The Dodson & Hooks Endowed Chair in Maritime Law was established in 2019 thanks to a gift made by the Dodson & Hooks, APLC law firm.

The more than $600,000 gift from Dodson & Hooks was matched with $400,000 through the Louisiana Board of Regents competitive matching grants program. The $1 million endowment will be held in perpetuity by the LSU Foundation and will provide annual financial support to a Law Center Maritime Law academic scholar.

“Kenny Hooks and I both very sincerely appreciate the LSU Law School establishing the Endowed Chair in Maritime Law. It was our goal to ensure that Maritime Law is taught on a regular basis at the LSU Law School,” Dodson & Hooks partner Richard “Jerry” Dodson said. “A recent study found that one out of every five jobs in Louisiana is in some way related to maritime commerce, and we believe it is essential that Maritime Law be part of the curriculum at the LSU Law School.”

Dodson & Hooks brings a unique approach to personal injury law, maritime law and medical malpractice. The firm is located in Baton Rouge and has handled cases throughout the Louisiana, the firm has also represented individuals, companies, unions, and conglomerates across the world, including Russia, China, Japan, Philippines, Poland, India, Chile, Ukraine and many others.
Dodson is a 1966 graduate of LSU Law, and Hooks graduated from the Law Center in 1997. Dodson also donated a significant maritime art collection to the Law Center in 2019. The collection includes ships’ passports and sea letters signed by the first 21 presidents of the United States, along with various ship artifacts. The Richard J. “Jerry” Dodson Maritime Art Collection, located in the first-floor lobby of the LSU Law Center, was officially dedicated in a ceremony March 8, 2019.

- This article was originally published by LSU Law in 2019