dimension to my career. In effect, right after my graduation, I took and passed the New York Bar and I am now working as a Director of Legal Affairs in England.

Above all, I must say that the "LSU experience" has been a real pleasant human adventure; I met people who became friends as well as business partners.
For Instance, I am regularly dealing with my former room mate Agustin Cerolini ( Associate Attorney at Bruchu in Buenos Aires) for all the transactions in South America and Miami. I also discuss on a regular basis with Dominik Grundger (Attorney in Germany and European Law specialist) for my complex EC law issues such as competition law...
Employers particularly appreciate the fact that one can bring a knowledge as well as an efficient global network.

Pr. Moreteau, Mark Hoch as well as Agustin Parise have been of strong support to all of us and I would like to thank them, once again, for their outstanding dedication."

(Photo: Nizar Fadhlaoui, with Chancellor Emeritus John Costonis at an LLM reception in 2007)

Rodrigo Dellutri, LLM 2008 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

What is it that made your LLM experience at LSU special?

• My experience at the LSU Law Center was memorable. Apart from getting my LLM degree I had the chance to learn from distinguished scholars, to interchange ideas, and to meet a lot of interesting people.

Can you be more specific?

• The environment to study is ideal. The campus has all the facilities you may need, including a great main library and a big sport center. People from Louisiana are very friendly. This was so helpful since I moved to Baton Rouge with my wife. A short period after our arrival she had started different enriching activities. I would recommend LSU as a place to live with your family. In fact, our family history will always be related to LSU, since four months after we came back to our country our first child was born.

May you comment on your activities and special interests whilst at LSU?

• The program gives you the chance to choose the subjects of your interest. So, I was able to delve into the area of Criminal Law and International Law. With some American classmates we founded a student organization called the International Law Society, which was dedicated to discuss issues related to this area of law. It was sponsored by Professor Moreteau, who was always very supportive with the group and with me.

Can you tell us more about your academic achievements?

• The Law Center has one of the best Libraries in America. I would like to highlight the support that I received from its staff, especially from Vicenc Feliu who was always ready to help me with my searches. With all the necessary material I made a research in Human Rights and the environment, which received an Honorable Mention in a Human Rights Essay Award, from American University, Washington D.C., and was recently published at the American University International Law Review. Now I am in process of finishing other works that I hope will be published in the future.

How does your LSU experience impact your present life?

• The quality of the LSU professors and the close relationship that they establish with the students gave me the opportunity to experience the real academic life. The knowledge that I acquired after this intense experience gave me the skills I needed to take the next step in my career at the Judicial Branch in my country. In relation to my academic work I will keep on researching with a special focus in the crossroads between Criminal Law and Human Rights.
  

Our LL.M. becomes a Spring Board to the Louisiana Bar

The Supreme Court of Louisiana amended its rules, making the Bar Exam accessible to foreign lawyers authorized to work lawfully in the United States. Previously, the Louisiana Bar was accessible to US Citizens and Permanent Residents only.

Candidates must provide proof, in addition to full legal training recognized as equivalent to a JD, that they "successfully completed a minimum of 14 semester hours of credits, or the equivalent, in professional law subjects from an American law school, in any of the following categories: Constitutional Law, Contracts, Louisiana Obligations Law, Criminal Law, Corporations or Business Organizations, Evidence, Intellectual Property, Federal Civil Procedure, Louisiana Civil Procedure, Taxation, Uniform Commercial Code, and Torts, provided that no more than 4 credit hours in any one subject shall be counted toward this requirement."LSU LLM students carefully choosing their courses will easily meet this requirement.

Current LLM candidates, with J1 visa status, may remain in the U.S. for up to one year to gain professional experience following the completion of the LLM; this also opening an opportunity to qualify to sit for the Bar Exam. If they pass the exam, they will earn admission to the Louisiana Bar.

LLM Graduates may also qualify if admitted for permanent residence or holding a visa authorizing them to work lawfully in the US.

