UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE -

LOUIS D. BRANDEIS SCHOOL OF LAW

2301 SOUTH THIRD STREET

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 40292

Telephone: (502) 852-6358

Fax: (502) 852-0862

URL: http://www.louisville.edu/brandeislaw

ABA Approved Since 1931

Institutions, like individuals, have distinct characteristics. The Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville is Kentucky's national law school‑‑an institution distinguished by a rich history, global perspective, and profound dedication to public service.  As America's fifth oldest law school in continuous operation, the School of Law has been preparing lawyers for careers in practice, the judiciary, public administration, and allied professions since 1846. One of America's greatest jurists, Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, gave the School his personal library (over 250,000 items) and chose the School's classical portico as his final resting place. With assistance from Justice Brandeis, the School also became custodian of papers of another historic figure: Justice John Marshall Harlan.

 

Justice Brandeis envisioned a "law school of distinction" in his native city of Louisville.  His vision focused on collegial teaching and learning, interdisciplinary scholarship, development of innovative ideas in public policy, and  cultivating an ethos of public service. Today, the Brandeis School is one of the first five institutions in the country to adopt pro bono service as part of the prescribed course of study. All students participate in the public service program, deriving invaluable experience from working with real people and real problems under professional supervision. They also learn the values that make the practice of law a noble profession, not merely a commercial occupation.

 

Today's students also will find a diverse faculty with outstanding academic credentials as well as remarkable achievements in the "real world" of law and public affairs. Among the law schools represented on the faculty are Harvard, Yale, Chicago, Stanford, Michigan, Virginia, New York University, Georgetown, Duke, Vanderbilt, Iowa and Wisconsin.

 

The law building, Wilson W. Wyatt Hall, is a gracious blend of colonial and modern architecture located on a park‑like campus, where it provides an excellent environment for learning. The surrounding city is ranked by Rand McNally's "Places Rated Almanac" as one of America's ten most livable metropolitan communities; an American Bar Association Journal article has named it as one of the nation's top ten places to practice law.

 

The School offers five degree programs. One program leads to the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree; the others lead to combined degrees. Students may pursue a combination of J.D. and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degrees or may choose an innovative combination of the J.D. and Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degrees or J.D. and Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) or J.D. and Master of Science in Humanities. The Juris Doctor program is available for both day and evening students.

 

With an attractive student‑faculty ratio of 15:1 and an expansive curriculum of more than 100 courses, the School provides a generous array of educational choices. Students receive a thorough education in core legal subjects, coupled with an opportunity to pursue specialized interests. Graduating students benefit from an academic support program and personalized career advising, resulting in a higher job placement rate than the national average.

 

Students receive skills training through rigorous writing courses; curricular offerings in trial practice, appellate advocacy, dispute resolution, negotiation and counseling; and thirteen national moot court programs. Students produce the Brandeis Law Journal and the Journal of Law and Education. Students may participate in several internship programs with federal and state trial judges, federal and state prosecutors, public defender offices, and the Legal Aid Society.

 

Recognizing the global dimensions of modern legal scholarship and law practice, the Brandeis School has developed an ambitious program of international law courses, special speakers and foreign exchanges. The school exchanges faculty with other law schools in England, France, Germany, Finland, Japan, China, Australia, South Africa, and Morocco. In response to the growing importance of environmental law, the University of Louisville has established an interdisciplinary Kentucky Institute for the Environment and Sustainable Development, with a Center for Environmental Policy located at the School of Law. The School also hosts the annual Carl A. Warns Labor and Employment Law Institute, as well as the annual Brandeis and Harlan lectures.

 

The Law Library contains approximately 400,000 volumes of books and microforms as well as more than 5,000 legal subscriptions. The library has a computerized catalog system and two computer laboratories for student research or word‑processing. LEXIS and WESTLAW services, CD‑ROM materials, computer‑assisted legal instruction (CALI) programs, and access to the Internet are available. A state‑of‑the‑art courtroom and special seminar rooms have voice activated video and computer imaging technology.

