Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

The information on this page was provided by the law school.

Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is located in the heart of the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans. For more than 100 years, Loyola Law has shaped the lives of students in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of academic rigor, the pursuit of justice, and service to others. Loyola students, faculty, and staff are brought together by a shared passion to make a positive impact in the Gulf Coast region and around the world. It’s Loyola Law’s mission to create an inclusive campus where students from all backgrounds, experiences, races, and religions feel welcomed and supported.

With its rich culture and traditions, New Orleans offers an unparalleled learning experience for law students. As a major center for the federal and state judicial systems, students have plenty of opportunities to learn from practicing attorneys while serving the local community. The College of Law offers many different areas of focus to serve a diverse population of corporations, entrepreneurs, environmental interests, entertainers, local and federal government agencies, military needs, international interests, families, and the community at large.

Loyola’s faculty are champions of justice, incredible litigators, and accomplished experts in their fields. The College of Law’s distinguished faculty and dedicated staff take an active role in students’ education, partnering with them to ensure their personal success. Loyola is committed to providing its students with a complete legal education—helping students to develop a discerning mindset, not just mere technical competence.

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The JD Program

The curriculum at Loyola College of Law has been shaped by Louisiana’s unique role as the only state in the U.S. that has a legal system based on significant elements of both the Civil Law and Common Law traditions. The College of Law offers both Common Law and Civil Law J.D. curriculums, preparing students to practice law in Louisiana or anywhere in the world. Both tracks require 90 credit hours and meet the educational qualification to take the bar exam in all 50 states. Students can choose between full-time and part-time J.D. programs, including the opportunity to work full time while attending classes in the evening.

A Focus on Experiential Learning

Loyola College of Law is known for being a leader in experiential education. At Loyola, students not only learn the theory of the law and how to “think like a lawyer,” but they learn by doing. Starting in the first year, students research, write, and advocate for clients in simulations as part of the Lawyering Program. By the third year, students have the opportunity to serve real clients under the guidance of faculty in the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic.

Through our extensive network of externship opportunities, students earn course credit while getting placed with judges, government agencies, and legal nonprofits across the region. Loyola’s exciting entrepreneurship course allows students to gain hands-on experience working with startup ventures. The Advocacy Center allows students to sharpen their skills in legal research and writing, alternative dispute resolution, moot court, and trial advocacy competitions.

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As part of Loyola’s commitment to social justice, the law school provides many avenues for students to supplement their coursework while addressing poverty and equal access to justice issues. The Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic is a vital component of the law school. Students who participate in the senior-year program work with real clients on actual cases under the supervision of experienced clinic faculty. Law students work with clients in eight different fields of practice: children’s rights, community justice, criminal defense, family law, immigration law, misdemeanors, workplace litigation, and youth justice.

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For more than 30 years, the College of Law has facilitated representation of low-income people and vulnerable populations through the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center. Students and graduates have the opportunity to gain public interest law experience while also providing support to members of the community who would not otherwise have access to legal services. Students engaged in the Law Center through internships and the pro bono program.

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The College of Law offers certificates in several niche areas of study. Certificates are awarded to students who have completed all requirements for graduation with additional coursework in any of the following areas:

Environmental Law
Health Law
Immigration and Citizenship Law Practice
International Legal Studies
Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship
Social Justice
Taxation Law

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Law students can combine their J.D. with a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), or Master of Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.). The J.D./M.P.A. and J.D./M.U.R.P. are offered in partnership with the University of New Orleans.

With an additional semester of coursework, students can earn a joint J.D./LL.M. with concentrated studies in Environmental Law, Health Law & Administration, or Immigration & Citizenship Law.

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Loyola’s Center on Environment, Land, and Law (CELL) brings together students, faculty, environmental experts, and community advocates to study and respond to the Gulf Coast’s most challenging environmental problems. From fighting toxic pollution to restoring the marshes, CELL focuses on improving the health and welfare of Gulf communities. Through the CELL’s Environmental Policy Lab, students work under the supervision of expert attorneys to complete a semester-long project with real clients on topics including oil and gas drilling, endangered species protection, climate change, urban agriculture, fisheries management, and more.

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Summer Legal Studies

Summer Legal Studies programs take students to gain a more holistic appreciation and understanding of law by immersing them in the legal systems and cultures of Greece or Austria.

Semester Abroad

Loyola's international portfolio includes a Semester Exchange program in China. Eligible Loyola students can take courses at the Xiàmén University School of Law in either the fall or spring semester that can be used towards gaining their J.D.

