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

The first-year curriculum is standardized for all entering students, with electives offered in subsequent years. All first-year students begin the study of law in the Fall semester. During the first academic year, full-time first year students take 31 hours of coursework. Part-time students take 22 hours of coursework in the first year.  (Note:  effective during the 2012/2013 academic year, full-time first-year law students will take 29 hours of courswork during the first academic year; part-time students will take 16 to 19 hours.)

Full-Time

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.  Effective Fall 2012 and Spring 2013.

For Basic Legal Skills, students will have two hours of class per week in the fall and one hour of class per week in the spring. They will receive credit for the class at the end of the spring semester.

Part-Time

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 the part time program to the full time program during their second semester of study.  Effective Fall 2012 and Spring 2013.

Part-time students will take 16-19 hours in the first year.