 

Admissions are competitive; the 2005 entering class of 137 students was selected from 1,237 fully completed applications. The priority deadline for admission applications is March 1 of each year. Because the University of Louisville is a public institution, tuition rates are reasonable; in addition, the Brandeis School commits over $600,000 annually to scholarship aid.

 

The School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools. Louisville law alumni/ae serve the legal profession, the business community, and allied professions in 50 states or territories and in numerous foreign countries. More than one‑third of all Kentucky lawyers and more than half of all Louisville lawyers are U of L law graduates. The alumni/ae include past or present members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, past governors of Kentucky, a past president of the American Bar Association, a past commander of the U.S. Strategic Air Command, the deans and faculty of several other law schools, the director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs.

 

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Dean:

James Ming Chen (502) 852‑6879

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs:

Timothy S. Hall (502) 852‑6361

Library Director:

David Ensign (502) 852‑6058

Assistant Dean for Administration:

Donald F. Olson (502) 852‑6092

Assistant Dean for Admissions:

Jack D. Cox, Jr. (502) 852‑6391

Assistant Dean for Career Services:

Jerie L. Torbeck (502) 852‑6096

Director of Development:

Robert Micou (502) 852‑3036

Public Service Program Director:

Mary Jo Gleason (502) 852‑8850

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FULL TIME FACULTY

 

JAMES MING CHEN, (Dean and Professor of Law), born Taipei, Taiwan, December 17, 1966; admitted to bar, 1991, Virginia; 1993, District of Columbia. Education: Georgia Institute of Technology; Emory University (B.A., 1987; M.A., 1987); University of Iceland; Harvard University Law School (J.D., 1991). COURSES: Agricultural Law, Legislation, Regulated Industries, Constitutional Law, Industrial Policy, Administrative Law. Email: jim.chen@louisville.edu

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LESLIE W. ABRAMSON, (Frost Brown Todd Professor of Law), born Louisville, Kentucky, January 22, 1946; admitted to bar, 1971, Kentucky. Education: Cornell University (A.B., 1968); University of Michigan (J.D., 1971); University of Wisconsin (LL.M., 1978; S.J.D., 1979). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Professional Responsibility, Antitrust. Email: les.abramson@louisville.edu

 

CRAIG A. ARNOLD, (Professor of Law and Boehl Chair in Property and Land Use), born Montreal, Canada, May 22, 1965; admitted to bar, 1990, Missouri; 1992, Texas. Education: University of Kansas (B.A., 1987); Stanford Law School (J.D., 1990). COURSES: Property. Email: tony.arnold@louisville.edu

 

KATHLEEN S. BEAN, (Professor of Law), born Peru, Indiana, July 7, 1953; admitted to bar, 1978, Iowa. Education: Ball State University (B.S., 1973); Drake University (J.D., 1978). COURSES: Property, Domestic Relations, Legal Skills. Email: kathybean@louisville.edu

 

R. THOMAS BLACKBURN, JR., (Professor of Law), born Boston, Massachusetts, April 30, 1945; admitted to bar, 1971, Kentucky. Education: University of Kentucky (B.S., 1967); Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1971); Harvard University (LL.M., 1988). COURSES: Taxation, Corporations, Business and Estate Planning. Email: tblackburn@louisville.edu

 

JOHN T. CROSS, (Professor of Law and Grosscurth Chair in Intellectual Property), born Lincoln, Illinois, August 9, 1959; admitted to bar, 1984, Minnesota. Education: Bradley University (B.S., 1981); University of Illinois (J.D., 1984). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Federal Courts, Bankruptcy, Debtor‑Creditor Law, Business Torts, Intellectual Property, Secured Transactions, Law and Computers. Email: john.cross@louisville.edu

 

RONALD W. EADES, (Professor of Law and Distinguished University Scholar), born Lexington, Kentucky, September 6, 1948; admitted to bar, 1974, Tennessee; 1984, Kentucky. Education: Rhodes College (B.A., 1970); Memphis State University (J.D., 1973); Harvard University (LL.M., 1977). COURSES: Torts, Workers Compensation, Products Liability, First Amendment. Email: ron.eades@louisville.edu

