Student Life News

Distinguished Bankruptcy Law Student Award – Self Nominations due by May 17

kkball01 — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:33:14 -0400

The Executive Committee of the Midwest Regional Bankruptcy Seminar has established the Distinguished Bankruptcy Law Student Award. The award was created to recognize both excellence and achievement in the field of bankruptcy and corporate restructuring law, and to encourage the pursuit of a career in bankruptcy law and corporate restructuring.

Dean Ballard is accepting student self nominations through May 17, 2013. Nominees for the MRBS Distinguished Law Student Award will be a first or second year law student with a superior academic record, a strong interest in the practice of bankruptcy law and corporate restructuring, and a commitment to pursuing a career in the practice.

To self nominate, please send your resume and a statement of interest in the fields of bankruptcy law and corporate restructuring to Dean Ballard by May 17. Members of the Executive Committee will select up to four students from law schools in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky to receive the award. The recipients will receive:

• Complimentary registration at the Midwest Regional Bankruptcy Seminar scheduled for August 22-23 in Cincinnati, Ohio;
• Reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses;
• Two nights stay at the Westin Hotel in Cincinnati;
• Invitations to the Reds game on August 21 and faculty dinner on August 22;
• Listing of the Distinguished Law Student recipients on the MRBS website; and
• Recognition and award during lunch on August 22.

KBA YLD $500 Bar Study Scholarship – Deadline May 17

kkball01 — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:32:07 -0400

The Young Lawyers Division of the Kentucky Bar Association will award a $500 bar study award to a graduating University of Louisville Law student based on the following criteria:
The $500 award shall be granted to a graduating 3L or 4L who: (1) has made a significant contribution to his/her law school community (with preference for participation in student organizations such as the Student Bar Association); (2) has a demonstrated need for financial assistance; and (3) intends to practice in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The award shall be used for expenses associated with taking the Kentucky Bar Exam in July 2013. Individuals wishing to apply for the award should submit a one-page letter detailing why he/she should receive the award along with a resume to Dean Ballard by May 17, at 5:00 p.m. The determination will be made in the sole discretion of the Executive Committee of Young Lawyers Division of the Kentucky Bar Association.

Joseph L. and Shannon A. Hamilton Law School Bar Review Scholarship - May 17 Application Deadline

kkball01 — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:28:17 -0400

The Joseph L. and Shannon A. Hamilton Law School Bar Review Fund will be used to make financial awards to students for whom payment of expenses related to Kentucky Bar Exam Review courses and related course materials would otherwise result in financial hardship.

Interested students must be currently enrolled (in good standing) or recent graduates of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. A recent graduate is defined for this purpose as someone who completed law school within one year of the bar exam review course for which support is being sought. Qualified students will be of high moral character, demonstrate excellent writing and analytical skills, and show a commitment to serious preparation for the Kentucky Bar Exam. A candidate’s grades will be taken into account as one factor, but not the primary factor for consideration. A successful candidate for an award must show that he or she cannot otherwise afford to pay for a Bar Exam Review Course and/or the Bar Exam review materials.

To be considered for a scholarship, you must submit the completed application and required documents to Dean Ballard by May 17, 2013, at 5:00 p.m.

Tony Arnold Wins University Trustees Award

vmsmit06 — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:03:06 -0400

Professor Tony Arnold’s innovative educational methods and “unparalleled devotion to students” have won him the University of Louisville’s 2013 Trustees Award. The annual award, selected by the Board of Trustees, recognizes a faculty member for extraordinary impact on students and is considered by many to be the highest honor the University bestows on a faculty member. Arnold will receive a plaque and a $5,000 cash award and will give a speech at the University Commencement ceremonies in May 2013.

Arnold is the Boehl Chair in Property and Land Use at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. He holds an affiliated appointment in the Department of Urban and Public Affairs and directs the Center for Land Use and Environmental Responsibility.

Twenty-nine of Arnold’s former students in law and urban planning wrote letters of support for Interim Dean Susan Duncan’s nomination of Arnold. When news of his selection was posted on Facebook, hundreds of his former students “liked” or commented on it.

The fact that Arnold remains connected with his former students, many of whom he counts as friends, says a lot about the importance of mentoring to him. He is grateful for the positive, lasting influence of his own mentors, which has motivated him to make mentoring a core part of his role as a teacher. He often goes out of his way to be available to help students. One student described Arnold as “a compassionate professor and mentor that always goes above and beyond his call of duty to see students succeed.” A former student talked about how Arnold’s belief in her helped her to overcome her under-confidence as an African American woman from a western Kentucky farm family. With his encouragement and support, she received a national fellowship from the American Association of University Women and went on to realize her dream of working on agriculture policy and justice with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC. Others wrote about how he connected them with a job or internship opportunity. Many students credited their professional and personal success to Arnold’s mentoring.

