University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
Phone: 502.852.6364; Fax: 502.852.8971
E-mail: lawadmissions@louisville.edu; Website: www.law.louisville.edu
Founded in 1846, the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law is Kentucky's oldest law school and America's fifth oldest law school in continuous operation. Heir to the legacy of Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the school is distinguished by a rich history, national outreach, and profound dedication to public service. UofL Law is an integral part of the University of Louisville, a premier research institution founded in 1798.
UofL Law is exceptional in many ways. We boast a strong core curriculum, enhanced by specialized and interdisciplinary studies. We offer a full-time program (three years) and a part-time program (four or five years). Faculty members dedicated to both teaching and research guide students with strong academic skills and diverse backgrounds. From a supportive legal community, we draw in job opportunities and adjuncts who bring their real-world expertise to the classroom. International exchanges, for faculty and for students, expose our school to global opportunities.
The metropolitan area, with a population of approximately one million, combines a gracious ambience of southern hospitality with cultural, aesthetic, and recreational attractions, including historic Churchill Downs, the Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Speed Art Museum, the brand new state-of-the-art KFC Yum! Center, and the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice. UofL Law is located minutes away from the largest legal community in the region. Our expansive alumni network spanning 49 states and six countries is invaluable to your success.
The School of Law enrolls first-year students beginning in the fall semester, which starts in August. Candidates may apply for admission to either the full-time (three-year) division or the part-time (four-to-five-year) division.
Candidates must have completed a bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university prior to enrollment. All undergraduate majors are acceptable, with courses that emphasize critical reasoning, writing, and communication skills recognized as good preparation for the study of law. With an entering class of 140 each fall, first-year class sizes seldom exceed 70 students. Basic Legal Skills (the first-year writing course) is broken down into smaller class sizes of around 22 students.
The entire student body, composed of almost as many women as men, numbers around 400, allowing every student the opportunity to develop close relationships with his or her professors.
Professors at UofL Law are masters of the intellectual and practical skills central to success in the legal profession. Many UofL Law professors have practiced law, worked in government, or clerked for federal judges. Our faculty excels in teaching, scholarship, and service to the community. They collaborate with colleagues at other law schools and in other departments at the University of Louisville. Public officials throughout the United States often rely on their expertise.
With 35 full-time faculty members (including 13 women and 4 faculty members of color) and numerous part-time or adjunct teachers, the faculty-to-student ratio is 1 to 13. Students have the opportunity to explore issues important to them through close cooperation with individual members of the faculty.
The law school's full-time and part-time divisions are both daytime programs, with all classes occurring between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Both divisions share the same curriculum, faculty, and academic standards. The foundational classes during the first year are standardized for students. After completing the first-year curriculum, students choose from core courses in doctrinal subjects, advanced research and writing, and professional responsibility. Students may also take advantage of a rich variety of specialized and interdisciplinary electives.
A highly successful Academic Success Program directed by Kimberly Ballard, a magna cum laude graduate of UofL Law, offers structured study groups, academic success seminars, a library with study aids, and individual academic counseling. The Academic Success Office at UofL Law is committed to helping every student achieve his or her full potential.
Reflecting the spirit of Justice Louis D. Brandeis, UofL Law was one of America's first five law schools to adopt public service as part of the prescribed course of study. Through this public service work, students develop practical skills, serve their communities, and establish professional values. All students are required to complete 30 hours of pro bono service as a condition of graduation.
During the 2010–2011 academic year, over 100 placements were maintained, 11 of which were new to the program. Within these 100 placements existed over 200 service opportunities, which allowed each student to be matched to a public service choice that was of the most interest to them.
The law school is housed in Wilson W. Wyatt Hall, a gracious colonial-style building overlooking the formal entrance to the University of Louisville's Belknap Campus—a traditional college campus located in an urban setting.
The school's law library houses a collection of more than 400,000 volumes and microform volume equivalents, carefully selected to aid student instruction and promote research. The library still receives original briefs of the US Supreme Court—a rare distinction for a law school and a practice originated by Justice Brandeis that continues today.
