Degree Requirements

The Juris Doctor (JD) program requires 90 total credit hours of coursework, typically completed over a course of three years. After completing the highly structured first-year curriculum, students use their upper-level years to explore areas of interest, fine-tune their practical skills and refine their professional goals.

Brandeis Law does not offer a Masters in Law (LLM) degree or an accelerated JD program for foreign-trained lawyers.

First-Year Curriculum

The required foundational curriculum for first-year students is pre-determined for both the Fall and Spring semesters, with all first-year students matriculating in the Fall semester. Students who feel they are unable to take on the full standard first-year course load may be able to take a slightly reduced first-year course load in which they take one or two of the standard first-year courses during their second year in the JD program.

Fall Semester

Civil Procedure (4 hours)
Contracts (4 hours)
Torts (4 hours)
Lawyering Skills I (3 hours)

Spring Semester

Constitutional Law I (4 hours)
Property (4 hours)
Criminal Law (3 hours)
Lawyering Skills II (3 hours)
Professional Identity (1 hour)

Upper-Level Curriculum

Beyond the first year of study, Brandeis Law offers a range of upper-level courses designed to provide students with a well-rounded education, including opportunities for interdisciplinary study and concentration in particular areas of interest. Upper-level students may customize their curriculum with a range of lectures, seminars and experiential courses, including up to 6 credits of approved graduate coursework outside of the law school, but must fulfill the following graduation requirements.

Core Courses
Students must complete at least 18 credit hours of coursework from the following list of core courses, which represent the subject matter tested on the bar exam:

Advanced Civil Procedure (3 hours)
Constitutional Law II (3 hours)
Business Organizations (4 hours)
Commercial Law (3 hours)
Criminal Procedure: Constitutional Issues (3 hours)
Criminal Procedure: Judicial Process (3 hours)
Decedents' Estates & Trusts (3-4 hours)
Evidence (4 hours)
Family Law (3 hours)
Products Liability (3 hours)
Real Estate Transactions (3 hours)

Professional Responsibility
The only specific upper-level course required for all Brandeis Law students is Professional Responsibility, which focuses on preparing future lawyers for the ethical obligations of the profession. In addition to the Professional Responsibility course, students must pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) to be eligible to take the bar exam.

Perspective Course
Each student is also required to take a perspective course, intended to ensure that students encounter an "outsider" perspective on the American legal system, whether that perspective comes from the past, from abroad, from other academic disciplines or from non-dominant perspectives within contemporary American society. Courses that fulfill the perspective requirement vary from semester to semester.

Upper-Level Writing & Research
The upper-level writing requirement can be satisfied in conjunction with a writing-eligible course, by participation in a Brandeis Law journal or as part of an approved independent study. Writing-eligible courses vary from semester to semester. To meet the requirement, a student must prepare a single, substantial written product of at least 6,250 words (exclusive of footnotes and endnotes) that demonstrates sound legal analysis and reasoning, is supported by significant legal research and appropriate citations to authorities, has not been prepared for any other course or publication and earns a grade of C or higher.

Experiential Learning
All students must complete at least 6 credit hours of experiential learning opportunities, at least 2 of which must be earned in "live-client courses," i.e., clinics or externships. Participating in a live-client course allows students to assume responsibility related to real-world cases and clients. The nature of the experience varies from course to course as students develop a suite of legal and professional skills applicable to their future careers.

Public Service
Prior to graduation, students must complete at least 30 hours of law-related public service at approved placements. Failure to complete their public service hours and submit all required documentation by the published deadline will result in delayed graduation.

Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Philosophy with a concentration in Health Care Ethics

Unit(s): Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and College of Arts & Sciences
Louis D. Brandeis School of Law Program Page / College of Arts & Sciences Program Page
Academic Plan Code(s): LAW_JD and APHIMA_HCE

Program Overview

The JD-MA in Applied Philosophy with a concentration in Health Care Ethics offers a coordinated pathway for students interested in how ethical reasoning shapes legal decisions in health care, public policy, and related professional environments. The program combines the analytical foundations of legal study with graduate coursework in ethical theory, applied bioethics, and case‑based analysis. Through this interdisciplinary approach, students are prepared to address complex issues that arise in health care law, clinical ethics consultation, bioethical policy development, and emerging health‑care technologies. Graduates pursue careers in health care law, compliance, hospital administration, public policy, bioethics consultation, research-ethics oversight, and nonprofit advocacy.

