do law school applications have essays

Application Components

A comprehensive and holistic review.

At Yale Law School, our goal is to enroll a talented, diverse, and engaged entering class each fall. Each application is comprehensively and holistically reviewed to ensure that we thoughtfully consider all of the information that you provide to us. No one factor is dispositive. Instead, the Admissions Committee carefully evaluates each component of every application, including your essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities and leadership, honors and awards, professional experiences, and background. We do not utilize a GPA or standardized test score cutoff of any kind in our review process.

Every year applicants from all backgrounds and with scores in all ranges are admitted to Yale Law School. The only guarantee you will not be admitted is if you do not apply, and we take seriously every application we receive.

The below application components were updated as of August 2023.

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Application Fee & Need-Based Fee Waivers

Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $85 application fee, which will not be credited to tuition in the event of admission. The application fee is waived automatically for those applicants who have received an LSAC fee waiver.

If you do not have an LSAC fee waiver and would like to request a need-based fee waiver of your Yale Law School application fee, please request a fee waiver using our online application . Need-based fee waivers are generously granted, and parental information is not requested as part of the fee waiver application. If your request is approved, you will be given a fee waiver code to enter during the submission process for your Yale Law School application.

Please note that neither the request for, nor the granting of, a need-based fee waiver has any bearing on admissions decisions. Yale Law School employs a need-blind admissions process and encourages applicants from all socio-economic backgrounds to apply.

Undergraduate Degrees & Academic Transcripts

You must receive, or expect to receive, by the summer of 2024 a bachelor's degree (or the equivalent) from an approved undergraduate institution in order to be eligible to apply. All offers of admission are contingent upon graduation.

You must submit to LSAC transcripts from each college or university you attended, including all schools you attended for graduate or professional study. Even if one school includes summary data regarding courses from another school on its transcript, an official transcript from each institution must be submitted. Yale Law School strongly encourages applicants to submit transcripts, through LSAC, reflecting all coursework completed through the time of application and further encourages applicants to submit updated transcripts as additional coursework is completed. We suggest that you allow at least six weeks for a transcript to be processed by LSAC. For detailed instructions, please visit the LSAC transcript webpage .

In light of the circumstances posed by COVID-19, Yale Law School recognizes that transcripts may reflect mandatory or optional pass/fail or credit/no credit grades. These grades will not be viewed negatively by the Admissions Office and the Law School will maintain a holistic review process for all applications.

Personal Statements

Applicants must submit a personal statement that helps us learn about the personal, professional, and/or academic qualities they would bring to the Law School community and the legal profession. Applicants often submit the personal statement they have prepared for other law school applications.

Personal statements should be approximately two double-spaced pages.

250-Word Essays

The Law School is a vibrant intellectual community where students are expected to engage academically with faculty and fellow students. In no more than 250 words, applicants must write about an idea or issue from their academic, extracurricular, or professional work that is of particular interest to them. The idea or issue you choose does not have to be law-related; this is an opportunity for readers to learn more about how you would engage intellectually in the Law School community.

Optional Essay

Applicants may choose to submit an essay in response to one of the four questions below, each related to a value that is central to the Law School community. This is an opportunity to provide readers with relevant information that may not be found elsewhere in your application. If you choose to answer one of these questions, your essay should focus on your relevant personal, professional, and/or academic experiences and not on specific reasons why you wish to attend Yale Law School.

The optional essay should be approximately one page double-spaced. The prompts for the optional essay are as follows:

• Option 1: The Law School has a strong tradition of public service and encourages its students to contribute to the community in a wide variety of ways. Describe a community that has been particularly meaningful to you. Discuss what you have gained from being a part of this community and what you have contributed to this community.  
• Option 2: The Law School encourages its students and alumni to be leaders, innovators, and changemakers across many different sectors. Describe one of your most important accomplishments and explain why it is important to you. Discuss how you demonstrated leadership, helped innovate, and/or drove change as part of that accomplishment.  
• Option 3: The Law School values determination and resilience and recognizes that these traits are critical to success at the Law School and in the legal profession. Describe a significant challenge, disappointment, or setback that you have faced. Discuss how you approached this experience and what you learned from it.  
• Option 4: In order to succeed at the Law School and in the legal profession, you must be able to have discussions across difference and be open to changing your mind. Describe a time when you changed your mind on an important topic after discussing it with a person with whom you disagreed or learning additional information. Discuss what you learned from this experience.

Applicants may submit addenda to their application if any are necessary for a full representation of their candidacy. These addenda may include, for example, explanations related to transcripts or test scores, including a history of under-performance on standardized tests. It is not necessary to include any addenda, and many applicants do not include any.

Letters of Recommendation

Yale Law School requires at least two letters of recommendation. We strongly prefer letters from at least two professors with whom you have studied who can speak to your academic performance and who have had a chance to personally evaluate significant aspects of your academic work. Letters from employers, college deans, coaches, chaplains, colleagues, and others may be helpful, but are not preferred. If possible, they should not replace letters from two faculty recommenders.

Applicants who have been out of school for some time or who are otherwise unable to obtain two faculty recommendations may substitute letters from employers or others who know them well. These letters should address the qualities that academic recommendations typically address, for example: the applicant's ability to write and think critically, as well as their overall suitability for the study and practice of law.

A tip sheet for your recommenders can be found  here .

All letters of recommendation must be transmitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service , which is included as part of your CAS subscription.

We will begin review of your application as soon as we have received two letters of recommendation. We will not hold your application in order to wait for additional letters. To ensure that all of your recommendations are available for consideration, please verify that they are on file with LSAC prior to applying to the Law School.

Activities Sections

Applicants are required to submit a statement of activities to help us understand what you did during your undergraduate education and after graduation (if applicable). 

The college activities section asks three questions: 1) what you did during those terms when you were not in school, including summers and any other terms off (e.g., employment, internships, or study abroad); 2) what you did during the terms while you were also taking classes (e.g., extracurricular activities, employment, or internships); and 3) a catch-all question where you may briefly describe any other activities that you consider relevant (e.g., a significant thesis or capstone project, or significant personal or familial responsibilities). While you may choose to do this in a variety of formats, we ask that you do so in a structured manner such as a list or chart.

If it has been more than three months since you attended college, you must also describe what you have been doing since graduation in any format you choose. You should include graduate or professional education, paid or unpaid employment, as well as any other activities that you consider relevant. You may respond in a narrative format if you have only one or two activities. If you have more than a few activities, we ask that you format your response in a structured manner such as a list or chart.

The activities in these sections should be listed in order of their relative importance to you. For each activity, you must provide a brief description, state the approximate start and end dates, estimate the weekly hourly commitment, and note whether the activity was paid or unpaid. Please note that we anticipate significant duplication between these sections and your résumé. These sections should be brief, and, in general, applicants should answer the college activities questions in no more than 1–2 pages and the post-college activities question in no more than one page. 

Standardized Tests

Yale Law School accepts results from the  Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test . Additionally, the Law School accepts results from the  LSAT-Flex and the GRE General Test at Home . We do not have a preference among these standardized tests. However, you may submit score(s) from one standardized test only. If you have a reportable LSAT score, you may not submit a GRE score for consideration.

If you choose to apply with the LSAT, you must take the LSAT no later than January 2024. LSAC automatically reports all LSAT scores from the past five years. The oldest LSAT score we will accept is June 2018. If you have taken the LSAT since June 2018, you do not have the option to not report your score(s) to the Law School—your score(s) will be included in the information that we receive in your CAS report from LSAC.

LSAC requires at least one LSAT writing sample, taken either at the time of the LSAT examination or via LSAT Writing , in order to generate your CAS report. Yale Law School requires only one LSAT writing sample. Applicants who take the LSAT more than once do not need to submit multiple writing samples. It may take up to three weeks for LSAC to process and report your LSAT Writing. Therefore, you should complete your LSAT Writing no later than January 25, 2024 to ensure we receive it by Yale Law School’s application deadline.

If you choose to apply using the GRE General Test, we must receive your GRE scores from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) by our application deadline, February 15, 2024. Because it may take up to 15 calendar days for ETS to transmit your scores once you complete the exam, you should take the GRE no later than February 1, 2024. Applicants who have taken the GRE can log into their ETS accounts and select Yale Law School as a recipient of GRE results using the school code 4542.

To maintain parity between our evaluation of LSAT and GRE results, applicants who apply using the GRE must submit all GRE scores from the past five years. When reporting your GRE scores to Yale Law School, please select the option to report your entire testing history. Selecting this option will report all of your GRE scores for the past five years. Additionally, please ensure that the GRE score report submitted with your application is generated on or after the date you submit your Yale Law School application. A failure to comply with these policies may prevent the review of your application or result in the withdrawal of an offer of admission.

Dean's Certification

Yale Law School does not require submission of a dean's certification form(s) as part of the initial application. In the event an offer of admission is extended to you and you choose to accept that offer, you will be required to submit a dean's certification form from each college or university degree program in which you are, or have been, enrolled, regardless of whether a degree was awarded. The dean's certification form and a complete set of instructions will be provided to admitted students.

All offers of admission are contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the dean's certification requirement. Discrepancies between an applicant's answers to the questions in the Character and Fitness section of the admission application and the information provided in dean's certification forms will be considered sufficient grounds for the revocation of an offer of admission.

