Loyola University New Orleans College of Law: Programs, Admissions, and Ranking

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, founded in 1914, is a private law school rooted in the Jesuit tradition of academic rigor, the pursuit of justice, and service to others. Located in the historic Audubon Park District of New Orleans, Louisiana, the College of Law is one of fourteen Jesuit law schools in the United States and offers curricula in both Civil Law and Common Law.

A Legacy of Legal Education

Established as the School of Law, one of the earliest academic departments of Loyola University New Orleans, the institution held its first session on October 5, 1914. Initially offering evening classes in downtown New Orleans, the School of Law expanded to a day division in 1925 and became a member of the American Bar Association in 1931. Renamed the College of Law in 2006, the school continues to build on its legacy of legal education.

Academic Programs

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law offers a variety of programs to cater to diverse interests and career goals:

Juris Doctor (J.D.) Program

The College of Law offers both Civil Law and Common Law curricula for J.D. students, available in full-time day and part-time day or evening programs. The J.D. program emphasizes critical and analytic thinking, ethics and professionalism, and a commitment to serve the community. All students take part in one year of the school's Lawyering curriculum, learning legal core skills through a “broad array of class options” within the collaborative surroundings of a small class setting. They then build upon those skills through experiential learning, in which they have “a lot of opportunities to apply the learned tools,” whether that's by working with actual clients as Student Practitioners via the school's Law Clinic, learning client interviews, investigating scenarios, making informal and formal discoveries, drafting and filing pleadings, and researching legal cases.

Joint-Degree Programs

Loyola Law offers several joint-degree programs, allowing students to combine their legal studies with other disciplines:

JD/LL.M: Current Loyola Law J.D. students can apply for the joint JD/LL.M program by April 15th of their intended J.D. graduation year.
JD/MBA: In collaboration with the College of Business, students can pursue a joint JD/MBA degree. Admission processes for the MBA program are separate from the J.D. program.
JD/MPA and JD/MURP: Partnering with the University of New Orleans (UNO), Loyola Law offers JD/MPA and JD/MURP programs. Applicants must be accepted by both institutions and complete all required coursework at both schools.

LL.M. in United States Law

The College of Law offers an LL.M. degree in United States Law. All LL.M applicants must utilize LSAC's LL.M Credential Assembly Service (LL.M CAS) to apply admission for admission to Loyola Law LL.M Program. A complete LLM CAS Report submitted to Loyola Law through lsac.org that includes your academic record, certified proof of graduation, and other relevant documents from each college and/or university attended, up to and including conferrals of each bachelor, graduate, or professional degree. International degrees must be evaluated using LSAC’s International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service (ITAES). In addition, students whose first language is not English must submit English proficiency exam scores with the application for admission.

Master of Arts Programs

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law offers a Master of Arts in Environmental Law and Master of Arts in Health Law and Administration. Fall 2026 applications open October 15, 2025 and close on July 1, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to apply before the priority scholarship consideration deadline of March 1. Applicants are reviewed for scholarship consideration when they apply for their program of interest. There is no separate scholarship application. There are no specific undergraduate degrees required to enroll in Loyola Law’s master’s degree programs; however priority is given to people who majored in allied fields. Applicants are in competition with one another under a rolling admissions system initially on the basis of undergraduate grade point average.

3+3 Accelerated Degree Program

Loyola University New Orleans undergraduate students may combine the last year of their undergraduate education with their first year of law school in the 3+3 Accelerated Degree Program (or “3+3 Program”). Interested students must complete the required courses in their major (including any adjunct courses) and their Loyola Core courses as well as any language requirements before they achieve senior status. The College in which the student is enrolled (i.e., College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, etc.) must grant the student permission to participate in the 3+3 Program.

Admissions

Loyola Law seeks candidates who demonstrate the capability of satisfactorily completing its program of legal education and being admitted to the bar. The Faculty Admissions and Scholarship Committee reviews applications on a rolling basis, taking a holistic approach.

J.D. Admission Requirements

Applicants must register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). All candidates are required to take the LSAT or GRE. If possible, applicants should arrange to take an admission test by December prior to the planned enrollment date. An application will not be considered for admission without all required materials. Applications open October 15, 2025 for the 2026-2027 academic year and must be fully submitted to LSAC by July 1, 2026, Noon CDT. Applications for admission will not be accepted after the deadline has passed. Two recent letters of recommendation (dated no earlier than March 2024 for Fall 2026 Applications for Admission). Loyola College of Law requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, including the Test of Written English and the Test of Spoken English, for applicants for which English is a foreign language.

