Louis Westerfield facts for kids

Louis Westerfield was an important American lawyer and law professor. He was born in 1949 in DeKalb, Mississippi. He made history as the first African-American Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Law. He passed away on August 24, 1996.

Louis Westerfield: A Life in Law

His Early Life and Education

Louis Westerfield grew up in Mississippi. His father was a sharecropper, which means he was a farmer who worked on land owned by someone else. Louis worked hard in school.

He earned his first college degree from Southern University at New Orleans in 1971. Then, he went on to study law. In 1974, he received his law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. Later, in 1980, he earned an advanced law degree, a Master of Laws, from Columbia Law School in New York City.

A Career in Law and Teaching

Louis Westerfield began his legal career in 1974. He worked as an assistant district attorney in New Orleans. This job meant he helped the government with legal cases.

A year later, he started teaching law. He became an assistant professor of law at Southern University Law Center. He also directed the law clinic there, which helps students get real-world legal experience.

In 1978, Westerfield joined the law faculty at Loyola University. Then, in 1983, he moved to the University of Mississippi. He became their first tenured black law professor. Being "tenured" means he had a permanent teaching position.

His career continued to advance. In 1994, Louis Westerfield became the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Law. This was a very important leadership role.

Sadly, Louis Westerfield died unexpectedly on August 24, 1996. He had a massive heart attack.