Interview Program

Yale Law School will continue piloting an interview program it began in the 2022-2023 application cycle. A small number of applicants will be selected for interviews as part of the evaluation process. If you are selected for an interview, the Admissions Office will contact you with additional information. Your application will not be disadvantaged if you are not selected for an interview.

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LSAT Clarity

The Law School Application Timeline: Everything You Need to Know

posted on September 9, 2022

Studying for the LSAT is just one part of preparing to become a lawyer. Your law school application timeline will include many steps, only one of which is your very important LSAT score. 

This article will cover all of those steps and give you insight into the paperwork, recommendations, submissions, and deadlines you need to get into law school.

Originally published on September 3rd, 2020, this article was updated, fact-checked, and republished on September 9th, 2022.

When Do Law School Applications Open?

Top 20 law schools (and most other law schools) typically open for applications between early August and early September. Some won’t open until early October, but that is later than average. 

The typical range in which to submit an application will be August 1 to December 1.

If you have your plan together, you should be able to submit any time in the open window. Most commonly, application windows will close between February 1st and June 1st.

Most schools use rolling admissions, which means that you can apply any time within the window. That said, you may have a better opportunity for a favorable review if you apply in the early days of admissions eligibility, when there are more open spaces. 

While most admissions department officials admit that they don’t review any applications during September (which is a month of recruitment), you could still be prioritized if you get in early.

Some people opt to apply for “early decision” if their top choice law school offers it. Applying for an early decision is a binding commitment to attend that school if you are accepted. It also means your entire application packet has to be ready and sent in much earlier than the regular deadline.

Typically required by November or December, applying for an early decision can shorten your law school application timeline significantly. 

How to Apply to Law School: The Full Timeline

When are law school applications due? Law school application deadlines are super important and you should start the process way before decision day. A lot of serious-minded students start preparing a year in advance. 

If you know you want to get into law school , you can reverse-engineer a timeline that ensures you check all the boxes. Here are the steps at each stage.

Initial Research: 10-15 Months Before Deadlines

Law school applications are serious business that require you to collect paperwork, pick schools, get a respectable LSAT score, and ask for personal recommendations. All of this takes time. 

People who are in it to win will get a huge lead on the process. Getting into law school is the last thing you want to scramble for. Here are some steps to take if you are a year or so out from applying to law school.

Research Suitable Law Schools

First, do research on the law schools you want to apply to. There are a lot of options that fall within different categories. Some law schools are top-rated, some are known for specialties, and others for different kinds of alumni networks. 

Both official info and unofficial info can be helpful for this. Look on the law schools’ websites (here’s the official list from LSAC ) and do “official content” research, but also check out online forums or places students provide real life feedback. Both of these will be helpful as you decide what law school to pursue.

When looking at law schools, each school has a percentile range of LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. If you are an undergraduate student, consider what your GPA will need to be in order to get into a target school along with an adequate LSAT score. If you are past undergrad and your GPA is set in stone, you should focus on getting the best LSAT score possible. Having a goal GPA and a goal score will make your application journey much more clear cut. 

Begin Your LSAT Exam Preparation

The LSAT is an incredibly difficult test that will be unlike anything you’ve ever taken. It is not a concept-based test. It is about skills. Preparing for the LSAT takes a lot of time and effort. Start looking into online LSAT review courses and pick one that works for you. Most of them will give you 3-6 month study timelines, so you’ll want to start early.

Learn more about a month by month LSAT study schedule .

Start Browsing Through Pre Law Groups And Forums Online

In addition to checking out the reputation of individual law schools, you can start getting a feel for how other people are choosing law schools. This will give you a social context and even some people to answer your questions. Pre Law groups and forums can be a huge help from peers who are on the same path.

Getting the Proper Scores: 7-8 Months Before Deadlines

Registering, studying, and writing the LSAT is the most time-consuming task you’ll do for your law school application. There are a few key factors in this process you need to know to meet all of the right deadlines. 

You don’t want to wait until the last minute to study for, schedule, or take your LSAT. This isn’t a test you wing. It requires careful study and preparation. Number one priority is to choose the best online LSAT prep course for you. Then, make sure you understand the timeline considerations.

LSAT Test Dates and Registration Deadlines

As you lay out your LSAT study plan, be sure you know the typical timeline for LSAT registration deadlines and LSAT test dates. Here are the 2022-2023 dates LSAC has released, which will follow a similar pattern most years:

As you can see, you will need to register for the LSAT considerably in advance of your LSAT test date. Your scores will then take at least a couple of weeks to be uploaded to your LSAC account. The official scores the LSAT sends with your law school application will need to include your writing sample and could take a little longer than that to order.

Take the June LSAT Exam

If you are applying to law schools in the fall (which is most common), it would be wise to elect the June LSAT exam to be your fist exam. This ensures that all of your scores and paperwork are in and can be assembled by LSAC to send with your law school application.

Retaking the LSAT?

Another reason it’s advisable to take the exam early is in case you get a low score and want a second run at improving your LSAT score . If you score lower than an LSAT admissions threshold or just lower than you want, you have the opportunity to retake the LSAT in the next testing window and still make law school application cutoffs.

Register for CAS

Your law school application is assembled by LSAC. This is done through something called the Credential Assembly Service, or CAS . The CAS fee has some costs:

• $195 for an account 
• $45 each for law school reports

Your CAS will include:

• E-processing of ABA-approved law school applications (and some non-ABA approved schools)
• Creation of each law school report
• Transcript summaries plus authentication for international students
• Processing your letter of recommendation

You will set up your account and send all of your documents in to LSAC. They will then generate the law school application packets for each school.

Finalize Your Law School Shortlist

While you are still a few months out, you should take all of that law school research you did earlier and make a shortlist. This narrows down the list of law schools you are interested in. Since each application takes time, effort, and extra costs , most students limit them to a reasonable number. From your shortlist, you can dive deeper and assess pros and cons before making your final decisions.

Try to Get a Few Recommendation Letters

Early on, you should know that you will be required to submit letters of recommendation. Depending on how recently you were in school, it’s important to start reaching out to your network as soon as possible. You want to leverage great professional and academic connections to get high-quality letters of recommendation.

Final Preparation: 5-6 Months Before Deadlines (August-September)

Once you hit the six-month mark in your law school application timeline, you need to turn your attention to final tasks. This is the final sprint before you actually send in your law school applications. Here are all of the final logistics you need to settle so you can be ready to roll once the law school application deadlines arrive.

Write Your Personal Statements

Your personal statement is an important part of your law school applications. Because the legal profession is about expression, interpretation, and higher-thinking, it’s important that you showcase your abilities and personal values. This may or may not weigh in heavily when a law school entry board reviews your application, but it should be spot-on and well-polished. It is optimal to begin drafting your personal statement as soon as possible to make sure that it’s perfect. Law school applications are competitive, and this is how you can make yourself stand out from other applicants. 

Prioritize Your Law School Shortlist

You should already have done some solid research to get your list of desired law schools down to a shortlist. Now, you should take that shortlist and prioritize:

• Pick 2-3 law schools that are achievable and desirable
• Pick 1-2 law schools that are ambitious
• Pick 1-2 law schools that are safety options

Start Writing School-Specific Essays and Entry Letters

Once you’ve got that prioritized law school shortlist, you can draft school-specific content. This includes essays and entry letters that appeal to that law school admissions board directly.

Best Time to Apply to Law School

While some law schools start accepting applications early, the early-October timeline is most common. All applications are assessed on a rolling basis, so you don’t have to be too ambitious about getting everything in right at the opening. That said, if you aim to have all of your applications finalized and submitted by December, you’ll still be in good shape.

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Law School With Spring Admissions (Optional)

Most law schools accept applications between October and December. If for some reason you missed this deadline or have a disruption in your plan, there are some schools that will allow you to join mid-year. While most law school application dates align with fall admissions, there are some spring options.

For first-year students, here are some law schools with spring admissions:

• John Marshall Law School in Chicago
• Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
• Baylor Law School
• Florida Coastal School of Law
• South Texas College of Law
• Pace Law School
• The John Marshall Law School
• Golden Gate University
• University of New Hampshire School of Law
• California Western School of Law
• University of La Verne College of Law
• Washburn University School of Law
• Glendale University
• University of San Diego School of Law
• Western State College of Law
• Coastal Law
• Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
• Drake University Law School
• University of Toledo College of Law

If you have your eye on a specific law school, you can reach out to them directly to learn if they make admissions exceptions.

Law School Application Timeline FAQs

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about a law school application timeline.

Is There an Advantage to Applying on the First Day Possible?

Law school admissions departments do rolling reviews of applications. This means that submitting your law school application the first day you can doesn’t get you to the top of the pile or make you stand out. Sending in your law school application before the deadline is the only specific requirement.

Can You Apply to Law School Before You Have an LSAT Score?

An LSAT score is required before you can submit an application to any law school. LSAC is the organization that puts together your law school applications and administers the LSAT.

Can You Retake the LSAT After You Have Sent in Your Application Materials?

Yes, you can retake the LSAT after you have submitted your application materials.

How Long Is the Law School Application Process?

