More than 200 LSU law students got their paws dirty — literally — on Friday during Paws for a Cause, an annual day of service sponsored by the Paul M. Hebert Law Center’s Public Interest Law Society and the Student Bar Association.
Students and faculty devoted their efforts to organizations including Habitat for Humanity, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Capital Area Family Violence Intervention Center.
Quentin Anderson, a second-year law student, volunteered at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Baton Rouge, helping to lift and organize building supplies. Anderson said Paws for a Cause is a tradition, even though service events of its kind have only been around for five years at the Law Center.
“Everyone knows that when spring comes around, Paws for a Cause will be coming soon,” Anderson said.
The Public Interest Law Society is directly funded by the Law Center. Since its founding in 2005, PILS has grown to include three operating branches: community service, pro bono legal work, and career placement and student fellowships.
John Devlin, LSU law professor and PILS faculty advisor, said Paws for a Cause is part of the organization’s effort to give back to the surrounding Baton Rouge community.
PILS has participated in semiannual community service projects since 2007. The Student Bar Association teamed up with PILS last year to expand the spring service event and to encourage more students to get involved, Devlin said. Thus, Paws for a Cause was founded.
All law students and professors were encouraged to take part in the day of service and volunteer at one of the 18 participating organizations.
“We were asked to advertise the event to our classes and were also asked to show up ourselves,” said Bill Corbett, LSU law professor.
Hesitant to take any credit for the student-planned day of service, Devlin said that the students do all of the work to put this large-scale event together.
“This is all them,” Devlin said.
For some students, like Anderson, Paws for a Cause is essential to learn more about their future careers.
“The law profession is about service,” Anderson said. “Community service and Paws for a Cause is an extension of that.”
Jordan Stone, a second-year law student who was a key planner of Paws for a Cause this year, agreed with Anderson.
“It is important for us to give back to the communities that we will ultimately serve,” Stone said.
 
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Contact Lea Ciskowski at [email protected]