University of Kentucky College of Law

Introduction

The University of Kentucky College of Law is a small, state-supported law school on the main campus of the university in scenic Lexington, Kentucky, a city of approximately 250,000 in the center of the Bluegrass horse farm region. Founded in 1908, the college has been a member of the AALS since 1912 and has been accredited by the ABA since 1925. The faculty has wide experience in law practice and government service, as well as teaching and research. UK Law has a strong tradition of faculty concern about their students' progress and success. The curriculum offers broad training in the law and legal methods, drawing upon sources from all jurisdictions. Accordingly, UK Law graduates are prepared to practice in any of the 50 states.

Library and Physical Facilities

The college is self-contained in a contemporary building that provides all facilities for a complete program of legal education. All classrooms have been renovated with the addition of state-of-the-art teaching technology. Classrooms provide for student use of laptop computers with wired and wireless Internet access. The law library is on the college's wireless network with a number of attractive study areas, and laptops are available for you to check out and use in the library.

Curriculum

UK Law offers a full-time program only, designed to be completed over three academic years or two and one-half years if you take classes during both summer sessions. Some first-year classes are divided into three sections to give you more individual attention, and you will be in a small legal writing section. As an upper-level student, you can select from a full range of elective courses in both traditional and newly developing legal fields. After the first year, the only specific requirements are that you take a course in professional ethics, take at least one professional skills course, and complete a seminar involving substantial writing.

Legal Clinic

UK Law's Legal Clinic is located in its own building near the college. As a third-year student in the clinic course, you would represent low-income clients in a variety of civil legal matters. The clinic is supervised by a faculty member who was a very successful trial attorney for 10 years.

Externships

UK Law offers 10 externships for course credit. The Judicial Clerkship Externship enables you to serve as a law clerk for a local state or federal judge. The Fayette Commonwealth Attorney's Office Externship enables you to participate in criminal prosecutions. The Federal Correctional Institute Externship permits you to counsel federal inmates in civil and criminal matters. In the externship with the Kentucky Innocence Project, you work on selected criminal appeals where a claim of factual innocence is made. The externship with the US Attorney's Office gives you the opportunity to work on federal appellate briefs in both criminal and civil cases. The Children's Law Center Externship allows you to work on high-conflict custody cases representing children, while the Child Advocacy Today Externship gives you the opportunity to help at-risk children where their legal and medical issues intersect. The Department of Public Advocacy Externship enables you to work with the defense in criminal trials. The externship with the UK HealthCare Risk Management Office gives you firsthand experience with hospital risk management issues and procedures. The Energy and Environment Cabinet Externship gives you insight into the legal and policy issues arising from energy development and environmental protection.

Joint Degrees

If you are interested in a career in international law, public or private law, international business, or in government service in the international sector, you should consider the four-year JD/MA dual-degree program with UK's Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. You must apply and be admitted to both programs.

The JD/MBA joint degree can be obtained in as little time as four years. You must apply and be admitted to both the UK College of Law and UK's Gatton College of Business and Economics.

If you are interested in a career in public administration, public service, or politics, you should consider the four-year JD/MPA joint-degree program with UK's Martin School of Public Policy. You must apply and be admitted to both programs.

Student Activities

There are a variety of cocurricular activities in which you may earn course credit. The Kentucky Law Journal is the 10th oldest American law review and is edited entirely by students, as is the Kentucky Journal for Equine, Agricultural, and Natural Resources Law. The college fields several moot court teams that participate in both national and international competitions. UK Law's Trial Advocacy Team advanced to national title competitions in six of the last seven years, placing second nationally in 2009. The Mock Trial Team for UK's Black Law Students Association won the Southeast Region of the Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition in both 2006 and 2008, placing second in the nation in 2006.

UK Law's Student Bar Association (SBA) serves as the law student governing body and student activities board. The SBA publishes a weekly online student newspaper and sponsors regular student social events and community service activities. UK's SBA was recognized by the ABA as the best student bar association in the nation in 2002.

The Student Public Interest Law Foundation, through grants and fundraising, sponsors 15 to 20 summer internships with public interest and public service organizations selected by the students who apply. Other active student groups include the Black Law Students Association, the Latino/a Law Student Association, the Asian-Pacific Islander Law Student Association, OUTLaw, the Women's Law Caucus, the Federalist Society, the American Constitutional Society, the Criminal Law Society, the International Law Society, the Environmental Law Society, the Equine Law Society, the Health Law Society, the Intellectual Property Law Society, the Tax Law Society, the Libertarian Law Society, and the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Admission

Admission is considered and granted by the faculty Admissions Committee. Each file is reviewed completely and is voted on by the full committee. While your undergraduate academic record and LSAT score(s) are the primary indicators for potential success in law school, all other factors you present will be considered. You are urged to read the full description of the admission process on our website and to provide full information about your intellectual and nonacademic achievements. The February LSAT is the last examination accepted by the Admissions Committee for that year. In almost all cases, your highest LSAT score will be used by the committee in making the admission decision. Admission as a first-year student is for the fall term only.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Over 60 percent of UK Law's 2011 entering class received some form of scholarship award. UK Law offers a number of three-year scholarships based on merit and/or contributions to diversity, for which you will be considered automatically after admission. For the largest and most prestigious award, the Bert Combs Scholarship, you must be selected for an interview. UK Law also offers three-year merit and diversity tuition-reduction fellowships for nonresidents of Kentucky. You have the option of including a brief statement about your eligibility for merit and/or diversity awards with your admission application, but a separate scholarship application is not required. UK Law students are eligible for loan assistance through the Federal Direct Student Loan Program and federal graduate PLUS loan program, as well as through national private loan programs. Admitted candidates are mailed complete information on financial aid. To receive forms and information prior to admission, contact UK's Student Financial Aid Office, 128 Funkhouser Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0054.

Career Services

UK Law students have the benefit of a large on-campus job interview program for regional employers, as well as national placement through the college's participation in numerous off-campus interviewing conferences. The Career Services Office also uses alumni contacts to connect students with employers nationwide. Two UK Law graduates who are former practicing attorneys are on staff to offer advice and guidance to UK Law students and alumni.

UK Law's job placement rate consistently exceeds national averages. For the 2010 graduating class, 95 percent were employed or in advanced-degree programs within nine months after graduation. A majority of UK Law graduates choose private practice, with 15 to 25 percent of each graduating class selected for prestigious state and federal judicial clerkships.

Applicant Profile

University of Kentucky College of Law

This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.

	GPA
LSAT Score	3.75+	3.50–3.74	3.25–3.49	3.00–3.24	2.75–2.99	2.50–2.74	2.25–2.49	2.00–2.24	Below 2.00
LSAT score 175–180	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely
LSAT score 170–174	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely
LSAT score 165–169	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 160–164	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 155–159	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 150–154	Good	Good	Good	Good	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 145–149	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 140–144	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 135–139	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 130–134	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 125–129	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 120–124	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely

Good  = Good Possibility

Possible  = Possible

Unlikely  = Unlikely