While it can take up to a year to prepare your law school application, take the LSAT, and get all of the paperwork together, admissions boards will start reviewing applicants pretty fast once the law school application window opens. Once the window has closed to apply to a law school, it will probably take 2-4 weeks to know if you are accepted.

When Are Early Decision Deadlines for Law School?

Priority or early decision applications to law schools are usually about a month before the normal deadline. This will vary from school to school and based on whether you apply in the fall or are pursuing a spring exception. You will want to contact the law school admissions department you are applying to in order to get a reliable early decision date.

Interested in going to school on the west coast? Check out our post on the top law schools in California .

About Vincent Gullo

As a Kaplan Teacher, Vince Gullo has helped countless LSAT students reach the top 10%. There is not a one-size fits all strategy for LSAT, so Vince works to maximize the skills of each student but also develop weaknesses.

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JD Application Process

Step by step to sls.

If you are applying for admission to Stanford Law’s JD program for Fall 2024, mark these three important dates on your calendar:

September 15, 2023  — When the application becomes available.

December 1, 2023 — The date your application must be received and deemed complete (last eligible LSAT test administration is November 2023) by SLS if you are applying for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program . We strongly suggest that applicants take the LSAT prior to the November test administration so that all application deadline requirements are met. If you opt to submit a GRE score in lieu of the LSAT, plan accordingly so that we receive your score from ETS by the stated deadline.

February 15, 2024, 11:59 PM PST — The deadline for submitting your application.

Explore these key steps in the application process — then get started.

Application Process at a Glance

The first step to admission to Stanford Law is a thoroughly completed application. It is your responsibility to make certain that all items arrive at the Office of Admissions. We will consider your application complete and proceed with an admissions review as soon as we receive all required documents. Unless stated otherwise, any updates to your application must be submitted via e-mail to the Office of Admissions at [email protected] .

• Application for Admission.  You must complete the entire application form and submit it electronically through LSAC.
• Application Fee. Your nonrefundable application fee of $85 must be submitted by credit card through LSAC. If you are unable to pay the fee, please review the 2024 SLS Application Fee Waiver Instructions , complete the Fall 2024 SLS Application Fee Waiver Form , and submit it to the Office of Admissions as soon as possible so that we may process your fee waiver request. You must submit your fee waiver request prior to submitting your SLS electronic application. Allow 5-7 business days for a decision and factor in this timing to ensure you adhere to the application deadline. Please note that our fee waiver criteria and process are distinct from that of LSAC.  
• Resume.  Stanford requires a one-to-two page resume describing your academic, extracurricular and professional activities. The resume must be submitted electronically with your electronic application. Please do not include a photo. If you have already submitted your resume and have included a photo, note that we have redacted that photo. No further action is required on your part and that original submission will not impact our review process.
• Personal Statement. Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Law School. The personal statement must be submitted electronically with your electronic application. Your statement should be approximately two pages in length.
• Optional Essay . At Stanford Law School, we value the ability to communicate constructively across differences – even when the stakes are high or the differences significant. Please discuss a time when you encountered a viewpoint that contrasted with your own and explain how you responded. Would you do anything different if the same thing happened today? Your essay should be approximately one to two pages in length.
• Optional Short Essays. From a list of four essay questions, you may provide up to two responses of 100 to 250 words each.
• Two Letters of Recommendation.  Stanford requires that at least two and no more than four letters of recommendation be sent directly through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service . Letters sent directly to the Office of Admissions will not be accepted. Recommenders should be instructors who have personal knowledge of your academic work, preferably those who have known you in a seminar, small class, tutorial program or the like. If you have been out of school for a significant period you may substitute one letter from an employer or business associate. Sometimes these applicants find it difficult to obtain even one academic recommendation; in that case, you may submit two nonacademic letters. Please advise recommenders that should you choose to apply for a joint degree and/or other programs at Stanford University, the letters of recommendation may be forwarded to that program for review.
• Right of Access to Recommendations. Federal law provides a student, after enrollment, with a right of access to, among other things, letters of recommendation in the student’s file (if maintained). This right may be waived, but such a waiver may not be required as a condition for admission to, receipt of financial aid from, or receipt of any other services or benefits from Stanford Law School. Please indicate your choice by checking the appropriate box on the LSAC Letter of Recommendation form before giving them to your recommenders.
• Standardized Tests. All applicants are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. If you have one or more valid LSAT scores, they must be reported as part of your application. If you also take the GRE, you may submit all valid GRE scores, but you may also choose to submit only LSAT scores. The only circumstance where you may apply without providing us with an LSAT score is if you have only taken the GRE. If you are admitted to the Law School with a GRE and, after admission, take the LSAT, the Admissions Committee will consider this new LSAT score and will re-evaluate our offer of admission. LSAT. If you choose to apply with the LSAT, you must take the LSAT no later than January 2024. This deadline is based on the time needed by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to get your scores to us by our application deadline of February 15, 2024. LSAC will report scores directly to us. If you do not indicate the January 2024 test date on the application but plan to take that test at a later date, you should notify the Office of Admissions in order for the score to be considered. Scores received on tests taken prior to June 2018 will not be considered valid. Note that all applicants using the LSAT are required to submit at least one writing sample. This sample can either be taken at the time of the LSAT examination or at a later date. If taken at a later date, note that it may take several weeks for LSAC to process and report your writing sample so plan accordingly keeping our February deadline in mind. GRE . If you choose to apply with the GRE, you should take the exam no later than February 1, 2024. This deadline is based on the time needed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to get scores to us by our application deadline of February 15, 2024.  You must arrange with ETS to have all valid GRE scores sent directly to us. Log into your ETS account and select Stanford Law School as a recipient of GRE results using the school code 4993 . Scores received on tests taken prior to June 2018 will not be considered valid.
• Credential Assembly Service Report.  Transcripts from each college or university you have attended should be forwarded to LSAC, which will prepare and transmit a Law School Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report to Stanford Law School. To register for the CAS service, please visit LSAC . The report furnished to the school will include copies of all transcripts sent to LSAC. If you have received academic credit for coursework taken abroad while enrolled as a full-time student, and if grades for that period of study are not clearly indicated on your home transcript, you must send that foreign study transcript directly to LSAC or to Stanford Law School. All non-US/Canadian transcripts listed during registration for the Credential Assembly Service are forwarded to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), where they will be authenticated and evaluated, except in cases where it is clearly marked on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the CAS registration fee. The data is assembled into a credential evaluation document that contains AACRAO’s summary, copies of the transcripts and translations (where applicable), and will be sent to the Office of Admissions. Any updated transcripts must be sent directly to LSAC. Please note that should you choose to apply for a joint degree and/or other programs at Stanford University, the CAS report may be forwarded to that program for review.

When the documents described above have all been received, your application is considered complete. However, until the application has been finally acted upon (and until the first day of attendance, if you are accepted and enroll), you are obligated to advise the school of any changes in the information previously furnished. In particular, you should promptly report to the school any additional grades received and any other facts that would have required a different answer to the questions asked in the application. Such changes may be reported informally by e-mail to the Office of Admissions; if official verification is required, you will be so advised. You must have received, or expect to receive by the Summer of 2024, a bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent) from an approved college. All offers of admission are conditional upon graduation.

Reapplication Procedure

If you wish to reapply for admission you must submit the following:

• New application
• Application fee
• Updated resume
• Updated personal statement
• New letter of recommendation to LSAC utilizing the Letter of Recommendation and Evaluation Service
• Updated transcripts showing conferral of degree
• New LSAT scores through LSAC if available

Please note that recommendations already on file need not be duplicated. Applications for the Fall of 2021, 2022, and 2023 have been retained.

Application Status Check

To keep you apprised of your application status, we provide an online status page. To view the status of your application, please click on the link below to access our password-protected online status page. Please note that bookmarking may make it difficult to access the page.

CHECK YOUR STATUS ONLINE

The Admissions Committee does not grant interviews as part of the admissions process. However, we encourage you to visit the school and arrange to meet with a member of the admissions staff.

Notification of Acceptance

Stanford Law uses a rolling admissions process, acting upon applications throughout the admissions season as they are completed. However, some applications are held until the committee has reviewed the entire applicant pool. This second review generally occurs in April, at which time the class will be filled. (A small number of applications will be held for possible use in filling vacancies that may occur during the summer.)

The Office of Admissions will make every effort to send applicants a first response (accept, deny or wait list) by April 30.

To secure a place in the entering class, applicants accepted for admission must pay a deposit.

If you are offered admission, Stanford reserves the right to withdraw that offer of admission (even after enrolled attendance) if: 1) you show a significant drop in academic performance or fail to graduate from your current program; 2) there has been a misrepresentation in or a violation of any of the terms of the Stanford Law School (SLS) application process; 3) we learn that you have engaged in behavior prior to the first day of enrolled SLS attendance that indicates a serious lack of judgment or integrity; or 4) you reserve a place in our entering class and make an enrollment commitment or make a deposit at another law school. Stanford further reserves the right to require you to provide additional information and/or authorization for the release of information about any such matter.

Acceptance Deferral Policy

Stanford Law School grants a limited number of requests for one-year deferrals. Any admitted applicant granted and accepting deferred admission is required (1) to submit a nonrefundable deposit that will be applied to tuition; and (2) to sign a statement that deferred status is not also held at another law school, that all prior applications to other law schools have been withdrawn, and that new applications will not be made to other law schools. Persons admitted from the wait list are ineligible for deferment.

