More than 100 students from the Brandeis School of Law volunteered their time Aug. 14 as part of “Community Service Day,” a new, optional program offered as part of the school’s student orientation. Activities also are planned for Aug. 15.

Volunteer opportunities ranged from trash pick-up and dog walking to painting and yard work. The Student Bar Association-organized program included nine different agencies in the Louisville area.

The community service option seemed to be a welcome addition to the orientation program, said Kathleen Bean, professor and associate dean for Student Life at the law school.

“We had 109 of 142 students sign up in advance and a few added themselves after they got here,” she said.

Read the full story, Law school students embrace community service, and view more photos.

Operation Brightside Volunteers Clean Up Central Park
Volunteers Bag Donations for the Family Scholar House	Donated Cleaning Supplies
Ross Neuhauser, Ross Jordan, Jeremy Climer, Ryan Anderson, Jackie Clowers, Alex White, John Friend and Virginia M. Smith volunteered at Habitat for Humanity.

This year's Innovation and Communication Law conference will focus mainly on the role intellectual property and communications law play in the dissemination of information. As a result, discussion will focus less on the creation of rights and more on how the legal system helps (or hinders) the development of knowledge.

Attendance at the Saturday morning session has been approved for two CLE ethics credits.

The event will be held this Friday and Saturday, August 21-22, at the Louisville Marriott Downtown.

Free tickets are available to students, but meals are not included.

For more information, visit: www.law.louisville.edu/CICL

The law library returns to its regular schedule on Monday, August 17. During the fall semester, we will generally be open from 8 AM - 11 PM Monday thru Thursday, 8 AM - 6 PM on Fridays, 9AM - 6 PM on Saturdays, and 1 PM - 11 PM on Sundays.

Refer to the library hours for details and excpetions.

The Director of Academic Success is pleased to announce that the following 10 upper-division law students have been chosen to serve as Academic Fellows in the fall:

Brian Bennett

Holly Hudelson

Megan Keane

Tina Nance

Rexena Napier

Bradley Palmer

Aaron Price

Kristine Tarra Ragan

Maddie Schueler

Andrew Swafford

The Brandeis Academic Fellows will be responsible for facilitating weekly structured study group sessions in Contracts for all first-year students.  The 10 Academic Fellows were selected based on their solid academic records, interpersonal skills, maturity and genuine willingness to assist first-year law students learn effective law school study skills.   

Dear Law School community:

 

The Law School will be OPEN on Friday, August 7.  All faculty and staff should report according to the normal schedule.

 

Some basement areas, especially in the library, may remain inaccessible.  Please observe posted signs regarding access.

 

On behalf of the Law School, I thank the University of Louisville workers who have labored tirelessly to bring our campus back from Tuesday's storm.

 

Best wishes,

 

Jim Chen

Dean

• Flood Updates from the Provost
  
• Belknap Campus, School of Public Health closed Wednesday after flooding

Please help us welcome the first-year class by participating in their Community Service Day. 

The Student Bar Association has come up with an incredible list of service projects for the first years’ Community Service Day, an optional activity scheduled as part of Orientation.  All students, not just first years, are invited and encouraged to participate.  Faculty and Staff will also be participating.

For a complete list of projects, click here.
 

The law library has implemented a new mechanism for keeping you abreast of the new books we add to the collection. Using a proprietary computer process, we are now listing the titles of new books directly on the law library's web page. Titles for the five most recent books added to the library's collection will be listed there. Click on the "More" link to see even more titles. They will also be posted to our Twitter account @lawlibnewbooks.

The law school sponsored four Central High School Law and Government magnet students to attend the Summer Law Institute from June 15-20, an annual program for high school students interested in the law and legal profession. Tia Coleman, co-valedictorian of her graduating class, was among them. Ms. Coleman won the Justice McAnulty Essay contest for seniors and was also the overall winner. She plans to attend UofL in the fall.

The program, which is sponsored by the LBA, Brandeis School of Law, and Bellarmine University, provides students an opportunity to meet and interact with local attorneys, judges, and law professors. During the week-long camp, they learned the fundamentals of trial procedure, discussed important legal and social issues, and studied how the law affects their lives. They also participated in workshops, took trips to the Jefferson County Judicial Center and Bellarmine, and prepared and presented a mock trial.

Photo provided by Cynthia M. Robinson, LBA Public Service Director | (from left to right): Jazmine Hudson, Jasmine Thornton, Tia Coleman, A'shia Blake

On Saturday, May 9, members of the law school's Class of 2009 were awarded their Juris Doctor degrees at a ceremony that was held at the Brown Theater in Louisville, KY. Senator Mitch McConnell delivered the convocation address.

On the previous evening, Friday, May 8, members of the law school's graduating class came together with family and friends to be recognized for their work in law school and to celebrate the completion of this phase in their education.

The law school has a rich history of both academic excellence and service to the community. Our graduates exemplify these characteristics. We are proud to honor them at the close of their education.

Programs & Photo Galleries

• 2009 Graduation Ceremony
• Black Law Students Association Convocation
• Graduation Reception
• Graduates' Awards Program

On May 26, Rob Shetterly presented his portrait of Louis D. Brandeis at both Central High School and the law school. This recent addition to the Maine artist’s collection of “Americans Who Tell the Truth” was suggested by Laura Rothstein who became inspired after having attended a reception and display of his collection at the Louisville Visual Art Association last year. The portraits are of Americans whose words and works demonstrate the importance of the First Amendment in American life.

The quote on the portrait reads:

Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher.  Crime is contagious.  If government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for the law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.

 Photo credits: Leslie Friesen and Michael Ben-Avraham | Click on each photograph to view a larger image.

Rob Shetterly with his portrait of Justice Brandeis.
Rob Shetterly shares images from his collection "Americans Who Tell the Truth".			Rob Shetterly answers questions from the audience; looking on are Provost Shirley Willihnganz and Professor Laura Rothstein.
Rob Shetterly signs a copy of his book, "Americans Who Tell the Truth" for Brandeis Law School professor Cedric Merlin Powell and his son, Coleman.			Rob Shetterly talks to television reporter; audience members Doug Farnsley, Owsley Brown (who with his wife, Christy, provided underwriting for the event), and Carl Bensinger (Brandeis Law School alum).