Louisiana Lawmakers Reject Crackdown on Law-School Clinics

A Louisiana Senate Committee today rejected a bill, backed by the state’s chemical and oil industries, that would have severely restricted the activities of law-school clinics throughout the state, The Times-Picayune reported. The bill’s main target was Tulane University’s Environmental Law Clinic, which industry lobbyists accused of chasing jobs out of the state. The bill would have barred legal clinics that receive state money from suing government agencies or seeking monetary damages against companies that violate pollution laws. After two hours of testimony, the Senate Commerce Committee moved to defer the bill, essentially killing it.