Lutz fellowships train new graduates, fill critical needs

Linda P. Campbell linda.campbell@tulane.edu
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Attorney Jessica Wood, a 2014 Tulane Law School graduate, the first Lutz Family Public Interest Fellow, explains her work with abused and neglected children through a new collaboration between Tulane Law School and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services. Two Tulane Law School alumni lead the agency: executive director Laura Tuggle, left, (class of 1987) and deputy director Roxanne Newman (class of 1993).

Attorney Jessica Wood, right, the first Lutz Family Public Interest Fellow, explains her work with abused and neglected children through a new collaboration between Tulane Law School and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services. Two law school alumni lead the agency: executive director Laura Tuggle, left, (class of 1987) and deputy director Roxanne Newman (class of 1993), center. (Photo by Ali Mansfield)


When Jessica Wood, a 2014 graduate of Tulane Law School, arrived at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) as a new lawyer in November 2014, she filled a critical need at an agency that had been forced to trim staff because of severe funding cuts two years earlier.

By taking on a share of cases involving abused and neglected children in the state"s foster care system, Wood has eased caseload pressures on other SLLS attorneys so they can devote more time to client needs such as home visits and family conferences.

Wood"s contributions already have shown the value of the Lutz Family Public Interest Fellowship, a new collaboration between Tulane Law School and SLLS, Louisiana"s largest provider of free civil legal aid for low-income residents.

Through a gift from corporate attorney Laurent C. Lutz, a 1986 Tulane Law School graduate, the law school and the agency (via a Louisiana Bar Foundation grant) share the cost of each fellow"s salary. The result: an opportunity for new graduates to start practicing right away while serving the community.

Though as a student she had gained experience through the Tulane Domestic Violence Clinic, the fellowship has taken Wood into new territory covered by the Children"s Code. Wood represents children and interviews those who are old enough to express their wishes and advocates for them. She plans to stay with SLLS after the fellowship.

Lutz, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Sallie Mae, says in creating the fellowship, he and his family hoped to “give new Tulane lawyers opportunities to follow their aspirations to help others,” with a focus on improving children"s lives.

Lutz and his family recently expanded their gift to fund two fellowships for 2015–16. The next Lutz fellows are Josephine Vanderhorst and Hannah Groedel (class of 2015).

Linda P. Campbell is Tulane Law School"s director of communications.