State-of-the-art instructional and research technologies; two computer labs; the Allen Courtroom's contemporary litigation environment; wireless access in the library, classrooms, and common areas; and a full-time technology staff provide a wealth of services to every law student. The school's website serves as our community bulletin board. Students can download course syllabi, assignments, handouts, old exams, and other materials; browse job listings from the Office of Professional Development; review the Academic Support Program's catalog of study aids; and get news, calendars, schedules, and more. Technology is increasingly part of legal teaching and learning as the faculty continue to incorporate presentations and Internet resources into the classroom experience.
The School of Law offers seven dual-degree programs designed to enhance the students' understanding, skills, and career opportunities in both areas of study. Each program requires application and admission to both participating schools. Programs include the Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA); Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Political Science (JD/MAPS); Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Bioethics and Medical Humanities (JD/MA); Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Humanities (JD/MAH); Juris Doctor/Master of Divinity (JD/MDiv) at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary; Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Social Work (JD/MSSW); and Juris Doctor/Master of Urban Planning (JD/MUP).
The school also operates clinical externship programs in which upper-class students, with supervision, represent clients and appear in court. A third-year student may receive credit by working in the criminal arena (DA or PD), the tax arena (IRS), the judicial branch (various judges), family law (Center for Women and Families or Legal Aid Society), or technology (University of Louisville Office of Technology Transfer).
The law school operates a live-client clinic, housed in the same building as the Legal Aid Society. Under the direction and supervision of faculty, students in the clinic gain experience interacting with and representing clients.
International experience is another unique opportunity. The Brandeis School offers faculty or student exchanges with law schools in France, England, Germany, Finland, Australia, and South Africa.
Participating annually in about a dozen moot court and professional skills competitions, the law school has won several regional and national championships, including, most recently, the New York University Immigration Law Moot Court Competition and the National Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Competition.
Real clients, real cases, real problems, and real solutions are what you'll find at the UofL Law Clinic. Law students gain practical experience applying their newly acquired legal skills to public housing and domestic violence cases. Students act as primary attorneys under the supervision of the clinic's director.
Students are also actively involved in writing for and publishing the University of Louisville Law Review, the Journal of Law and Education, and the Journal of Animal and Environmental Law.
Graduates of the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law consistently achieve high employment rates.
Applicants may apply beginning October 1 through March 15. Both full-time and part-time first-year students must start classes in the fall semester.
For the best chance of consideration, it is recommended that the LSAT be taken no later than December. Scores from LSATs taken in June, prior to the first semester of enrollment, will be considered only under extraordinary circumstances.
This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.
| GPA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT Score |
3.75+ Apps |
3.75+ Adm |
3.50– 3.74 Apps |
3.50– 3.74 Adm |
3.25– 3.49 Apps |
3.25– 3.49 Adm |
3.00– 3.24 Apps |
3.00– 3.24 Adm |
2.75– 2.99 Apps |
2.75– 2.99 Adm |
2.50– 2.74 Apps |
2.50– 2.74 Adm |
2.25– 2.49 Apps |
2.25– 2.49 Adm |
2.00– 2.24 Apps |
2.00– 2.24 Adm |
Below 2.00 Apps |
Below 2.00 Adm |
No GPA Apps |
No GPA Adm |
Total Apps |
Total Adm |
| LSAT score 175–180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LSAT score 170–174 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| LSAT score 165–169 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 20 |
| LSAT score 160–164 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 109 | 94 |
| LSAT score 155–159 | 51 | 47 | 58 | 46 | 78 | 58 | 94 | 43 | 35 | 9 | 32 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 374 | 216 |
| LSAT score 150–154 | 45 | 24 | 77 | 24 | 111 | 23 | 111 | 12 | 70 | 3 | 53 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 492 | 92 |
| LSAT score 145–149 | 13 | 6 | 52 | 13 | 49 | 5 | 48 | 4 | 40 | 1 | 40 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 273 | 31 |
| LSAT score 140–144 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 157 | 5 |
| LSAT score 135–139 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| LSAT score 130–134 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| LSAT score 125–129 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| LSAT score 120–124 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 140 | 106 | 234 | 109 | 296 | 110 | 322 | 87 | 189 | 21 | 174 | 21 | 73 | 5 | 35 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1479 | 464 |
Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 100% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.