Students generally complete the full first‑year JD curriculum before beginning MA coursework. After the first year, MA classes may be taken at any point in the remaining years, allowing students to customize their sequence of study and complete both degrees in approximately three (3) to four (4) years. Students work with advisors in both programs to ensure their course of study meets all degree requirements and aligns with their academic and professional goals.

The dual degree requires a minimum of 102 credit hours, and students must satisfy all degree requirements for both programs, which may be fulfilled as follows:

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Dual Degree Requirements		Hours
Law Coursework
First Year Law School Curriculum (L1)		30
Upper-Level Law School Health Care Ethics Dual Degree Core:		3
LAW 980	Medicine, Bioethics and the Law ¹
Upper-Level Law School Courses that do NOT count toward the MA Degree		39
Upper-Level Law School Courses that count toward MA Guided Electives (select 9 hours from the courses below):		9
LAW 906	Race and the Law
LAW 923	Elder Law
LAW 924	Sexuality and the Law
LAW 944	Poverty, Health and the Law
LAW 946	Introductions to Health Law
LAW 947	Mental Health and the Law
LAW 959	Genetics and the Law
LAW 977	Animal Law
LAW 978	Disability Law
Law Coursework Subtotal ²		81
MA Coursework
BETH Core Courses NOT applied to the JD		6
BETH Core Courses applied to the JD		9
Guided Electives Not Fulfilled by LAW Courses ³		3
Culminating Graduate Experience		3
BETH 685	Internship ⁴
MA Coursework Subtotal ⁵		21
Minimum Total Hours		102

¹: All JD-MA dual degree students must take LAW 980.
²: Students may apply up to nine (9) credit hours from the MA program toward the JD degree. Students must be admitted to the Brandeis School of Law before completing MA coursework they intend to apply to the JD. For additional information, see §6.3 “Dual Degree Programs” in the Brandeis School of Law Student Handbook.
³: Students must complete at least three (3) credit hours in a guided elective with a subject prefix other than LAW.
⁴: With approval from MA advisor, experiential course in LAW may count as Culminating Graduate Experience in MA (replacing BETH 685).
⁵: Students complete LAW 980 and up to nine (9) additional LAW courses designated as guided electives in the MA in Applied Philosophy with a concentration in Health Care Ethics degree requirements.

Admission

Admission to the dual degree program requires acceptance into both the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and the MA in Applied Philosophy program in the College of Arts & Sciences. Students are responsible for tuition charged by each academic unit and are subject to the academic policies of each unit while enrolled in the respective degree programs.

Students must be admitted to the Brandeis School of Law before completing any MA coursework they intend to apply toward the JD degree requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to apply to the MA program before completing 45 hours of JD coursework.

Prospective students should contact the Brandeis School of Law Office of Admissions for additional information. Current JD students interested in the dual degree should consult the Brandeis School of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

Program of Study

Students must complete all degree requirements specified in the academic catalogs for both the JD and MA in Applied Philosophy with a concentration in Health Care Ethics programs to be awarded the dual degree. Students should contact the Brandeis School of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Department of Philosophy for detailed guidance on their individual course plan. The table below outlines a potential program of study for the JD-MA dual degree to graduate in three (3) years. Students may also complete the program in four (4) years, which will not require summer coursework.

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
Fall		Hours
First Year Law Curriculum		15
	Hours	15
Spring
First Year Law Curriculum		15
Student Applies to MA in Applied Philosophy with a Concentration in Healthcare Ethics program
	Hours	15
Summer
LAW Courses		3
BETH Courses		3
	Hours	6
Year 2
Fall
LAW Courses		9
BETH Courses		6
	Hours	15
Spring
LAW Courses		9
BETH Courses		6
	Hours	15
Summer
LAW Courses		3
BETH Courses		3
	Hours	6
Year 3
Fall
LAW Courses		12
BETH Courses		3
	Hours	15
Spring
LAW Courses		15
	Hours	15
	Minimum Total Hours	102

Contacts
To learn more, contact the Department of Philosophy at 502-852-6811 or phil@louisville.edu or the Brandeis School of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at 502-852-6830 or timothy.hall@louisville.edu.

Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Unit(s): Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and College of Business
Louis D. Brandeis School of Law Program Page | College of Business Program Page
Academic Plan Code(s): LAW_JD and BA_MBAO | BA_MBA

Program Overview

The JD/MBA dual degree is designed for students who want to combine legal training with structured preparation in business administration. Many areas of legal practice involve organizational planning, financial decision‑making, and the evaluation of complex business structures. The MBA provides a foundation in these areas and complements the analytical and problem‑solving skills developed in the JD program. Students interested in corporate law, regulatory work, or advising organizations often find that the dual degree supports broader career pathways and long‑term professional flexibility.

