Law school is recognized on U.S. House floor

March 27, 2014

Law school is recognized on U.S. House floor

U.S. Rep. William L. Enyart, D-Belleville, a 1979 graduate of the SIU School of Law, recognized the law school’s 40th anniversary while speaking on floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on March 26. 

The law school is celebrating its anniversary Saturday, March 29, with a variety of events, including a retrospective discussion with faculty and alumni.  The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Hiram H. Lesar Law Building formal lounge.  More than 3,800 students have graduated since the law school’s first class started in fall 1973. 

Enyart’s statement will go into the Congressional Record for the 113th Congress and formally presented to the law school during Saturday’s celebration. 

The statement reads: 

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding institution of higher education in Illinois.  Southern Illinois University School of Law celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. 

We spend our time on the House floor discussing, debating, and voting on laws which impact American citizens, while the faculty and staff of SIU Law develop the next generation of great legal minds.    

With humble beginnings in 1973, that first year began with 90 students and eight faculty members.  SIU Law today is a nationally recognized institution with alumni practicing in 49 states and 11 countries.  The school’s 3,800 graduates include military general officers, over 90 state and federal judges, and at least one United States Congressman. 

Please join me in congratulating my alma mater, Southern Illinois University School of Law, for 40 years of serving students.  Go Dawgs.”