Additional Matters

International Student Visas

In order to register as students, Stanford University requires all those who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. registered permanent residents to obtain and maintain an appropriate visa status for their stay in the United States. For more information, please visit the Bechtel International Center website .

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Undocumented Applicants

Inclusion and nondiscrimination are core values held by the University and this extends to all members of our community regardless of citizenship or nationality. Therefore, SLS remains firmly committed to the principle that citizenship is not a condition for admission to any of our programs. Individuals who have been granted DACA status at the time of application are eligible to apply and matriculate at SLS. In addition, individuals who have met all other admission requirements and are otherwise undocumented are permitted to apply and matriculate at SLS.

Stanford has actively supported the DREAM Act legislation since its introduction in 2001, which would enable undocumented students to continue their education and apply for U.S. citizenship. Stanford also supports DACA, which has allowed some undocumented individuals who entered the United States as children to remain in the country without fear of deportation. Stanford is among the more than 600 colleges and universities that have signed a letter in support of DACA.

https://immigration.stanford.edu/

Nondiscrimination Policy

Stanford University admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or marital status to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the University. Consistent with its obligations under the law, in the administration of the University’s programs and activities, Stanford prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law; Stanford also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence. This policy applies to Stanford programs and activities both on and off-campus, including overseas programs.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding this nondiscrimination policy: Stanford’s Director of the Diversity and Access Office, Krista Martinelli, Kingscote Gardens, 419 Lagunita Drive, Suite 130, Stanford, CA 94305-8550; (650) 723-0755 (voice), (650) 723-1791 (fax),  [email protected]  (email). Stanford’s Title IX Coordinator, Stephen Chen, has been designated to handle inquiries regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence: Kingscote Gardens (2nd floor), 419 Lagunita Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, (650) 497-4955 (voice), (650) 497-9257 (fax),  [email protected]  (email).  Individuals may also file complaints directly with the Office for Civil Rights, within the United States Department of Education, by following the information on this website:   https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html

Last revised September 13, 2023 .  For the most recent policy, please visit the  Diversity and Access Office .

Campus Security

Stanford University complies with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act. Stanford’s policies and statistics under this act are posted on the Department of Public Safety website at  https://police.stanford.edu/security-report.html . A paper copy can be obtained by calling the Stanford Department of Public Safety at (650) 723-9633 or by sending an email to [email protected].

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A Definitive Guide to the Law School Application Process

The law school application process can feel overwhelming and complicated. When should you start, and what do you have to do? 

This guide breaks down how to apply to law school and provides tips and resources on creating a well-executed law school application.

The Law School Application Timeline

18-24 months before law school.

Your law school application timeline can start nearly two years before you attend law school, mainly due to the time it takes to prepare for the LSAT. If you are an undergraduate student, this would be in the fall semester of your junior year. However, if you don’t have this much time to prepare — don’t worry. You’ll still have time to get everything done! You may just have to compress this timeline to fit your schedule.

There are several steps you can take early on to ensure a smooth application process.

• Take a practice LSAT : Establish your baseline so you can know what you need to focus on in your preparation, and create a plan to study for the LSAT .
• Request info from law schools : Most law schools have the option to request a booklet or pamphlet (print or digital). Now’s the time to download those PDFs and stock up on those glossy brochures so you can be armed with information before narrowing down where you want to apply.  Sometimes your best fit for law school is not the law school you initially envisioned, so be open to the possibilities.  
• Create an LSAC account : The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is where you register to take the LSAT. 
• Investigate financial aid : It’s never too early to familiarize yourself with the costs of law school, assess your savings and borrowing ability, and conduct research on financial aid, scholarships, and student loan options.

14-18 Months Before Law School

A year and a half or so before you start law school, or the spring semester of your junior year, you should focus on the following to make sure you head into summer with everything you need. 

• Study and take the LSAT : If you haven’t already done so, now’s the time to take the LSAT or retake it if you aren’t happy with your previous score. If you take it now, you’ll have plenty of time to retake it, if needed. If you are retaking it, study strategically based on your weak spots. There’s something to be said about not taking the LSAT too many times , and you can only take it three times in a single testing year.
• Research potential law schools : Now’s the time to start compiling a list of law schools you want to apply to. You can use your LSAT scores as a guide to know which law schools are more of a “reach” versus which ones would be more “safe.” 
• Start working on recommendation letters : Reach out to who you’d like to request recommendation letters from to let them know about the timelines and what to include in your letter. Getting them on board now will save you stress later!  

12-14 Months Before Law School

Over a year before law school, or the summer before your senior year, you should start gathering everything for your application. 

• Take or retake the LSAT : If you haven’t already taken the LSAT, you should take it now. Also, you still have time to retake it.
• Start your personal statement and essays : Think about why you want to go to law school, and what can distinguish you as a candidate. 
• Update your resume : Many law school applications require your resume, so you should spend some time tailoring it to your law school application requirements.
• Visit law schools : When planning your campus visit , make sure you check out the surrounding area and speak to students, faculty, and staff if possible.  There are great law schools all over, but focus on where you think you could be happy and can do you best work.

8-12 months before law school

You’re less than a year away from law school! (Or in the fall semester of your senior year.) How exciting. This is when it starts to become crunch time, as applications are opening up and applying early offers many advantages. This is when all of the final application details come together. 

• Take or retake the LSAT : The October LSAT is ideal for retaking it so that you can still get your applications in early.
• Finalize your list of law schools : You should have your final list of schools that you want to apply to at this stage.
• Visit law schools : If you haven’t already done so, you should schedule your law school visits to narrow down your list and confirm your interest.
• Register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) : CAS handles your transcripts, LSAT scores, and other application documents. 
• Fill out your applications thoroughly : Give yourself the time to fill out your applications to ensure you don’t make any errors. 
• Finish your personal statements and application essays : Have you avoided these common mistakes in your personal statement ? Have you included anything that you shouldn’t have ? Make sure your personal statements and any other application essays (like addendums) are pitch-perfect by spending plenty of time on them yourself and asking other people to review them for you.
• Start submitting transcripts and letters of recommendation : Start requesting and submitting transcripts and letters of recommendation to CAS, with the goal of having this done by August or early September.
• Start submitting your applications if possible : Many applications have rolling admissions that open up in the fall. Submitting your applications before the holidays is a great way to avoid stress and provides you the many benefits of submitting your application early .
• File the FAFSA : The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a must-do before starting law school. 
• Search for scholarships and grants : While you may receive scholarships and grants from law schools, you can also search for opportunities from external sources like law school associations, professional organizations, and nonprofit groups.

3-8 months before law school

If you’ve already submitted your applications, this is when you should start to receive some admissions decisions to consider your options. If you’re an undergraduate student, this is in the spring semester of your senior year, so it’s the perfect time to evaluate your choices and see what will work best for you not just in terms of the school itself, but also the financial aid and scholarship packages they are offering you. Don’t be afraid to negotiate scholarship offers in this time period, especially if your LSAT and GPA are in the higher range of the school’s student profile.

• Investigate housing options : If you are going to move, you should start looking at on and off-campus housing options.
• Submit applications : If any schools have later application deadlines, now is the time to finish up those applications.
• Attend events : Student open houses, orientations, or other events for admitted students are typically held in this window, which can help you finalize your decision if you haven’t already.
• Send a continued interest letter : If you’ve been waitlisted, but you’re still interested in the school, send a continued interest letter to demonstrate your position.
• Update transcripts : If you are still in school and have your senior year grades, submit an updated transcript to CAS to reflect those grades. 

After you’ve gone through all of these steps, it’s decision time. Make your final choice and pay the deposit. 

1-3 months before law school

It’s the summer before law school, which is the perfect time to relax. However, there are a few small details you'll want to take care of to set you up for success in the fall. 

• Check all enrollment requirements : Make sure you’ve met all the requirements for enrollment, including deposits and any other paperwork. 
• Attend events : If you haven’t already, attend events for admitted students.
• Finalize housing : Whether you’re living on or off-campus, confirm the details of your housing and start moving in.
• Confirm financial aid: Check with your law school’s financial aid office to verify all financial aid and scholarship details.
• Give thanks : A lot of people have helped you along the way, including everyone from the people who wrote your recommendation letters to the family and friends who helped you study for the LSAT and review your personal essays. Thank them for their support. 
• Get ready : Prepare yourself for law school by completing any recommended or required readings and assignments, as well as studying up on note and test-taking tips.  Being organized will make all the difference.  

How to Apply to Law School: Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to apply to law school .

As we’ve shown with our timeline, it can take over a year to prepare your law school application. You can even start earlier than that. LSAT preparation alone can take 2-4 months or longer, if you wish to retake it. However, the actual application process can be shorter — if you have a year before law school, you can compress the timeline above. It is just a guideline and a way to help you have plenty of time to submit your applications. 

How long does it take for a law school to process your application?  

Law schools typically review applicants fairly quickly once the application window opens, and it can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to know if you are accepted depending on the admissions process.  Applying earlier can lead to a faster decision.

When can you start applying to law school? 

Typically applications open up starting in September. Law schools with early decision options have deadlines as early as November, so submitting early can raise your odds of acceptance due to the rolling admissions cycles. 