This dual degree program allows students to complete the JD and MBA through a coordinated plan of study that requires a minimum of 117 total credit hours. Students satisfy the degree requirements for each program as follows:

JD Degree Requirements:
1. 81 credit hours in LAW courses and completion of all other JD degree requirements.
2. 9 credit hours in MBA courses to satisfy upper level electives.
MBA Degree Requirements:
1. 36 credit hours in MBA courses and completion of all other MBA degree requirements.
2. 9 credit hours in LAW courses to replace MBA 680 credit hours.

The table below summarizes the minimum credit distribution needed to complete the dual degree.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Dual Degree Requirements		Hours
Law Coursework
Applied only to the JD		72
Applied to both the JD and MBA		9
Law Coursework Subtotal ¹		81
MBA Coursework
Applied only to the MBA		27
Applied to both the JD and MBA		9
MBA Coursework Subtotal ²		36
Minimum Total Hours		117

¹: Students may apply up to nine (9) credit hours from the MBA program toward the JD degree. Students must be admitted to the Brandeis School of Law before completing MBA coursework they intend to apply to the JD. For additional information, see §6.3 “Dual Degree Programs” in the Brandeis School of Law Student Handbook.
²: Students may apply up to nine (9) credit hours from the JD program toward the MBA degree. These credit hours satisfy the MBA 680 elective requirements.

Admission

Admission to the dual degree program requires acceptance into both the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and the College of Business. Students are responsible for tuition charged by each academic unit and are subject to the academic policies of each unit while enrolled in the respective degree programs.

Students must be admitted to the Brandeis School of Law before completing any MBA coursework they intend to apply toward the JD degree requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to apply to the MBA program before completing 45 hours of JD coursework.

Program of Study

The dual JD/MBA program is designed to be completed in four (4) years, with students typically beginning the MBA after the first year of the JD curriculum. Students must complete all degree requirements specified in the academic catalogs for both the JD and MBA programs, with the following exceptions:

Students do not complete the nine (9) elective credit hours listed under MBA 680. Nine (9) credit hours from the JD curriculum satisfy the MBA elective requirements.
Students may apply up to nine (9) credit hours from the MBA program toward the JD degree.

All other JD and MBA degree requirements remain unchanged.

Interested students should contact the Brandeis School of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the College of Business Graduate Programs Office for detailed guidance on dual‑degree planning prior to enrollment. The table below outlines the typical sequence of coursework required for the dual JD/MBA degree.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Year 1
Law School Year One (L1) Curriculum ¹		30
Year 2
Apply for admissions to MBA program
Years 2 - 4
MBA Curriculum ²		36
Law School Upper-Level Curriculum		51
Minimum Total Hours		117

¹: Students may only take JD courses during the first year of law school.
²: If students are enrolled in the full‑time MBA program, they will complete the entire MBA curriculum in a 13‑month sequence while not enrolled in any JD coursework. If students are enrolled in the online MBA program, MBA and JD coursework may be taken concurrently during years two through four of the dual degree.

Contacts

To learn more, contact the College of Business Graduate Programs Office at 502-852-7257 or mba@louisville.edu or the Brandeis School of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at 502-852-6830 or timothy.hall@louisville.edu.

Degree Requirements

First-Year Curriculum

Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Philosophy with a concentration in Health Care Ethics

On this page

Program Overview

Admission

Program of Study

Contacts
To learn more, contact the Department of Philosophy at 502-852-6811 or phil@louisville.edu or the Brandeis School of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at 502-852-6830 or timothy.hall@louisville.edu.

Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA)

On this page

Program Overview

Admission

Program of Study

Contacts

Print Options

Degree Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Philosophy with a concentration in Health Care Ethics

On this page

Program Overview

Admission

Program of Study

Contacts To learn more, contact the Department of Philosophy at 502-852-6811 or phil@louisville.edu or the Brandeis School of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at 502-852-6830 or timothy.hall@louisville.edu.

Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA)

On this page

Program Overview

Admission

Program of Study

Contacts

Print Options

Contacts
To learn more, contact the Department of Philosophy at 502-852-6811 or phil@louisville.edu or the Brandeis School of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at 502-852-6830 or timothy.hall@louisville.edu.