 

DAVID JAMES ENSIGN, (Library Director and Professor of Law), born Wichita, Kansas, August 10, 1950; admitted to bar, 1983, Kansas. Education: University of Kansas (B.A., 1972); Emporia State University (M.L.S., 1976); Washburn University (J.D., 1982). COURSES: Legal Research, Domestic Relations. Email: david.ensign@louisville.edu

 

LINDA SORENSON EWALD, (Professor of Law), born Mankato, Minnesota, August 27, 1945; admitted to bar, 1973, Kentucky. Education: University of Louisville (B.A., 1967; J.D., 1972); New York  University (LL.M., 1979). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Professional Responsibility. Email: lsewald@louisville.edu

 

JUDITH D. FISCHER, (Assistant Professor of Law), born Cincinnati, Ohio, November 8, 1942; admitted to bar, 1981, California; 1992, Ohio. Education: Bradley University (B.A., 1964; M.A., 1971); Loyola Law School (J.D., 1981). COURSES: Legal Writing. Email: j.fischer@louisville.edu

 

GRACE M. GIESEL, (James R. Merritt Professor of Law), born South Carolina, June 13, 1960; admitted to bar, 1985, Kentucky. Education: Yale University (B.A., 1982); Emory University (J.D., 1985). COURSES: Insurance, Professional Responsibility, Corporations, Criminal Law. Email: g.giesel@louisville.edu

 

TIMOTHY S. HALL, (Associate Dean and Professor of Law), born Columbia, Missouri, February 26, 1968; admitted to bar, 1993, Ohio. Education: University of Louisville (B.Mus., 1990); Cornell University (J.D., 1993). COURSES: Contracts, Insurance Law, Health Law. Email: hallt@louisville.edu

 

JAMES T.R. JONES, (Professor of Law), born Richmond, Virginia, December 28, 1953; admitted to bar, 1979, Florida. Education: University of Virginia (B.A., 1975); Duke University (J.D., 1978). COURSES: Torts, Legal Writing, Legal Methods. Email: jtrjones@louisville.edu

 

KAREN JORDAN, (Professor of Law), born Indianapolis, Indiana, March 10, 1958; admitted to bar, 1990, Indiana. Education: Indiana University (B.S., 1987; J.D., 1990). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Health Law. Email: karen.jordan@louisville.edu

 

SUSAN H. KOSSE, (Assiociate Professor of Law), born Louisville, Kentucky, March 4, 1966; admitted to bar, 1991, Kentucky; 1993, Tennessee. Education: Miami University (B.A., 1987); University of Louisville (J.D., 1991). COURSES: Legal Writing. Email: susan.kosse@louisville.edu

 

NORVIE L. LAY, (Professor of Law), born Cardwell, Kentucky, April 17, 1940; admitted to bar, 1963, Kentucky. Education: University of Kentucky (B.S., 1960); University of Louisville (J.D., 1963); University of Michigan (LL.M., 1964; S.J.D., 1967). COURSES: Federal Income Tax, Estate and Gift Tax, Fiduciary Income Tax, Estate Planning, Conflicts. Email: norvie.lay@louisville.edu

 

DAVID J. LEIBSON, (Bernard Flexner Professor of Law), born Louisville, Kentucky, March 18, 1944; admitted to bar, 1969, Kentucky. Education: Vanderbilt University (B.A., 1966); University of Louisville (J.D., 1969); Harvard University (LL.M., 1970). COURSES: Torts, Uniform Commercial Code. Email: davidjay@louisville.edu

 

SAMUEL A. MARCOSSON, (Professor of Law), born New York, September 23, 1961; admitted to bar, 1988, District of Columbia. Education: Bradley University (B.S., 1983); Yale (J.D., 1986). COURSES: Employment Discrimination, Constitutional Law, Family Law. Email: smarcosson@louisville.edu

 

