The Brandeis Legacy
Justice. Service. Education for the people.
Sidebar
The Louis D. Brandeis School of Law is proud to carry the name – and the values – of one of the most influential jurists in American history. Justice Louis D. Brandeis was more than a brilliant legal mind. He was the people's lawyer – a public servant, a progressive thinker and a lifelong advocate for justice, equity, and truth. His belief that lawyers must serve the public good is the foundation on which The People’s Law School is built.
A legacy rooted in service and justice
Justice Brandeis devoted his life to the idea that the law should serve people – not just the powerful, but everyone. Long before he joined the U.S. Supreme Court in 1916, he worked pro bono on behalf of workers, consumers and communities in need. He pioneered the use of social science in legal argument – the now-famous “Brandeis Brief” – and argued that lawyers must master not just the law, but the facts, data and human impact behind every case.
He believed law schools should cultivate not only reason and judgment, but also a deep appreciation of the legal profession’s public trust. In a 1905 speech to the Harvard Ethical Society, he called on law schools to train lawyers who serve the public, not just private interests. We continue to honor that call.
The people’s law school
Brandeis School of Law was officially renamed in his honor in 1997, but his influence dates back far earlier. Justice Brandeis donated his personal library and papers to the school, helped secure the archives of fellow Kentuckian Justice John Marshall Harlan and arranged for the school to receive original U.S. Supreme Court briefs – a tradition still honored today. He and his wife, Alice, are buried beneath the law school’s portico, reflecting his wish to remain forever connected to the place that bears his name.
Today, we live out his legacy by preparing future lawyers to serve the public with skill, purpose and compassion. From our 30-hour public service graduation requirement to our experiential clinics, advocacy competitions and community partnerships, we are committed to training lawyers who lift others as they rise.
Our foundations
Brandeis Law is Kentucky’s oldest law school and the fifth-oldest in the nation in continuous operation. Established in 1846, it became part of the University of Louisville in 1938, merging with Jefferson School of Law in 1950. Today, we remain proudly public, deeply rooted in Louisville and fiercely committed to providing a high-quality, affordable legal education that reflects Justice Brandeis’s ideals.
- Small class sizes mean students receive personal attention and form lasting relationships with faculty and peers.
- Dedicated faculty blend legal scholarship with a strong focus on teaching and mentorship.
- Community-focused programs like the Samuel L. Greenebaum Public Service Program and multiple clinics immerse students in real-world legal work.
- A central location in the heart of Louisville puts students steps away from Kentucky’s largest legal market.
A life that still inspires
Louis Dembitz Brandeis was born in Louisville in 1856. After graduating from Harvard Law School with the highest GPA in its history, he went on to a distinguished legal career – co-authoring The Right to Privacy, advocating for progressive labor reform and serving on the U.S. Supreme Court for 23 years. He was a conservationist, a public intellectual, a Zionist and an early advocate for work-life balance, famously saying:
I can do 12 months’ work in 11 months, but not 12.
Brandeis lived his values. At the law school that bears his name, so do we.