Read also: Applying for Loyola Scholarships

In addition to the LSAT and/or GRE score 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; GRE or LSAT writing sample; and, character and fitness statements and/or other explanatory or supporting addenda, if applicable.

Loyola Law only enrolls first-year JD students in the fall semester. Transfer and transient students may apply for entry in any of Loyola’s three semesters.

Transfer Students

Loyola welcomes applicants who wish to enroll at the College of Law after attending another law school, including foreign-educated attorneys. Applicants with prior law school experience must present evidence of successful academic study in their prior law record and have completed at least 15 credit hours at their current law school.

LL.M Admission Requirements

All LL.M applicants must utilize LSAC's LL.M Credential Assembly Service (LL.M CAS) to apply admission for admission to Loyola Law LL.M Program. A complete LLM CAS Report submitted to Loyola Law through lsac.org that includes your academic record, certified proof of graduation, and other relevant documents from each college and/or university attended, up to and including conferrals of each bachelor, graduate, or professional degree. International degrees must be evaluated using LSAC’s International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service (ITAES). In addition, students whose first language is not English must submit English proficiency exam scores with the application for admission.

Master’s Degree Application Requirements

Those who are interested in applying to a master’s program at the College of Law may find the application at www.law.loyno/apply-now. At the discretion of Loyola Law, applicants who earned an undergraduate degree from Loyola University New Orleans may have all or part of the application components waived. Loyola undergraduate applicants are encouraged to contact the Office of Law admissions to determine whether they are eligible for a waiver.

Read also: ACT Scores for Loyola

Application Deadlines and Fees

The application deadline for the full-time program is July 15. The application fee is $0 for both full-time and part-time programs.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition for the doctorate program is $54,708 for full-time students and $41,490 for part-time students.

The College of Law awards competitive scholarships to incoming J.D. students who demonstrate academic success as well as success on LSAT or GRE. All applications for admission are reviewed for a scholarship award. No additional application is required. The College of Law aims to notify qualified students of their scholarship offer in tandem with their offer of admission. Scholarships may be classified as renewable or non-renewable and may be up to 100% of tuition. Loyola will give priority scholarship consideration to those who apply by February 15 of each application year. Exceptional JD applicants whose application materials demonstrate the Jesuit values of commitment to academic excellence and service to others may be offered the opportunity to participate in the Ignatian Law Scholar (ILS) Program. Law Scholars receive renewable scholarships up to full tuition and a faculty mentor.

Rankings and Reputation

While specific rankings may vary, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is recognized as a respected institution in Louisiana. It is known for its success in national and international moot court competitions.

Student Life

The student-faculty ratio is 8.5:1.

The campus has a “great location in uptown New Orleans,” which provides “a very rich cultural experience: museums, zoos, and parks galore.” These “are wonderful [ways] to spend time and even [to] study in.” But there is one thing students herald above all others: “The food is amazing here. That alone is a wonderful experience.” Plus, “everyone is very social at Loyola,” so there are plenty of dining partners.

Additional Opportunities

Loyola Law provides students with various opportunities to enhance their legal education and career prospects:

Gillis Long Poverty Law Center: A legal research and education center.
Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center For Social Justice: Students are admitted to the limited practice of law under a supervising attorney's license for their 3L year.
Sports and Entertainment Law Society: Provides students interested in legal careers in music, film, and sports with unique opportunities to meet and learn from experts.
Study Abroad Programs: Loyola has one of the most extensive catalog of study abroad programs in the country, drawing students from many other law schools.

Notable Alumni

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law has produced many distinguished alumni, including:

Robert A. Ainsworth Jr.
Edward S. Bopp (L '63 and '67), state representative for Orleans and St.
Phillip D. Armand Brinkhaus (L '60), former member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from St.
Pascal F. Calogero Jr.
James U.
John B.
Adrian G.
Duane A.
Robert Faucheux, attorney in LaPlace; former member of the Louisiana House for St.
Ray Garofalo, current member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from St.
Robert T.
James Garvey Jr.
James T.
E. W.
Charles Grisbaum Jr.
William J.
Richard T. Haik (L), U. S.
Malcolm Lafargue (L '32), U. S.
Harry T.
Arthur A.
Carl E.
Chet D.
Edwin E.
J.

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