Stetson’s Law School Application Process

If you are interested in applying to Stetson Law, we’re here to help. Our admissions blog is full of tips on the law school application process, and our admissions team is available to answer any questions you may have. Learn more about our J.D. application instructions here .

Topics: Applying to Law School

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Frequently Asked Questions about LSAT Writing

LSAC strives to ensure LSAT ®  takers have the information and resources they need to succeed on test day, including up-to-date information about LSAT Writing ® . The FAQs below have been compiled based on common questions we receive about LSAT Writing and have been divided into subjects to help you find the information you’re looking for.

Additional FAQ collections address specific aspects of the test, such as  The LSAT ,  Testing Accommodations , and  LSAT Score Preview .

If you can’t find an answer to your question, please contact our Candidate Services team:

Chat:  You can start a conversation with an LSAC customer service representative via chat by using the icon at the bottom-right corner of your screen. Our chat feature is available during business hours.

Email:   [email protected]

Phone:   1.800.336.3982

Hours:  Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET Please note that  holiday hours  may differ.

Quick Links:

Registering for lsat writing, preparing for lsat writing, disability-related test accommodations, test and test-taker security, taking lsat writing, lsat scores and law school admission, how do i register for lsat writing.

One administration of LSAT Writing is included in your LSAT registration. By registering for the LSAT, you will be automatically eligible to complete the writing section as early as eight (8) days before you take the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT. You can access LSAT Writing from your LSAC JD Account.

What does LSAT Writing cost?

The LSAT registration fee includes both the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT and LSAT Writing. There are no additional fees associated with LSAT Writing.

Do I have to take LSAT Writing if I have already completed a writing sample during a previous LSAT administration?

No. Candidates are only required to have one writing sample on file for their LSAT to be considered complete. Writing samples may be from either a previous LSAT administration or an administration of LSAT Writing.

Can I register to take LSAT Writing as a standalone?

No, we are no longer offering standalone LSAT Writing. For questions, please contact LSAC’s Candidate Services team at [email protected] or 1.800.336.3982 .

Is LSAT Writing available outside of North America?

Yes. LSAT Writing is available in all locations with access to the internet.

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What kind of computer do I need in order to take LSAT Writing?

LSAT Writing requires a desktop or laptop computer running Windows or Mac OS that has a webcam, a microphone, only one connected monitor, and an internet connection.

Important Notes

• LSAT Writing is not compatible with mobile devices, Chrome OS, or Linux. 
• Be sure that you have administrative rights to the computer on which you’ll take the test. (This is so you can download the required proctoring software.)
• Before you launch LSAT Writing, be sure to shut down all non-essential applications. This includes disabling any grammar-checking extensions (e.g., Grammarly, Microsoft Editor, etc.).

How will I log in to take LSAT Writing?

Candidates will launch LSAT Writing using the link provided on the LSAT Writing page of their LSAC JD Account. The link will surface at 12:00 a.m. (ET) on the date eight (8) days prior to the start of the candidate’s LSAT administration. LSAT Writing can only be launched from the individualized link provided in the candidate’s account.

Do I need any identification to take LSAT Writing?

Every candidate is required to present a physical, valid international passport or a physical, valid government-issued photo ID issued by the United States of America, U.S. Territories, or Canada. The ID must be current (or have expired within 3 months of your test date) and must contain:

• A recent and recognizable photo of you
• Your first name
• Your last name
• Your date of birth

The first and last name listed on your ID  must exactly match  the legal first and last name associated with your LSAC account. You can make changes to your legal name on the “Profile” page in your account. For more information, please visit  Biographical Information Changes . 

This is important. By law, U.S. military IDs cannot be photographed and thus cannot be used for this purpose.

Learn more about ID accepted for LSAT admission

What features are included in the LSAT Writing interface?

LSAT Writing’s interface offers:

• Built-in, user-adjustable tools such as a feature to increase text size incrementally and a line-spacing function.
• Highlighting and underlining tools , which can be used to mark key points in the prompt.
• Digital “Scratch Paper,” which allows test takers to type notes, instead of writing them on a physical piece of scratch paper.

Additionally, misspellings in the LSAT Writing essay are underlined in accordance with the web browser’s spell-check feature. However, alternate spelling suggestions are not available within the test environment. 

To get familiar with the LSAT Writing interface and experience, we encourage candidates to explore the Writing Sample Practice Prompt available for free through LSAC LawHub ® .

Does LSAT Writing impose a word or space limit for the writing sample?

There is no word or space limit for LSAT Writing. You are advised not to worry about the length of your writing sample, but instead to concentrate on crafting a response to the prompt that is well-written, cogent, and well-argued.

Will I be able to request accommodations for LSAT Writing?

Yes. Candidates can submit requests for accommodations for LSAT Writing at the same time they request accommodations for the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT, using the same online form.

What accommodations are available on LSAT Writing?

For information regarding available testing accommodations, visit  Accommodations that May Be Available on the LSAT .

Some accommodations that are available on the LSAT will not be needed for LSAT Writing (e.g., extra breaks between sections, a non-Scantron answer sheet).

How is test security managed for LSAT Writing?

The secure proctoring platform uses input from the webcam, microphone, and screen of the candidate’s computer to ensure that the writing sample is the candidate’s own work, and that the candidate is not receiving any inappropriate assistance.

Prior to the test, candidates will complete a video check-in process. As part of the check-in process, candidates will be required to clearly display a physical, valid government-issued photo ID issued by the United States of America, U.S. Territories, or Canada, or a physical, valid international passport for the camera to capture. This image must not be blurry or out of focus. Candidates will also be required to show their workspace using their webcam, to ensure that only permissible items are in that space. The room will be scanned to make sure no other people or prohibited items are present. Candidates who require additional items in their workspace due to a disability may seek appropriate accommodations through the standard procedures for   requesting testing accommodations .  

Audio and video from every testing session will be reviewed by trained proctors.

What steps is LSAC taking to protect my privacy?

Initial reviews of LSAT Writing videos will be conducted by trained proctors in a secure, supervised environment. If a video is flagged for suspicious behavior or test conduct violations, LSAC trained staff will review it for the limited purpose of investigating and handling any such misconduct or violations .  Please see the LSAC Privacy Policy for how LSAC collects, uses, discloses, and otherwise processes information.

What will be recorded during the test, and what will you do with the videos after the test?

Input from the candidate’s webcam and microphone will be recorded, as well as everything happening on the candidate’s screen during the test. No videos or images from LSAT Writing will be shared with any law schools. However, audio and video data will be retained in a secure location for later review in the event of a test security investigation and/or misconduct and irregularities investigation.  See Misconduct & Irregularities and the  LSAC Candidate Agreement for more information.

What electronic devices are prohibited?

Devices that cannot be in the room during LSAT Writing include timers of any kind, watches of any kind, electronic cigarettes, fitness-tracking devices, mobile phones, beepers, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), calculators, cameras, recording devices, listening devices (including, but not limited to headphones, ear buds, Air Pods, and other electronic listening devices and/or noise-canceling devices other than generic foam ear plugs), headsets, and iPods and other media players. Please note that tablets, laptops, and personal computers not being used to take LSAT Writing are prohibited.

Prohibited electronic devices may not be in the room during the test because they cannot be monitored via your webcam feed. Please be aware that your testing session will be flagged, and your writing sample canceled, if any prohibited electronics are noted during the room scan portion of your check-in. This includes any monitors or desktop computers that happen to be on the desk you may be resting your laptop on during the writing session. If your session is flagged, your audio and video data may be referred for an investigation by the Misconduct and Irregularities Subcommittee. More information can be found at   Misconduct & Irregularities and in the  LSAC Candidate Agreement .

What other items are prohibited?

Test takers may not use briefcases, handbags, or backpacks of any kind. Head coverings of any kind (e.g., hats, hoods, bonnets, durags, scarves, etc.) may not be worn, unless the head covering is a religious requirement. Sunglasses or other eyewear with tinted lenses may not be worn. Books, printed materials, scratch paper, writing implements (regular or mechanical pencils, and/or ink pens), erasers, highlighters, and any reference materials (including, but not limited to, sticky notes, whiteboards, calendars, notebooks, guides, flyers, or other outside materials) prepared prior to the start of your session may not be used.

Non-electronic prohibited items can remain in the room, but they must be put away and not used, accessed, or referenced during the test.

What can I use to write notes since scratch paper is prohibited?

Unlike the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT, physical scratch paper and writing utensils are not permitted during the standard administration of LSAT Writing. Instead, the LSAT Writing interface includes a built-in, digital “Scratch Paper” section where you’ll be able to type notes, instead of writing them on a physical piece of scratch paper.

What if I need headphones, ear plugs, or earbuds to take the test?

Test takers may use soft, non-electronic, non-corded/banded, generic foam ear plugs. They must be individually shown to the camera during the security check-in procedure.  

Please note: Unless a specified accommodation has been granted, test takers cannot wear headphones, earbuds, or anything similar that is not a soft, non-electronic, non-corded/banded, generic foam ear plug. Additionally, e lectronic noise-canceling devices and/or other noise-canceling devices other than generic foam ear plugs approved by LSAC and/or LSAT Writing personnel are expressly prohibited.  These types of items are unable to be monitored and inhibit LSAC’s ability to ensure a fair and equal testing environment. LSAC’s goal is to safeguard your test and score by putting this policy in place to mitigate testing irregularities that could result in the cancellation of your LSAT Writing sample.

