LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new documentary premiering Wednesday celebrates the partnership between the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law with Central High School’s law program.

What You Need To Know

  • A new documentary showcases the partnership between the University of Louisville and Central High School's law programs
  • "A Pathway Forward" debuts to the public Thursday, Oct. 10
  • The film follows one year of the law program
  • Brandeis law students began teaching classes at Central High School in 2007

For more than 20 years, UofL law students have been active in more than one classroom, those on the UofL campus and at Central High School.

Alexis Self is teaching her first semester of “Street Law” at Central High.

“I absolutely love being a part of the program because I know what it’s like to be in a high school classroom and I’m also a JCPS alum so I know how these programs can really impact kids and give them something to look forward to in the day,” Self told Spectrum News.

Since 2007, the Brandeis School of Law has partnered with Central to bring college law students into the high school classroom to give underrepresented students a view of the legal profession. The program and partnership is thriving.

“They teach our students, “Street Law,” which is a brief fundamental course to do enough just to peak interest,” Mashayla Hayes explained.

Hayes is the law and government magnet teacher at Central. In fact, her educational journey came full circle several years ago. The partnership between Central and Brandeis launched when Hayes was a sophomore at the high school. She studied and graduated from Brandeis in 2018, but that’s not all.

“I practiced for about six years and then the opportunity came when my predecessor Mr. Gutmann was going to retire, and we were looking for someone to take over the program,” Hayes said.

The history and growth of Central’s law program and partnership with Brandeis is the focal point of a new documentary titled, “A Pathway Forward,” premiering Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the Kentucky Center for the Arts for a private audience.

“And it follows just how impactful Street Law and the partnerships we have here at Central with the law school can really make a difference,” added Hayes.

Student engagement should be testimony enough, but here’s a glowing recommendation anyway.

“This class might be the best class for law students. If you are coming into Central, I think you should do law because it helps. You’re going to learn more about the law than you’ll think you’ll ever learn, Central sophomore Jaylen Dantzler told Spectrum News.

“A Pathway Forward” opens to the public on Thursday, Oct. 10 during the Louisville International Festival of Film.

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