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Student Life

Loyola Law students have wonderful opportunities to balance classwork with rewarding and meaningful student activities. Law students gain leadership skills, learn about the application of the law, pursue areas of interest, and develop peer networks through engagement with co-curricular activities. With many active student organizations, our law students can explore a range of interest areas throughout law school.

Students have formed more than twenty different organization. Current Loyola Law students who are interested in joining a student organization and learning more, should attend the student organization fair at the beginning of fall semester and look out for programming throughout the academic year on the events calendar.

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Our Jesuit tradition teaches that education occurs in the context of total human development. Our mission is to provide each of student with the resources, support, and guidance necessary to achieve personal and professional success both while at the law school and beyond. Law school can be stressful. It can also be demanding—not just on the student, but also on friends and family, partners and children. Loyola Law has resources to help students manage personal, professional, and academic priorities, cope with anxiety and stress, and get the most out of their time at Loyola and in New Orleans.

Below are some of the services the University provides to help ensure students' well-being while in law school. Please reach out with any concerns or issues you have regarding or impacting your law school experience.

Accommodations / Accessibility

Loyola is committed to offering classes that are inclusive in their design, working to ensure that student with disabilities have access to education and campus life at Loyola. Through collaboration with the institution’s diverse community, the Office of Accessible Education facilitates accommodations, discourse, and engagement to promote a universally accessible learning environment for all.

Counseling Services

Loyola University New Orleans offers all students the resources of a full-service Counseling Center. Counseling services are also available by appointment at the Law School.

Student Health Services

Student Health Services provides primary care treatment for and education about personal health issues for all Loyola students—residential and non-residential, full-time and part-time—who provide a complete medical history form. Treatment is confidential and free, though patients are responsible for any prescriptions, lab work, x-rays, or referred hospital services.

University Ministry—College of Law

University Ministry at the Law School seeks to provide spiritual services to the Law School community. To do this, University Ministry offers a wide range of events and services to the faculty, students, and staff of the Law School.

Career Placement and Bar Passage

Career Development Office

The Career Development and Law Practice Center offers a variety of services to both students and alumni, including assisting students in preparing résumés; recording mock interviews; and conducting seminars on career planning, employment opportunities, and interviewing techniques. The office actively solicits job opportunities for summer and school-term clerkships, as well as employment options for each year’s graduating class. 94% of Loyola Law's 2023 graduates were employed within 10 months of graduation.

Academic Success Program & Bar Preparation

Loyola strives to support students from the moment they enter law school through studying for their bar exam. Through the Academic Success Program, students gain access to tutorials, workshops, study groups, and other resources designed to address each student’s learning style. Professors teach specialized courses and provide individualized assistance to all students. Upon their graduation, Loyola remains closely connected to alumni and provides extensive guidance in both the summer and winter to ensure success on any bar exam.

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Tuition and Aid

Expense	Cost
Tuition	$52,908.00
Fees	$1,800.00
Expected Cost of Attendance	$85,245.00

Loyola Law offers several programs that help students manage the costs of legal education.

Ignatian Law Scholars

Ignatian Law Scholars recognizes particularly promising members of the entering law class, whose applications reflect the Jesuit commitment to academic excellence and service to others. Scholars receive a renewable dean scholarship and are assigned to mentors to help with the transition to law school and practice. In addition, Ignatian Scholars gather for special events each semester to get to know each other and other members of the law school community.

Dean’s Scholarships

Dean’s Scholarships are renewable merit-based awards offered to incoming, first-year students. All Dean Scholarship recipients are eligible for renewal.

Loyola Lagniappe

In keeping with the New Orleans tradition of giving lagniappe (LAN-yap), a little something extra for good measure, Loyola Law awards one-year scholarships to first-year students who earned an undergraduate degree from Loyola University New Orleans or a Historically Black College or University.

Summer Internships

Gillis Long Poverty Law Center places Loyola University New Orleans students in paid public interest internships. Interns earn up to $7,500 for work in non-profit organizations that provide free civil or criminal legal services to underserved communities.

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Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers

The College of Law's Faculty Admissions and Scholarship Committee reviews applications for admission on a rolling basis. The Committee takes a holistic approach in reviewing each application for admission. In addition to the standardized test scores (LSAT, GRE, and/or JD-Next) and undergraduate academic record, the Committee also considers a candidate’s graduate and/or professional school record if applicable; letters of recommendation; personal statement; resume; employment, leadership, and life experiences; extracurricular involvement; community service; military service; character and fitness statements, if applicable; the LSAT writing sample or GRE Analytical Writing response; and, other explanatory or supporting addenda. Scholarships are offered on a rolling basis, with a priority deadline of March 1. The College of Law is committed to creating a student body that embraces and represents a diversity of perspectives and backgrounds. Each application is reviewed in its entirety.

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