LISA HOPE NICHOLSON, (Professor of Law), born New York, New York, August 30, 1965; admitted to bar, 1993, New York. Education: Virginia Tech (B.S., 1986); William & Mary (J.D., 1993). COURSES: Business Organizations, Securities Regulations, Payment Systems, Contracts. Email: lisa.nicholson@louisville.edu

 

RICHARD H. NOWKA, (Wyatt Tarrant and Combs Professor of Law), born Nebraska, August 5, 1951; admitted to bar, 1976, Nebraska. Education: Wayne State College (B.S., 1973); Creighton University (J.D., 1976). COURSES: Uniform Commercial Code, Contracts, Bankruptcy. Email: rick.nowka@louisville.edu

 

CEDRIC M. POWELL, (Professor of Law), born Cleveland, Ohio, November 8, 1961; admitted to bar, 1988, Ohio; 1990, New York. Education: Oberlin College (B.A., 1984); New York University School of Law (J.D., 1987). COURSES: Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, Evidence and Trial Practice. Email: cedric.powell@louisville.edu

 

EDWIN R. RENDER, (Professor of Law), born Detroit, Michigan, November 13, 1935; admitted to bar, 1962, Tennessee; 1965, Kentucky. Education: Western Kentucky University (B.A., 1958); Vanderbilt University (LL.B., 1962); Harvard University (LL.M., 1970). COURSES: Evidence, Labor Clinics. Email: ed.render@louisville.edu

 

LAURA F. ROTHSTEIN, (Professor of Law and Distinguished University Scholar), born Salina, Kansas, July 8, 1949; admitted to bar, 1974, Pennsylvania; 1976, Ohio. Education: University of Kansas (B.A., 1971); Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 1974). COURSES: Disability Law, Property, Torts.

 

MARK A. ROTHSTEIN, (Boehl Professor of Law and Medicine, Distinguished University Scholar), born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 23, 1949; admitted to bar, 1973, Pennsylvania and District of Columbia. Education: University of Pittsburgh (B.A., 1970); Georgetown (J.D., 1973). COURSES: Employment Law, Genetics and the Law. Email: mark.rothstein@louisville.edu

 

LARS S. SMITH, (Professor of Law), born Hellerup, Denmark, January 4, 1965; admitted to bar, 1992, New Hampshire; 1995, Massachusetts. Education: Colby College (B.A., 1986); New England School of Law (J.D., 1992); Franklin Pierce Law Center (LL.M., 1998). COURSES: Business Law, Property. Email: l.smith@louisville.edu

 

ROBERT L. STENGER, (Professor of Law), born Saint Paul, Minnesota, September 19, 1934; admitted to bar, 1974, Iowa. Education: St. Thomas College (B.A., 1956; M.A., 1957); Catholic University of America (S.T.D., 1963); University of Iowa (J.D., 1974). COURSES: Constitutional Law, Domestic Relations, Decedents' Estates, Jurisprudence, Legal Method, Introduction to Law, Conflict of Laws, Property, Torts. Email: bob.stenger@louisville.edu

 

ENID TRUCIOS‑HAYNES, (Professor of Law), born Brooklyn, New York, May 15, 1960; admitted to bar, 1988, New York. Education: City University of New York at Queens College (B.A., 1983); Stanford Law School (J.D., 1986). COURSES: Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, International Law, Immigration Law. Email: ethaynes@louisville.edu

 

MANNING G. WARREN III, (Harter Professor of Law), born Dothan, Alabama, August 20, 1948; admitted to bar, 1973, District of Columbia; 1974, Alabama; 1990, Kentucky. Education: University of Georgia (1966‑1967); University of Alabama (B.A., 1970);George Washington University (J.D., 1973). COURSES: Securities Regulation, Corporations, European Communities Law. Email: mgw111@louisville.edu

 

RUSSELL L. WEAVER, (Professor of Law and Distinguished University Scholar), born Kansas City, Missouri, October 24, 1952; admitted to bar, 1978, Missouri. Education: University of Missouri (B.A., 1974; J.D., 1978). COURSES: Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, Remedies, Administrative Law, International Law. Email: russ.weaver@louisville.edu