Academics

The University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. The J.D. program requires the completion of 90 semester hours, which can be completed on either a full-time or part-time basis. The full-time program is a three-year course of study for students who are able to devote virtually all of their time to the study of law. The part-time program is designed to meet the needs of students who have outside obligations and is generally completed in four or five years. Students may switch from part-time to the full-time program after completing their first semester of study.

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 to remain in good academic standing.

The Brandeis School of Law also offers eight dual degree programs; clinics, externships and skills certificates; and study abroad opportunities. The school has a heavy focus on public service for additional hands-on education, and offers an Academic Success Program to assist students in developing and enhancing the critical skills necessary to succeed on campus and beyond.

The program of study at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law prepares graduates to:

  1. Build upon a solid understanding of core legal principles of substantive and procedural law, as required by state bar examinations, including the Kentucky Bar Exam, and for entry-level practice in a variety of settings.
  2. Analyze client problems, in the realm of law or policy, by identifying and articulating legal issues, factual issues, and governing law, and performing a sound a focused legal analysis and resolution of issues presented.
  3. Use a variety of written and oral communication strategies central to lawyering in the litigation and transactional context.
  4. Conduct legal research as needed to advise or advocate on behalf of clients.
  5. Interview and counsel clients in a range of practice settings and across a range of substantive fields, using problem-solving strategies when appropriate. 
  6. Recognize and assume proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system.
  7. Demonstrate commitment to professional formation involving lifelong, self-directed careers in law.
  8. Understand legal issues from diverse perspectives.