Herbert V. Larson, Jr.

Full title:

Senior Professor of Practice, and Executive Director, International Legal and Graduate Programs.

How long have you been teaching at Tulane Law School? And what brought you here?

I began teaching as an adjunct in 1992, and assumed my current position in 2007. I had attended Tulane University as an undergraduate. I began teaching at Loyola University School of Law in 1989, and decided that I wanted the chance to teach at Tulane, because of my ties to the school. 

What defines Tulane Law School? What is unique about it?

Tulane Law School is defined by its location in Louisiana, and more particularly, its location in New Orleans. Because it is located in a state with a civilian legal heritage, Tulane offers a dual curriculum, one that prepares students to practice anywhere in the United States, and most of the world. Its location in New Orleans gives the school a strong public service ethos. But the most unique thing about it is the quality of life here at the school. It is the rare student who doesn’t love the experience they had here during their three years at Tulane.

What is your daily routine as a professor?

I don’t have anything that I would consider a routine. I teach, I have andministrative duties, I meet with students, and from time to time, I actually get to do research. I also have an active consulting practice, so I deal with real clients and their problems on a daily or almost daily basis.

Which course(s) do you teach?

International Criminal Law, Federal Criminal Law, Legal Reasoning, Research and Writing in the United States, and beginning this spring, I will be teaching a course on cyber crimes and cyber warfare.

How do you support young lawyers at Tulane Law School?

I try to support them through personal contact, and meeting with them whenever possible. I remind them that everyone has a different path to follow through law school, and that they should resist the pressure to follow a certain trajectory just because it appears to offer job security.

What do you value most about working at Tulane?

What I value most is the congenial and supportive atmosphere of my colleagues, and the diversity of the students who attend here.

What do you do in your leisure time?

I enjoy playing music (I am a percussionist in the New Orleans Concert Band), and eating my way through all the outstanding restaurants in New Orleans.

Name three term that you associate with the word „law“.

Criminal, unconstitutional, and society.

You are planning a law-free weekend on a desert island and you are allowed to take only three things with you. What would they be?

A good book, some good music, and a hammock.

Which advice would you like to give every young lawyer?

To remind them that it is not about them. It is about the client.