What if someone else enters the room while I am taking the test?

If someone else enters the room, you must ask them to leave immediately. You may continue testing once the person leaves the room. It is not necessary to restart LSAT Writing if a brief interruption occurs.

What if my pet enters the room while I’m taking the test?

If a pet wanders into the room while you are testing, you may continue testing. Your face must be clearly visible throughout the test, and once you begin, you cannot move out of view of the webcam until the test is over.

When can I take LSAT Writing?

Candidates are eligible to take LSAT Writing starting eight (8) days prior to their LSAT administration. For your LSAT to be considered complete, you will need to take the LSAT Writing section of the test if you do not already have a writing sample on file from a previous LSAT administration. Most law schools require a writing sample as an integral part of their admission decision, and therefore, you should take the writing sample immediately to meet schools’ application deadlines. Once completed, reviewed, and approved, your writing sample will be shared with you and the law schools to which you have applied. Candidates will be required to have an approved writing sample in their file in order to see their test score or have their score released to law schools.

How long do I have to complete LSAT Writing?

Candidates will be given 35 minutes to write an essay in response to the prompt that is presented to them.

If you do not have a writing sample on file, we encourage you to complete LSAT Writing as soon as you can. LSAT Writing opens eight (8) days prior to every test administration. Candidates must have a complete writing sample in their file in order to see their score or have their score released to schools. Most law schools require a writing sample as an integral part of their admission decision, and therefore, you should take the writing sample immediately to meet schools’ application deadlines.

In case you are not applying in the current cycle, please note you have a maximum of a year to take LSAT Writing. For questions, please contact LSAC’s Candidate Services team at [email protected] or 1.800.336.3982 .

Does it matter which web browser I use to launch LSAT Writing?

Yes. LSAT Writing can only be launched from Chrome or Firefox. The three most recent versions of these browsers are supported. Safari and Edge are not supported at this time.

What items can I use during LSAT Writing?

You are allowed to use the following items while taking LSAT Writing:

• Soft foam earplugs (non-electronic, non-corded/banded, and generic foam earplugs)
• Water in a clear or transparent container with a lid or cap. All labels must be removed from the container.
• Medication/medical supplies (including eyeglasses)
• Diabetic testing or treatment supplies (Bluetooth-enabled medical devices must be pre-approved)

Each of these items must be shown to the camera during the security check-in procedure.

This is important.  Use of scratch paper is not permitted during LSAT Writing, unless requested and approved as a testing accommodation. (The LSAT Writing interface includes a digital “Scratch Paper” section where test takers can type notes, instead of writing them on a physical piece of scratch paper.)

What behaviors are prohibited?

Adhering to the highest moral and ethical standards is essential for those in the legal profession. Every test taker is required to sign a  Candidate Agreement  each time they take the LSAT. Please make sure you read the entire Agreement; rushing through it or ignoring any of it could have serious adverse consequences.

Generally, during the test you may not:

• Communicate with anyone other than your proctor
• Allow your face to leave the webcam’s view
• Leave your seat
• Run any prohibited software applications
• Access any prohibited materials
• Connect or disconnect any external storage devices
• Behave in a noncompliant or abusive manner 
• Disable your camera or audio capabilities

After the test you may not:

• Share details of the writing sample in an oral or written form, which includes sharing content on the internet or through any means or media
• Copy, save, duplicate, or distribute any of the writing sample material on your computer or any written notes you may have used during the writing sample

How is LSAT Writing proctored?

LSAT Writing sessions are recorded and reviewed by a proctor after submission. The proctor will audit the recording for any testing irregularities or violations that may have occurred during the session, such as an illegible ID or possession of a prohibited item. If such an irregularity is discovered, the session will be flagged for LSAC to conduct an additional review and/or investigation.

Will a proctor be available to assist me?

Generally, a live proctor will not be available to guide you through the onscreen instructions. We strongly encourage you to carefully read all of the onscreen prompts and to familiarize yourself with the FAQs on this page. Skipping any steps may result in additional reviews and could cause your LSAT Writing sample to be canceled and reset.

If you experience technical difficulties while taking LSAT Writing, please contact the 24/7 technical support line at 1.855.772.8678 .  Technical support is available through your entire LSAT Writing session.

How do I identify myself before the test?

When prompted, you must clearly display a physical, valid international passport or a physical, valid government-issued photo ID issued by the United States of America, U.S. Territories, or Canada to be photographed by the system. The first and last name on your ID must exactly match the legal first and last name associated with your LSAC JD Account.

Please ensure that the photo of your ID is clear and recognizable before capturing it. If the image of your ID is blurry, out of focus, or unrecognizable, a proctor will flag your ID as invalid when they review your session, your writing sample will be canceled, and you will need to submit a new writing sample. This may delay the release of your LSAT score to you and to law schools.

What if I don’t have my physical ID? Can I use a picture of it?

No. LSAC will only accept physical identification. Digital images, photocopies, etc., are  not  acceptable under any circumstances.

Can I use Grammarly or other browser extensions while taking LSAT Writing?

No. Before launching LSAT Writing, be sure to shut down all non-essential applications and disable any grammar-checking extensions, including Grammarly, Microsoft Editor, etc.  LSAT Writing is designed to showcase an individual’s persuasive writing skills, and any program that adjust s  the essay wording or structure can modify the response into something that is no longer the test taker’s own work.

A spellcheck feature is built into the LawHub interface, but external  AI-assistive extensions and aids, such as Grammarly, MS Editor, Writefull, Wordtune, Reverso, etc., are not permitted.

Can I use assistive technology programs while I take LSAT Writing?

Upon request, all LSAT Writing test takers (with or without test accommodations) are permitted to use external computer programs to make web content accessible, such as screen magnification or keyboard-controlled screen reader software. To protect the security of test content, selectable text functionality (i.e., the ability to select text or place the cursor on the screen) is not available on any of LSAC’s products. Therefore, the computer-based LSAT Writing is accessible with screen reader software programs that can be controlled and navigated using keystrokes and keyboard commands rather than text-to-speech software controlled and navigated using the mouse and cursor.

If you plan to use assistive technology programs while taking LSAT Writing, you must inform LSAC by completing the Assistive Technology Form during registration. Candidates who require the use of special equipment to access the test are encouraged to use your programs and equipment to explore the Writing Sample Practice Prompt available through LSAC LawHub. This practice prompt is designed to enable candidates to become familiar with the LSAT Writing interface and experience.

Contact LSAC for Questions and Support

If you have any questions about the accessibility of LSAC’s products, please contact  [email protected] .

If you require additional accommodation to access LSAT Writing due to a disability, we encourage you to contact an LSAC Disability Customer Service Representative at  [email protected]  or  215.966.6625 (toll-free:  855.384.2253 ) for assistance. Any request for testing accommodations must be submitted by the applicable registration deadline. LSAC is committed to working with candidates to facilitate accessibility to LSAT Writing.

Where should I take LSAT Writing?

Choose a quiet, well-lit, fully enclosed, and private work area, where you can complete the test without interruption. You may not take the test in a location with transparent/glass walls, in a cubicle, or in a hotel lobby. Please ensure that your workspace is clean and clear of any prohibited items. You must be clearly visible from chin to forehead and from shoulder to shoulder throughout the test; once you begin, you cannot move out of view of the webcam until the test is over.

Will every candidate receive the same writing prompt?

No. Candidates will be presented with a randomly selected prompt that they have not seen during a previous administration of the LSAT or LSAT Writing.

I’m ready to take LSAT Writing, but the link to launch the test isn’t on the LSAT Writing page in my account. What do I do?

The link to launch LSAT Writing will not be available in your account until eight (8) days prior to the start of your LSAT administration. You can find the date that LSAT Writing will open for each administration at Upcoming LSAT Dates .

If you’re checking after your available date and you still don’t see the link, please call LSAC at 1.800.336.3982  and press 0 or send an email to [email protected] for assistance.

I accidentally closed my browser before submitting my writing sample. What should I do?

If you accidentally close out of LSAT Writing during testing, you should immediately attempt to relaunch the test. To do this, return to your LSAC JD Account and select the “Launch LSAT Writing” link. 

If you are unable to relaunch LSAT Writing, you will need to contact LSAC to reset your eligibility. This will allow you to restart LSAT Writing with a new writing prompt. Please call LSAC at  1.800.336.3982 and press  0  or send an email to  [email protected]  for assistance.

What if I have technical difficulties during LSAT Writing?

If you experience technical difficulties, please contact the 24/7 technical support line at 1.855.772.8678 . Please note that candidates who experience technical problems that prevent them from completing their writing sample will be given the opportunity to test again with a different writing prompt.

Is LSAT Writing required for applying to law schools?

For your LSAT to be considered complete, you must have at least one writing sample on file — either from an earlier paper-and-pencil administration of the LSAT or from LSAT Writing.

If you do not have a writing sample on file, we encourage you to complete LSAT Writing as soon as you can. Candidates are required to have a completed writing sample in their file in order to see their test score or have their score released to law schools. Most law schools require a writing sample as an integral part of their admission decision, and therefore, you should take the writing sample immediately to meet schools’ application deadlines. Once completed, reviewed, and approved, your writing sample will be shared with you and the law schools to which you have applied.

