TheSouthern University Law Center held a press conference Friday, April 1 at 9:30a.m. in their atrium to announce the establishment of an endowed professorshipof law in the name of Johnnie Cochran, Jr. from Attorney Walter C. Dumas.
AttorneyDumas, a Law Center alum, contributed $60,000 to the establishment theprofessorship. Dumas said that heis doing this because of the faith Cochran had as a man of God.
“I’m doingthis because Johnnie was a Christian lawyer,” Dumas said. “He was active in his church and he wasactive in his community.”
Dumasstated that his relationship with Cochran was beyond law. It was spiritual and that during cases,they would talk about church, Jesus Christ and their faith.
“He lovedchurch,” Dumas said. “He would sayGod alone is why I’m here, he would smile everywhere he went because he had Godwith him, and he had his faith.”
Presidingover the press conference was the Chancellor of SULC, Freddie Pitcher, Jr. “A legal great has passed amongst us,he left a legacy for lawyers here and those to come,” Pitcher said.
In attendancewere students, faculty and staff of the Law Center. Remarks were given by Johnny G. Anderson, SouthernUniversity Board of Supervisors Chairman and Dr. Leon R. Tarver, president ofthe Southern University System.
“He was ahousehold name across the nation, but special to our institution,” Andersonsaid. “We love claiming him as oneof our graduates and we can’t thank him enough for always coming to the platewith SU.”
Cochranreceived an honorary degree from the Law Center during Southern’s spring 2002commencement exercises, where he was the keynote speaker.
There willbe a total of $100,000.00 contributed to this professorship with an additional$40,000 from the Board of Regents.
