Building for the Future

New Expansion Propels the College of Law Forward Along Its Path of Success

By Ray Willhoft, A’00

After several years of planning and negotiating, surviving a catastrophic hurricane, and returning home from a semester in exile, the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law has begun a new chapter of its already-prestigious history with the completion of its new Wendell H. and Anne B. Gauthier Family Wing. The four-story, 16,000-square-foot addition, located at the corner of Pine and Dominican Streets, is seamlessly connected to the main law building and will ensure that current and future law students will continue receiving the best legal education possible.

The Need for Expansion

The physical expansion of the College of Law was essential for a variety of reasons. The American Bar Association stipulated that Loyola needed to add space for students in its most recent accreditation process. Also, since the college is now competing for students at a more national level, it is important to keep pace with competing law schools. “We want to provide the best facilities and faculty for our students,” says Dean Brian Bromberger. “The right learning environment is essential for success, and we want our students to have everything they need for a successful law school career.”

After researching the various means and costs of expanding the college, it was determined that the best solution was to simply add a new wing onto the existing building. The architectural firm of Mathes Brierre Architects was engaged to design the new wing, and principal architect Edward C. Mathes was the lead person on the project.

Construction Begins

Before anything new could go up, something had to come down. The building next to the College of Law which housed The Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice (now located on Carrollton Avenue) and the Twomey Print Shop (now located on Loyola’s main campus in Monroe Hall) was torn down in order to make room for the new wing. Once the land was cleared, construction began.

Construction of the new wing went smoothly until August 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit. The entire city of New Orleans suffered as a result, and Loyola was no exception. However, despite the College of Law’s exile and operation in Houston, Texas, for the fall 2005 semester, construction on the new wing was able to resume just weeks after the storm hit.

Impact of the New Wing

The new Wendell H. and Anne B. Gauthier Family Wing provides the College of Law with much-needed space for teaching with three new student seminar rooms and a state-of-the-art, 170-seat lecture theater. The lecture theater, named in honor of law alumnus Frederick J. Gisevius, Jr., L’36, in itself is an advantage both to attract prominent speakers to campus and for combining classes for special events.

The new wing also houses the new Dean’s Suite  and staff offices. Space has been allocated for a staff lounge and for the expansion of the law library, the Law Clinic, and the Office of Career Services.

In addition, all student support services such as Financial Aid, Student Records, Continuing Legal Education (CLE), Skills Curriculum, and International Programs have been relocated to one area, making it easier for students to get any help they may need.

Finally, the expansion of the College of Law has allowed the entire building to become wireless for Internet activity, something that is sure to delight both the students and faculty.

Financial Support

As with all College of Law projects, support from alumni and friends of Loyola is the real key to making Dean Bromberger’s vision for the college a reality. The new wing is no exception. Thanks to the generosity of Anne B. Gauthier, wife of Loyola law alumnus and prominent New Orleans attorney the late Wendell H. Gauthier, L’70. “Wendell and I both believed it was important to give back to Loyola since the university, particularly the College of Law, is one of the main reasons we have had so much success in our lives,” Gauthier explains. “We have stayed close to Wendell’s fellow law graduates, and Loyola has always made us feel like a part of the community. Wendell strongly believed in supporting education, so I am thrilled to aid the College of Law in its continuing educational endeavors in his honor.”

Toward the Future

Though the new wing will greatly aid in the education of current and future College of Law students as well as promote recognition among other law schools, there are no plans to increase enrollment in the future. “We feel that we have reached an ideal number of students,” says Dean Bromberger. “Our focus is on the quality of education that we offer, not the quantity of students we offer it to.”

However, that doesn’t mean Dean Bromberger has completed his vision for the College of Law. He currently has his sights set on a number of new projects for the college. “To me, this is an ongoing process,” he explains. “I am always encouraging our faculty, staff, and alumni to think of new ways in which we can provide the best legal education possible that our students receive from the College of Law. With this new wing, I think we are well on our way.”

Wendell H. Gauthier’s legacy lives on

Hailed as a harbinger of the sophisticated and scientific developments taking place in the preparation and trial of complex lawsuits, Wendell H. Gauthier, L’70, (1943 – 2001), became known as one of the nation’s most creative and effective personal injury lawyers, yet he never forgot where he came from or what was truly important in life.

Born in Crowley and raised in Iota, La., Wendell attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, where he met his wife, Anne Barrios. Upon deciding to enroll in the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Wendell and Anne moved to New Orleans and taught in the New Orleans and Jefferson school systems while Wendell attended law school at night.

“We were poor as church mice in those days,” recalls Anne, “but I knew how important it was for Wendell to achieve his dream of becoming a lawyer. We scrimped and saved just to afford the tuition, and Wendell even sold painted bamboo mugs to earn extra money.” Anne also supported her husband by helping with his research for class. “I spent many late nights in the library assisting Wendell,” she notes, “but it was well worth it.”

After graduating in 1970, Wendell began practice with Hattier and Hide. In 1974, he and Robert M. Murphy established the firm of Gauthier & Murphy, which quickly gained a national reputation as an expert in complex litigation of mass disaster. In 1996, the law firm of Gauthier, Downing, LaBarre, Beiser & Dean was formed, which today still maintains its impressive national reputation.

Throughout his career, Wendell made a name for himself based on a number of high profile cases. The first was in 1974 which dealt with home explosions in Jefferson Parish. His successful investigation caused Orleans and Jefferson Parish officials to rewrite their building codes to prevent future explosions.

Beginning in the 1980s, Wendell focused his practice on public health issues, including suits against the tobacco industry and taking on health care abuse cases. He received the “Breath of Life” award from the American Lung Association in 2000 in recognition of his tireless work against the health hazards caused by smoking. He also served as chairman of the LSU Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center’s fundraising drive and helped create an endowed chair through LSU and the center dedicated to cancer research. In the political arena, Wendell served as a delegate to the convention that rewrote the Louisiana Constitution in 1973.

In addition to his work, Wendell served as a visiting member of the Loyola faculty, frequent lecturer, and author of a number of articles. He also served as chairman of the Castano Group of Anti-Tobacco lawyers, chairman of the Jazzville Casino Group, and former interest-owner of the New Orleans Saints football team.

But perhaps the most important work Wendell performed was that of husband, father, and friend. “One of my father’s greatest attributes was his ability to not have any enemies,” says Wendell’s daughter, Celeste Gauthier, L’95. “If he thought that someone had ill feelings toward him, he would do everything he could to make that person his friend. The only people who did not like my dad were people who did not actually know him personally.”

Now, thanks to Anne’s generosity and the creation of the Wendell H. and Anne B. Gauthier Family Wing, Wendell’s legacy of service to others will continue to inspire future generations of lawyers.