His students praised his innovative experiential-learning methods that integrate intellectual rigor with development of practical skills. They stated that his methods should be a national model for legal education and that his courses were among the best they had ever had. He teaches a Land Use and Planning Law class in which interdisciplinary teams of law and urban planning students work on service-learning projects for government agencies or nonprofit organizations. Many of these projects have actually influenced public policy, and one – an urban tree canopy plan for Louisville – won a statewide planning award. His Real Estate Transactions class is structured around simulated negotiation and drafting of complex transactional documents based on real-world examples. Student after student wrote about how they were able to use practical skills learned in Arnold’s classes in the professional world, but also were able to see issues deeply, critically, and from multiple disciplines.

Students also expressed great enthusiasm for Arnold’s field-study land and water conservation seminars, in which he organizes many extensive field trips that take students to the sites of real-world environmental issues, where they discuss them with the participants. One student wrote, “It is one thing to learn about the conservation efforts taking place at the Green River dam in the classroom; it is quite another thing to learn about them at the riverside from the people on the ground. The courses were extraordinary and Professor Arnold really highlighted the intersection of the law and extra-legal disciplines as a vehicle for collaborative problem solving.”

Arnold is not only a distinguished teacher and mentor but also an internationally renowned multidisciplinary scholar. He received the University’s top award for outstanding research and scholarship in the social sciences in 2011, and his publications have been cited by scholars, policy-makers, and professionals over 1700 times. Arnold’s students articulated the tremendous value of being taught by a prominent expert. His obvious enthusiasm for his subject matter has created a positive and effective learning environment, as well as research innovations that are influencing our ideas and institutions.

University Trustee Bruce Henderson stated that Arnold’s “approach to scholarship, teaching and practice is cutting-edge, dynamic, multi-dimensional, and practical.” Arnold states that he hopes to make a positive difference in the world, not only through his own research and public service but also through the impact that he has on the education and lives of his students.

Arnold received his Bachelor of Arts with Highest Distinction from the University of Kansas in 1987, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence with Distinction from Stanford University in 1990. After five years in law practice, he returned to Stanford Law School as a Teaching Fellow in 1995-96. He has taught at several universities and joined the University of Louisville in 2005.

Joseph L. and Shannon A. Hamilton Law School Bar Review Scholarship - Applications due May 17

kkball01 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:27:39 -0400

We are excited to announce a new bar exam scholarship opportunity for UofL Law students!

To be considered for a scholarship, you must submit the completed application and required documents to Dean Ballard by May 17, 2013.

Applications are available from Dean Ballard (Office 216), or you may email Dean Ballard to request an application via email.

Deadlines Approaching for Several Scholarships, Award Nominations, and Writing Competitions

kkball01 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:26:35 -0400

As you finish your final exams this week, please take a look at the summary of scholarship and writing competition opportunities that have deadlines during the summer. Information about all of these opportunities has been posted in the Docket over the last several weeks, but are now summarized for your convenience. There is something for everyone - even graduating law students. If you have questions, contact Dean Ballard at 852-8956. Good Luck!

Deadlines Approaching for Several Scholarships, Award Nominations, and Writing Competitions

kkball01 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:31:39 -0400

Joseph L. and Shannon A. Hamilton Law School Bar Review Scholarship - Applications due May 17

kkball01 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:44:07 -0400

We are excited to announce a new bar exam scholarship opportunity for UofL Law students!

To be considered for a scholarship, you must submit the completed application and required documents to Dean Ballard by May 17, 2013.

Applications are available from Dean Ballard (Office 216), or you may email Dean Ballard to request an application via email.

Honors & Awards Ceremony Photos

vmsmit06 — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:42:55 -0400

Honors and Awards Ceremony, April 12, 2013

Photo Gallery

Enrollment Is Open for Summer and Fall Externships

kkball01 — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:57:54 -0400

It's not too late to apply.

Externships offer unique opportunities for learning lawyering skills, exploring career options, and making valuable contacts in the legal community. Many externship experiences will be offered this summer and during the Fall 2013 semester, including opportunities for students who have completed the 1L curriculum. Externships are open to students in academic good standing who have completed prerequisites.

1L Curriculum:
o Summer Judicial Externship

1L Curriculum + 40 credit hours:
o Metro Government Externship
o General Electric Externship
o Fall Judicial Externship

1L Curriculum + 60 credit hours:
o Legal Aid Externship
o Fort Knox Externship

1L + 60 credit hours + Evidence and CrimPro: Constitutional Issues:
o Commonwealth Attorney’s Office Externship
o County Attorney’s Office Externship
o Department of Public Advocacy/Public Defender Externship

More detailed information about opportunities is available on the TWEN course titled Externship INFORMATION. Contact Professor Jordan (karen.jordan@louisville.edu) for information or questions.