UofL Criminal Justice

Career Opportunities...

Though the semester has officially ended and "summer" is well underway, we cannot forget about our May graduates! On behalf of everyone at CJ, a huge congratulations to the graduating Class of 2025! We can't wait to celebrate with you at Commencement tomorrow. ❤️

On Thursday, April 24th the Department of Criminal Justice celebrated our May 2025 Graduating Class with a picnic and recognition of our criminal justice award winners.

John C. Klotter Award:
This award is presented to the senior BSCJ degree candidate(s) with the highest cumulative GPA. Named after John C. Klotter, a distinguished former faculty member who was instrumental in founding the School of Police Administration, now the Department of Criminal Justice, the award honors his legacy. Professor Klotter served as Dean of the school and Director of the Southern Police Institute from 1971 to 1981. The award was presented to Ava Gregory-Mabrey and Olivia Jo Hogan.

Kenneth R. Nally Award
The Kenneth R. Nally Award is named for a graduate of our program and Louisville Police Department Officer who was killed in the line of duty. Nominations are solicited from the top 10% of this year’s BS CJ graduating class for outstanding service to the university and the community. Nominations are reviewed and selected by the CJ Alumni Council. The award was presented to Olivia Jo Hogan.

Kenneth J. Marshall Award
The Kenneth J. Marshall Award is named for a former faculty colleague who had an extensive career in the field of criminal justice and who died an untimely death. Nominations are solicited from the master’s candidates graduating with a 3.5 or higher grade point average who have made significant contributions either through scholarly activity, service, or both to the field of criminal justice. Nominations are reviewed and the winner selected by our CJ Alumni Council. The award was presented to Ethan Matthew Meyer.

Ida B. Wells Award
This prestigious honor is given to a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice graduate who has demonstrated remarkable perseverance and resilience in achieving their degree. Named after Ida B. Wells—an influential African American journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist, and trailblazer in the civil rights movement—this award reflects the faculty’s recognition of your dedication and strength. The award was presented to Taylor Marie Smith.

Kennedy Oliviann Slayton was recognized for her three-year commitment to our Criminal Justice Outreach and Recruitment 2022-2025.

Congratulations to all our award winners and to our entire May 2025 Graduating Class!

This event is presented in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Corrections, and the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet. Together, we aim to bring awareness, resources, and connection to those who serve, and support individuals impacted by the justice system.

This event is designed specifically for professionals, employers, advocates, and community partners who work with justice-involved individuals and are committed to reducing barriers to successful reentry. Please note: this event is not intended for clients. Space is limited to 100 attendees, so early registration is strongly encouraged.

Throughout the day, attendees will participate in an immersive Reentry Simulation, hear firsthand experiences and expert insight during a panel discussion, and network and connect with organizations through a resource packet focused on second chance support services.

If your work supports the reentry journey or you’re looking to network and collaborate with like-minded organizations, we invite you to attend.

Register here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f2e4b9a91c5643e5960e2ae7d68bab0a

Hands-On, Real Talk, and Life-Saving Skills: Criminal Justice Students Share Takeaways from National Criminal Justice Month Events

Hands-On, Real Talk, and Life-Saving Skills: Criminal Justice Students Share Takeaways from National Criminal Justice Month Events — College of Arts & Sciences Each March, National Criminal Justice Month (NCJM) offers students across the country the chance to learn more about the workings and careers of the justice system.

This week's Career Opportunities

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Katie Hughes-Taylor for her well-earned recognition as the Registered Student Organizations (RSO) Advisor of the Year at last night’s University Student Life Awards! Her unwavering dedication and passion for supporting Lambda Alpha Epsilon and Alpha Phi Sigma have made a lasting impact, and this honor is a testament to her incredible work. Congratulations, Katie—this achievement is truly deserved!

It's about that time...come help us celebrate!

In 2009, Congress designated March as National Criminal Justice Month (NCJM) to raise awareness about the criminal justice system and its impacts on individuals and communities, and to inspire new and innovative strategies for crime prevention. This year, the Criminal Justice Department in partnership with the Criminal Justice organizations Lambda Alpha Epsilon (LAE) and Alpha Phi Sigma (APS) held numerous events over the course of the month to celebrate NCJM.

This years theme was “Cops, Courts, and Community” and consisted of three weeks of events within their respective categories. In our “Cops” week, University of Louisville Police Department visited to educate students about the “Card Armor” app, which offers a variety of safety features to students on campus. The star of this visit, though, was Lily, ULPD’s new comfort dog in training. Also during our first week, we had a visit from Secret Service agents. Students were able to learn about the federal agency, as well as what life might look like for agents in different levels of their service. Finally, our Criminal Justice Department teamed up with Louisville Metro Police Department’s Forensic Investigation Unit to provide 30 students with a tour of their crime lab. Students were able to learn about the career of a crime scene technician as well as the process of collecting, preserving, and processing evidence.

For our “Courts” week, we had Elizabeth Nichols from Kentucky’s Probation and Parole Officers to talk to students about using Drug Courts as a diversion from jail in our communities. Professor Joe Guttman, J.D. also presented on a “Day in the Life of a Lawyer”. He talked to attendees about how to become a lawyer, what the Bar Exam is like, and how being a lawyer can change your life.

Finally, for our community week, we wanted to focus on how our Criminal Justice students can give back to the communities in which they live, work, and play. Our first event of our final week was presented in partnership with the BRICC Coalition, and focused on Narcan training. Students learned about Kentucky’s Good Samaritan laws, Narcan, and were instructed on the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose and now Narcan can reverse the fatal effects of opioids. We finished off NCJM with a presentation from Dr. Joe Grant that focused on being the soul of the place you stand. Dr. Grant spoke with students about how they are a part of their community and what their roles and responsibilities are, especially with regards to Criminal Justice.