For more detail, contact Professor Olivier Moréteau at moreteau@lsu.edu

Ana Luisa Gordillo, LLM 1995 (Guatemala)

"I graduated in 1995 from the LLM graduate program. Since 1996, I worked as the General Counsel of Banco Citi in Guatemala, and now I have incorporated as a senior associate of a regional law firm in Guatemala (Consortium).

I am the professor of Civil Law (obligations and contracts) at the Universidad Francisco Marroquin, one of the top tier universities in Central America."

Agustin Parise, LLM 2006 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Why did you decide to obtain an LLM?

• I received my LLB degree at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and practical legal training at the National Judicial Branch and in various law firms, but always knew that a global perspective was necessary to achieve quicker and more complete results in any area of work or study. Believing that law is a way to reach positive social change, both in my country and worldwide, I looked for an international experience that would help me reach a deeper legal knowledge and clearer understanding of the role of international players in Argentina.

What factors did you consider in choosing an LLM program?

• I wanted to improve my academic and professional skills and to study in the United States. The main factors I looked at in LLM programs were the school’s location and standards; the skills of the faculty; the tuition and living expenses; the activities and resources of the main university campus; and the area’s cultural and social life.
  My attraction to LSU Law was that Louisiana is the only civil law jurisdiction in the United States and one of the few places in the world where the common law and continental Roman systems cohabitate. The school has a rigorous "bijural" curriculum, a true "melting pot" of law that no other school offered. Lastly, they have a small LLM program, so each student receives a great deal of personal attention to develop their own course of study.

How would you describe your time at LSU Law?

• Once at LSU, I could choose any course offered each semester, which made my decisions very free and flexible to reach the required 26 credit hours. Most courses are two to three credits; students typically take four courses each semester. The courses were very enriching, with faculty members open to in-class and after-class discussions.
  Rooted in the civilian tradition, my main interest area, LSU gave me the opportunity to acquire new research techniques crossing the disciplinary boundaries between the common law and civil law. To meet the writing requirement, I wrote a thesis. The guidance and resources I needed were always at hand.
  Socially, both the Law Center and the main campus were very receptive to LLM students, organizing cultural events (lectures, symposiums, debates) and recreational events (visits to museums, football games, pick-up soccer games, movie nights, international cultural meetings). The International Cultural Center and the International Hospitality Foundation were great resources to meet local Louisianians and other international students.

How have you found your postgraduate experience?

• The LLM added many memorable human experiences to my life, including new friends and cultural learning. Professionally, I acquired new tools to understand legal issues with a broader perspective and produce higher quality scholarly work, both in English and Spanish, even publishing an article in a U.S. law journal. Once I complete my doctorate in law (SJD) and graduate studies in history, I will pursue an academic place within the global legal community and know I will draw heavily from my LLM experiences forever.
  

Agustin Parise is a Research Associate at the Center of Civil Law Studies, LSU Law Center. He has published numerous articles in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States, and Uruguay. He is the coordinator of the Digest Online Project, making the Digest of 1808, ancestor of the Louisiana Civil Code, accessible online: www.law.lsu.edu/digest.

Julieta Marotta, LLM 2007 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Julieta Marotta has worked at the Louisiana Civil Justice Center since June 2007. She deals cases from people affected by the recent hurricanes and legal issues in the State of Louisiana. She also worked as a law clerk in the Law Firm of Oscar Shoenfelt, III (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) from July 2007 – June 2008. During her LLM, Julieta Marotta worked at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center as Research Assistant for Professor Paul Baier and Professor Stuart Green. She translated “Mintiendo, Engañando y Robando” by Professor Stuart Green; and “Señor Juez Blackmun: Reflexiones desde Cours Mirabeau” by Professor Paul Baier (English into Spanish), published in the Essays in Honor of Saul Litvinoff (Claitor’s 2008).

In December 2007, Julietta married Agustin Parise (LLM 2006), presently Research Associate at the LSU Center of Civil Law Studies.

(Photo: from left to right, Julieta Marotta, Agustin Cerolini, Claire Debellefontaine, Agustin Parise)