Full-time J.D. Schedule

As a faith-based institution, we believe that purposes and principles matter.

That is why we feature the Foundations Curriculum as a key aspect of the first-year experience. The unique and insightful Foundations courses will not only prepare students to pass the bar exam, but will also offer insight into the true purposes of law and the legal profession.

In these courses, students will study some of the greatest thinkers who have shaped the American legal tradition and will delve into the fundamentals of legal reasoning. Students will also engage in collaborative learning, undertake career planning, and build relationships with mentors and faculty. Completing the Foundations Curriculum allows Faulkner Law students to develop a greater appreciation for the principles and history of law, gain insight into the ethical and professional nature of a legal career, and grasp a deeper understanding of their personal convictions about justice.

Throughout their first year at Faulkner Law, students gain a solid grounding in our core curriculum. As second-year students, they begin to concentrate their studies and experience along one of five pathways to practice based on their interests and professional ambitions:

• Regulatory & Governmental Affairs — Become equipped for a career in a heavily regulated industry such as healthcare, banking, or insurance, or prepare for public service as a government official or attorney.
• Business & Non-profit Law — Prepare to enter the corporate world as a transactional lawyer, in-house counsel, or attorney representing non-profits.
• Criminal Law & Public Interest — Train to be the next great criminal defense lawyer, prosecutor, or public interest advocate.
• Law Practice & Entrepreneurship — Learn how to open a law firm or solo practice, or how to use the law degree in innovative ways, like starting a business venture.
• Advocacy & Dispute Resolution — Develop litigation and negotiation skills in an advanced practicum or in our award-winning advocacy program. Students on this pathway may also pursue the Joint J.D./LL.M. in Dispute Resolution in three years.

Faulkner Law students benefit from many unique opportunities for professional advancement. The following opportunities are just some of the ways in which we prepare students for their post-graduation practice.

• Advocacy Program — Our Trial Advocacy and Moot Court teams provide practice-oriented advocacy training, including legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills. The teams participate in numerous events and competitions throughout the year designed to prepare students for the rigors of practice.
• Law Review Program — The Law Review affords a select number of students the opportunity to host a symposium examining an important legal issue, participate in the editing and publication of legal scholarship, and develop their own research, writing, and leadership skills.
• Serving Our Neighbor — Legal professionals are called not only to lead their communities, but to serve them. Therefore, we encourage students to participate in service to the community, including valuable non-legal service projects like Meals on Wheels.
• Public Interest Program — The Public Interest Program at Faulkner Law has three goals: to provide students with opportunities for service, to reward students for contributing to their communities, and to facilitate placement of students in public interest careers. Faulkner Law maintains relationships with dozens of organizations that can help students interested in public interest and public service law gain valuable experience. Faulkner Law students frequently win the Alabama Pro Bono Pledge award for dedicating service to their communities through activities such as volunteering, mentoring, participating in legal clinics, working in public interest or public service, and providing legal services to those in need.
• Pro Bono Legal Clinics — Law students earn course credit while representing real clients with real legal issues or mediating civil lawsuits in local courts. Under the personal supervision of a faculty member, clinic students develop the skills and professional attributes to become exceptional lawyers while serving our neighbors in the community.
  • Elder Law Clinic: The Elder Law Clinic helps low-income seniors prepare essential estate planning documents: Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Healthcare Directives. Students assist victims of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. The clinic also serves as Guardian ad Litem for alleged incapacitated adults. Students in the clinic have represented more than 2,000 clients.
  • Mediation Clinic: Law students in the Mediation Clinic mediate actual cases (more than 100 annually) in Montgomery-area courthouses. Student mediators work to peacefully resolve lawsuits and offer reconciliation to the parties. Completion of the clinic satisfies the training requirements of court-appointed mediators in Alabama and other states.
  • Generational & Ancestral Property Clinic: The GAP Clinic assists low-income clients in clearing title to family property, providing a pathway to financial stability and generational financial health. Students conduct property searches, counsel clients regarding ownership options, litigate or pursue mediation where appropriate, and conduct community education events on the importance of clear property ownership.

The administration, faculty, and staff at Faulkner Law care deeply about seeing our students succeed. For our students to become the best, well-rounded professionals they can be, we believe it is important for them to engage with their professors, their peers, and the larger Faulkner community. We encourage student participation in student organizations. Below is a list of the student organizations available on campus.

• Agriculture Law Society
• Alabama Defense Lawyers Association
• American Association for Justice
• Association of Future Prosecutors
• Black Law Students Association – Ernestine S. Sapp Chapter
• Board of Advocates
• Children’s Rights and Advocacy Legal Society
• Christian Legal Society
• Faulkner Law Democrats
• Faulkner Law Review
• Federal Bar Association
• Federalist Society
• Honor Court
• Jones Law Republicans
• Jones Public Interest Law Foundation
• Law Students for the Second Amendment
• Military Veterans Law Association
• Phi Alpha Delta – Albert Patterson Chapter
• Sports and Entertainment Law Society
• Student Bar Association
• Women’s Legal Society

To be considered for admission to Faulkner Law’s J.D. program, applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants must also register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), complete the electronic application, and submit all required materials through LSAC.

Although undergraduate GPA and LSAT or GRE scores are important components of the admissions process, Faulkner Law considers each applicant individually. Our holistic review also considers work history, life experience, community service, graduate education, leadership, and other accomplishments.

Application Process

Applicants must complete the following steps:

• Register with LSAC and the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). CAS collects the required application materials and forwards the completed report to Faulkner Law.
• Take either the LSAT or GRE and submit a valid score to Faulkner Law through LSAC.
• Complete and submit the electronic application for admission through LSAC.
• Submit a current résumé.
• Submit a personal statement describing your qualifications, interests, experiences, and reasons for pursuing a legal education.
• Submit two letters of recommendation.
• Submit official transcripts from every undergraduate, graduate, and law school previously attended.

Once LSAC has received and processed all required documents, it will forward the completed application file to Faulkner Law.

LSAT Information

The LSAT is administered nationally eight times each year: August, September, October, November, January, February, April, and June. Applicants seeking fall admission are encouraged to take the LSAT no later than June preceding the semester in which they intend to enroll.

Because most applicants require several months of focused preparation, we strongly recommend allowing sufficient study time before taking the examination.

Faulkner Law uses an applicant’s highest reported LSAT score when making an admissions decision, although all reported scores remain part of the applicant’s file. LSAT scores that are five or more years old will not be accepted.

GRE Information

Applicants may submit the GRE instead of the LSAT. Additional information is available through the Educational Testing Service.

Faulkner Law may accept a GRE score only when an applicant does not have a reported LSAT score from the preceding five years. If a valid LSAT score is available, the LSAT will serve as the applicant’s primary admission-test score.

Character and Fitness Disclosure

In addition to passing a bar examination, applicants to the bar must satisfy the character, fitness, and other admission requirements established by the jurisdiction in which they intend to practice. Because these standards vary by jurisdiction, prospective students are encouraged to review the applicable requirements before beginning law school.

Contact information for bar-admission agencies throughout the United States is available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Graduates of the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law are prepared to lead with integrity, strengthen the legal profession, and contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve.

Rooted in Christian principles, Faulkner Law welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds and prepares them to practice law with purpose. We seek students who possess both the ability to succeed academically and a genuine commitment to pursuing justice and serving others.

Students have numerous opportunities to put this mission into practice through pro bono legal clinics, public-interest initiatives, Law Review, trial advocacy, student organizations, and community-service projects. These experiences allow students to develop practical legal skills while making a positive difference in the lives of others.