General Information

"At BSL, I can acquire a law degree with all it's possibilities, without giving up my career achievements to date." Desiree Alexander Class of 2004 Manager, Envirolab

"BSL was a great choice for me. After graduation, I passed the Bar Exam on my first attempt and immediately found employment in the DA's office." Jeff Bradley Graduate of 2002

"Being able to pursue my current career during the day and attend classes in the evening has been invaluable to me." Jodi Dunn, Class of 2005 Equipment Sales Manager.

Accreditation:

Birmingham School of Law is a state accredited law school. BSL is not accredited by the American Bar Association.  BSL graduates are eligible to sit for the Alabama bar examination pursuant to an Alabama statute and the Alabama Supreme Court rules. Upon receiving a passing score on the bar exam and meeting all other admission requirements, BSL graduates are admitted to practice law in the state of Alabama. [Refer to other states regarding their bar admission policies pertaining to non-ABA graduates.]

Program Costs

For the weeknight program, each two (2) credit hour course is $375; one (1) credit hour course is $190.00; and student fees are $175 per semester, regardless of the number of courses taken. [Program costs are subject to change without notice.]

For the weekend program, each two (2) credit hour course is $500; and student fees are $175 per semester, regardless of the number of courses taken. [Program costs are subject to change without notice.]

Financing Your Education

Since Birmingham School of Law is not nationally accredited by the American Bar Association, students attending BSL are not eligible for federally guaranteed student loans.

Students are given two options for payment of costs each semester:

1. Payment in full by cash, check, money order or credit card (MasterCard or Visa); or
2. Payment under BSL's installment plan, which requires payment of 1/3 of the costs (tuition and fees) at the time of registration with payment of balance in two equal installments during the semester.

BSL has been approved for VA benefits under the GI Bill of Rights. Applicants who are veterans or members of selected reserve units should contact their local Veterans Administration for full details and obtain a certificate of eligibility. After their initial registration, students wishing to use these benefits should send a copy of the certificate of eligibility to the Associate Dean for processing.

Since BSL is not accredited by the ABA, we are not authorized to provide certification for deferment of the applicants/student's outstanding federally guaranteed student loans.

BSL can provide certification for forbearance of applicants/student's outstanding federally insured student loans.  Students are responsible for obtaining the forbearance forms.

There are several scholarships are available for BSL students who distinguish themselves academically. Currently none are available for incoming freshman. A list is available on the web site with forms and information regarding criteria used to make the awards.

The Student Body

BSL has a diverse student body of more than 500 students of all ages and backgrounds from across the state of Alabama. Many different undergraduate majors are represented as there is no "correct" pre-law major. See My BSL Story.

Although a large majority of our student body is employed full-time, 70% attend at least 3 nights a week year round (fall, spring and summer semesters).

Outstanding professional associations such as Delta Theta Phi, Sigma Delta Kappa, National Black Law Students Association, Christian Legal Association and the American Association for Justice, afford students an opportunity to facilitate the goals of the school as well as enhance their own law school experience.

Curriculum

The curriculum at BSL is designed to provide a base of legal knowledge and analytical skills, as well as an understanding of the legal processes and the role of law in our society. A total of 80 semester hours is required for graduation and the award of the Juris Doctor (J.D.) Degree. (See curriculum chart.)

In the weeknight program, all students begin with a three-classes-per-week program. This program allows students to graduate in 13 semesters. Students who demonstrate superior academic performance may accelerate to a four-nights-per-week program which allows students to graduate in 10 semesters. Students attend classes three semesters per year, taking a minimum of 3 courses per semester.

In the weekend program, all students begin with a three-classes-per-week program. This program allows students to graduate in 13 semesters.

Required courses comprise 66 hours of the 80 hours required to graduate. The remaining 16 semester hours, are elective course hours. Each course meets one night a week for a minimum of two academic hours or 120 minutes. Each semester is 14 weeks in length.  Successful completion of a course affords two semester hours credit. [Saturday courses not included]

Elective courses have included:

Research Libraries

Learning to research and write legal memoranda and briefs is an integral part of the law school experience. To support this, BSL's Law Library offers primary and secondary legal materials in print, on CD-ROM and through on-line media. In addition, a library staff is available to assist students with the use of the library for research.

Birmingham School of Law subscribes to WESTLAW on-line computer research services. Training in the use of WESTLAW is part of a first-year course, Fundamentals of Legal Research. Students have access to WESTLAW through their home computer as well as in the library's computer lab.