Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic Unveiling

From l., Artist Jeroen Henneman, Loyola Law Dean Maria P. Lopez and Stuart H. Smith

Stuart H. Smith, J.D. '86, one of the largest donors to the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and founder of the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice at the university’s Broadway campus, was honored Sept. 18 with a sculpture unveiling of his likeness.The event took place at the law clinic and was hosted by College of Law Dean María Pabón López, J.D.

The sculpture is by Jeroen Henneman, a 71-year-old Dutch visual artist whose works are included at the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands
and are represented in the U.S. by Sotheby's.

Smith has practiced law for 25 years, litigating against oil companies and other energy-related corporations for damages associated with radioactive oilfield waste. He has been lead counsel on a number of oil pollution cases, which focus primarily on damages caused by produced water and sludges oil companies discharge into the environment. In 2001, Smith was lead counsel in an oilfield radiation case that resulted in a verdict of more than $1 billion against ExxonMobil for contaminating private property it leased from the Grefer family in Harvey, La. He is also representing thousands of individuals, businesses and property owners against BP for the largest man-made disaster in U.S. history in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic is a fully functioning legal clinic which allows third-year law students the opportunity to represent indigent clients under the supervision of experienced attorneys.