To help candidates complete their writing sample, LSAT Writing opens eight (8) days prior to each test administration.   

If you already have a reportable writing sample on file, you do not need to complete LSAT Writing.

When will my LSAT Writing sample be available for inclusion in my CAS Report?

Once completed, reviewed, and approved,  your writing sample will be shared with you and the law schools to which you have applied.  In many cases, LSAT Writing samples will be processed within a week of completion. However, candidates are advised to allow three weeks for processing before their writing sample can be included in a CAS Report.

Are the writing samples from LSAT Writing scored?

No. There are currently no plans to score LSAT Writing samples.

Do schools read my writing sample?

Most law schools require an LSAT Writing sample as an integral part of their admission decision, and many admission professionals have reported that LSAT Writing is useful in their candidate evaluation processes. However, each school uses writing samples in their own way.

Do all writing samples get reported to the law schools?

No. LSAC will include up to the three most recent reportable writing samples with your law school report. Writing samples are only reportable for five testing years. Writing samples that are more than five years old will not get reported to law schools.

Note that candidates only need to have one reportable writing sample on file for their LSAT to be considered complete.

Once completed, reviewed, and approved, your LSAT Writing sample will be shared with you and the law schools to which you have applied.

Can I review my writing sample after I have completed LSAT Writing?

Yes. Each candidate will have an opportunity to read their writing sample immediately after completing the test. It is strictly prohibited to take any pictures or screenshots of your completed writing sample, including the “Test Completion” screen. Violation of this policy may result in an LSAT Writing cancellation and a referral to the Subcommittee on Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process, as it is strictly prohibited, and you are still in the testing session. Candidates will also have the opportunity to view their writing sample after it has been processed by LSAC for inclusion in Law School Reports.

My LSAT Writing sample was canceled for a security violation. Does that cancellation get reported to law schools, and what happens next?

In most cases, a canceled writing sample is not reported to any law schools. When your LSAT Writing is canceled for certain rules violations (such as an unacceptable ID or an incomplete room scan), your eligibility will be reset, and you will have the opportunity to retake LSAT Writing.  However, if the cancellation is due to a violation of test security policies (e.g., use of a prohibited electronic device), you may be referred to the Misconduct and Irregularities Subcommittee for further investigation. If the subcommittee representative determines that a preponderance of the evidence shows misconduct or irregularity, then a report of the determination is sent to all law schools to which the individual has applied, subsequently applies, or has matriculated. See Misconduct & Irregularities for further information.

General Applicant Questions

Visting campus, can i visit campus.

Check out our visits and events  page for the most up-to-date information about campus visit opportunities.

Is the Admissions office open?

The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid is open to visitors from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, with the exception of University holidays and breaks. The admissions team is available to answer any questions you may have about the application process. You are welcome to contact us at [email protected]  or 617.373.2395.

Application Materials & Requirements

when should i submit my jd application.

The School of Law begins to receive applications in September for the next year’s class (about a year prior to enrollment). There are several application deadlines.

• Early Decision (Binding): December 1
• Early Action (Non-binding): December 1
• Regular Decision Priority Deadline: March 1

Applications submitted after March 1 will continue to be reviewed on a space-available basis.

When will I receive an admissions decision?

Apply Early Decision by December 1, receive a decision by the end of December.

If you submit your Early Decision JD application by December 1, and take the LSAT no later than November, your decision will be posted on your  application status checker  by December 31. You will be notified via email when your decision is available. You may be admitted, denied or placed on the waitlist.

Apply Early Action by December 1, receive a decision by mid-February.

If you submit your Early Action JD application by December 1, and take the LSAT no later than November, your decision will be posted on your  application status checker  by February 15. You will be notified via email when your decision is available. You may be admitted, denied or placed on the waitlist.

Apply by March 1, receive a decision by mid-April.

You will be notified via email when your decision is posted on your  application status checker by April 15. You may be admitted, denied or placed on the waitlist.

JD applications received after the March 1 deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis throughout the spring and summer.

How will I receive my admissions decision?

JD Applicants will receive an email notification when their admissions decision has become available on the  application status checker .

What are the median LSAT score and GPA for enrolled students?

For the incoming Fall 2023 class, the median LSAT score was 163, and the median GPA was 3.72 as of October 5, 2023.

What do I need to submit to make my JD application complete?

You must submit a completed application form, résumé and personal statement. You may also choose to provide a response to one of our optional essay topics. Once the law school receives your application, we will contact the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in order to obtain copies of your transcript(s), LSAT score(s), letter(s) of recommendation and any other information you have sent to LSAC. After we have received these materials, your application will be reviewed. Please keep track of your application and contact Admissions if you are concerned about your status. Applicants must contact the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) directly for any issues with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report.

Is there a preferred format for application materials?

Yes, please adhere to the following formatting requirements:

Personal Statement The personal statement should be two pages, double-spaced in 12-point font.

Résumé Applicants are encouraged to limit their résumé to one page in 12-point font. A second page will be accepted for applicants with significant work experience.

Optional Essay Optional essay responses should be one page, double-spaced in 12-point font.

Addendum/a Addenda should be no more than one page in length in 12-point font.

What should I write about in my personal statement?

In short, anything! Our application instructions state that you must provide a personal statement on any topic. A hallmark of a Northeastern University School of Law education is the freedom to pursue the areas of law that interest you, both in and out of the classroom, and we are granting you the same freedom in deciding what topic(s) to cover in your personal statement. This is your chance to help us get to know you in a more personal way. Our only requirements are that your essay should be no longer than two pages, double-spaced and in 12-point font.

How many letters of recommendation are required? May I submit additional letters?

Northeastern University School of Law requires one letter of recommendation submitted via LSAC's  Credential Assembly Service (CAS) . We will not accept more than two letters of recommendation.

What transcripts are required?

Please submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts (if any) via LSAC's  Credential Assembly Service (CAS) .

Undergraduate Transcripts Transcripts for all colleges and universities previously attended must be sent directly to CAS. If you receive additional grades, you should submit an updated transcript to the Credential Assembly Service, so they can send updated information to the law school. While an undergraduate transcript without a date of conferral can be submitted with your initial application, the transcript is not considered final without the date of degree conferral.

Graduate Transcripts Transcripts for graduate work should be submitted to CAS.

What are the optional essay topics? Is there a page limit?

We encourage you to respond to one of our three optional essay questions. Your response must be in your own words, one page, double-spaced in 12-point font. The optional essays provide a space for you to showcase your writing abilities and share additional information with us. The essay prompts are as follows:

1. Over the past few years, most law schools have come to recognize the importance of hands-on legal experience. At Northeastern, we have been incorporating practice directly into the curriculum since 1968. Ranked #1 in Practical Training by the  National Jurist , our signature  Cooperative Legal Education Program  (co-op) guarantees you nearly a year of full-time work experience in the areas of law that interest you, anywhere in the world.  What field(s) of law would you like to pursue on co-op and why?

2. Northeastern is a nationally recognized leader in public interest law with a strong reputation for producing accomplished leaders in the field.  What specific social justice issue are you most passionate about and how have your professional or personal experiences influenced your interests?

Applicants may submit this essay to bolster their candidacy for the Public Interest Law Scholarship (PILS). If you would like this essay to be considered for your candidacy for the PILS, please label your essay as a PILS essay in the heading section of the document. 

3. At Northeastern University, diversity is about excellence and inclusion. It's about the way in which we engage with the world, the opportunity to learn from new perspectives, a core value for the University, an essential element of contemporary life, an expression of cultural pride, and a reflection of our campus, community, and global partners.

Northeastern University School of Law, in keeping with the mission of Northeastern University, is committed to building and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community of faculty, students, and staff that welcomes and respects all persons, regardless of race, gender identity or expression, family structure, socio-economic status, or ability status. We strive to develop an open and respectful environment that draws on talent from every sector or society and engages the global community. We are dedicated to the integration of multiple, divergent perspectives, and to the principle that a diverse and inclusive community not only supports innovation and creativity, but also creates and promotes cultural understanding throughout Northeastern's community. With these guiding principles, the School of Law aspires to promote a thriving society built on equal opportunity and social justice.

How has your background shaped who you are today or your future aspirations, and how will your presence enhance the Northeastern community?

If I would like to provide additional explanation on a certain component of my application, may I submit an addendum?

Yes, you are welcome to submit an addendum to address anything in your application that might require further explanation, such as a gap in schooling or employment. Please be specific but brief. An addendum should be no more than one page in length.

May I submit additional, supplemental materials such as my senior thesis?

We kindly ask that you refrain from submitting additional, supplemental materials, including, but not limited to, senior theses, works of art, creative writing, publications, reports, videography, music or other materials. We encourage applicants to include information about such work in their applications if applicable — in résumés, personal statements or, if necessary, application addenda — but we strongly discourage applicants from sending extraneous material directly to our office.

What are the character and fitness requirements?

Northeastern asks applicants to answer a series of character and fitness questions. Because of the high ethical standards to which lawyers are held, the failure to disclose an act or event can lead to more serious consequences than the act or event itself. Failure to provide truthful answers, or failure to inform the School of Law of any changes to your answers in advance of matriculation or during school enrollment, may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action, or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek bar admission.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners .

I applied before and was waitlisted/denied. How do I reapply?

The School of Law welcomes applications from candidates who have previously applied. If you applied to Northeastern in a previous year, you are encouraged to include an updated résumé, personal statement, letter(s) of recommendation and/or an optional essay, though these are not required. Your LSAT score must be no more than five years old as of the date of your new application.

Financial Aid

How do i apply for financial aid.

All students interested in being considered for need-based financial aid must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at  fafsa.ed.gov . Northeastern's federal institution code is 002199.

When should I apply for financial aid?

Please refer to the  Financial Aid section of our website for important information about applying for aid. The priority filing window for the FAFSA is October 1 through February 15. You should submit the FAFSA before February 15 even if you have not yet received an admission decision.

When will I receive my financial aid package?

The financial aid office typically sends out award letters in mid-March to admitted students who submitted their FAFSA by the priority deadline. If you are admitted after mid-March, you will receive your financial aid award letter about a week to a week and a half after you receive your acceptance letter, provided that you have filed your FAFSA before the priority deadline.

Merit-based Tuition Scholarships

As a first year jd applicant, when will i find out if i have been awarded a merit-based tuition scholarship.

Applicants will typically be notified about merit-based tuition scholarships within three weeks of receiving an offer of admission. Merit-based scholarships can only be applied to tuition.

How do I apply for the Public Interest Law Scholars (PILS) Program?

Northeastern’s most generous and prestigious scholarship program is the Public Interest Law Scholars (PILS) Program . This program offers full tuition to students with strong social justice and public interest backgrounds and is renewable each year so long as the student remains in good standing. All applicants to the law school, whose applications are received by March 1, are automatically considered for this scholarship.

Students who wish to bolster their candidacy for PILS may respond to the optional essay question asking about a specific social justice issue they are most passionate about. This essay should be labeled as a PILS essay in the heading of the document and should be submitted with their application materials via  LSAC.org .

For more information on the selection process for the PILS Scholarship, check out the PILS webpage .

What are the conditions for renewing my merit-based tuition scholarship?

Our merit-based tuition scholarships are guaranteed for three years; a student automatically keeps their merit-based tuition scholarship as long as they maintain status as a full-time student in good academic standing, and abide by university policies, including the University Code of Student Conduct and our academic policies and procedures. There are no GPA or class rank requirements. Northeastern University School of Law firmly believes that students work best, and learn best, in a cooperative and collaborative community environment. As such, we neither rank our students nor calculate a GPA for them.

My scholarship requires I remain in good academic standing. What does this mean?

As long as a student is enrolled and has not been dismissed for academic or disciplinary reasons, they are in good standing. However, no student may receive institutional aid (merit or need-based) beyond the standard time necessary to complete the JD degree.

Do I need to take any action to accept my scholarship offer?

By paying your enrollment deposit, you are accepting your merit scholarship award. There is no additional action you must take.

After I receive my scholarship offer, can I negotiate for additional assistance?

We do not negotiate merit scholarship awards. The School of Law reviews every application in detail, and merit-based scholarships are awarded to students based on their individual applications. It is our policy to be fully upfront with our merit scholarship offers. With such a deep and talented applicant pool, we are required to make some very difficult decisions about the limited merit aid we are able to award, and, unfortunately, not every admitted student receives a merit scholarship due to the competitive nature of our pool. We are therefore unable to provide additional merit scholarships after admission. All students are strongly encouraged to visit our Financial Aid webpage  to learn more about need-based aid, loans and grants. Additionally, all admitted students are invited to make an appointment to speak with our Financial Aid staff to discuss funding their legal education.

Are international students, applying as first year JD applicants, eligible for merit-based scholarships?

Yes, international students who apply as first year JD applicants are eligible for merit-based tuition scholarships. These scholarships can only be applied to tuition.

General Questions About NUSL

I heard that northeastern doesn't have grades. how does the evaluation system at the law school work.

That's true. When the law school re-opened in the 1960s, the program was designed to replace the typical adversarial law school environment with a spirit of teamwork and collaboration. In order to do this successfully, student rankings and letter and number grades were replaced with written evaluations of students’ work in class and on co-op. This system:

• Allows you to work with classmates without worrying that you are giving away the opportunity to be at the top of a grading curve.
• Gives you a more thorough review of your work by professors, so you know where you are doing well and where you need to improve your performance.
• Teaches you, before you go out on co-op and begin your career, how to work well on teams and get more out of your work because others depend on it.

Rather than a number or letter grade, you will receive a narrative evaluation from your professor for each class you take throughout your law school career as well as from your supervisor for each of your co-ops. Copies of all of these evaluations are included in your law school transcript. There are no class rankings or GPAs. Students may also receive Honors or High Honors designations for strong performance in academic courses.

What resources are available for students with immigration issues, including DACA policy updates?

Visit  northeastern.edu/executive-orders  for information and resources regarding immigration issues.

Does Northeastern offer a part-time or evening program?

Yes, the law school offers a hybrid  FlexJD .

I’m interested in working while I attend law school. Is that possible with the full-time program?

Due to the rigor of law school studies, especially in the first year, we strongly advise against working while enrolled in the full-time JD program. Students frequently take on part-time employment after completing the first year. If you are interested in maintaining full-time employment throughout law school, we encourage you to explore our FlexJD program.

What is a typical class size at Northeastern?

First-year class sections can range from 40-80 students for Property, Torts, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law and Criminal Justice. For our first-year Legal Skills in Social Context program, students work in teams of 12-15 students. The size of our upper-level classes varies.

Does the law school offer any academic support programs?

Yes, the Academic Success Program  is here to support you with workshops, teaching assistants, study groups and more, particularly as you are making the transition into law school during your first year.

What clinical programs does the law school offer?

Northeastern offers students the opportunity to engage in advocacy on behalf of individuals and community organizations often unacknowledged or underrepresented by the justice system. Together, our clinics, institutes and special programs reflect and fulfill a commitment to social and economic justice that distinguishes Northeastern as one of the nation's foremost public interest law schools. Students can participate with faculty and staff in the work of the following outstanding research and service centers. Visit the  Clinics section of our website for more information about the different offerings.

What dual-degree programs does the law school offer?

Northeastern offers a number of dual-degree programs. Visit the  Academics section of our website for details on each program offered.

What is co-op and how does it work?

Northeastern's unique approach to training law students for a career in the legal profession is known as  Cooperative Legal Education . This program ensures that you will graduate in three years with nearly a full year of practical legal experience gained through terms of full-time work ("co-ops"). You will complete a traditional first year of academic study. Then, during your second and third years, you will alternate between full-time classes and full-time legal work. The successful completion of cooperative work program is a graduation requirement for all Northeastern law students.

The co-op application process begins in the fall of your first year with an information session with the Center for Co-op and Career Development to introduce the co-op program. Students who will be going out on their first co-op in the summer will have subsequent trainings through the fall covering the co-op application process, policies and procedures, résumés, cover letters and other topics. Students who will be going out for their first co-op in the fall will participate in these same sessions the following spring.

Students receive a weekly newsletter from the Center for Co-op and Career Development listing all new co-op positions and will receive regular reminders for all deadlines for the quarters during which they will be going on co-op. Co-op advisors are available to meet with you to review résumés, cover letters, and other application materials; to help you choose the right co-ops to apply to; to discuss or practice for interviews; to help you weigh offers and choose how to respond; and to work with you on any other professional development goals.

Will it take longer to earn a JD because of the co-op program?

No. You will be able to complete Northeastern’s JD requirements in the same three years as your counterparts at other law schools. Not only will you complete your JD in three years, you’ll gain nearly a full year of legal work experience while doing so.

Why is Northeastern considered a premier public interest law school?

Nationally recognized for its commitment to  public interest law , Northeastern University School of Law is a dynamic institution for service as well as learning. Whether they are representing indigent clients, combating discrimination, working with survivors of domestic violence, advocating for equal access to health care or ensuring fair treatment for immigrants, Northeastern students, graduates, staff and faculty are on the front lines, making the world a more humane and compassionate place.

You’ll find that social justice is a theme in your law school courses and discussions throughout your career at Northeastern. As a first-year student, you’ll complete Northeastern’s year-long  Legal Skills in Social Context program , where you’ll develop legal research, writing and advocacy skills and put those new skills to use in a social justice project on behalf of a real-world nonprofit or community-based organization. Furthermore, you’ll fulfill a  public interest requiremen t before you graduate by going on a public interest co-op, participating in a law school clinic, completing uncompensated legal work in a public interest setting or on a pro bono project at a firm, or doing a public interest independent study.

What support does Northeastern offer to students and alumni who work in the public interest sector?

Northeastern’s most generous and prestigious scholarship program is the full-tuition  Public Interest Law Scholars (PILS) Program .

A variety of  endowed scholarships  are also awarded annually to upper-level students; some of these scholarships have very specific eligibility criteria.

In addition, students undertaking public interest co-ops may also be eligible for co-op stipends. The Cooperative Income Sharing Program (CISP) is a student-run and student-managed organization dedicated to increasing awareness of, and student participation in, public service. CISP provides approximately $24,000 annually to students accepting unfunded co-ops with public interest employers. Stipends have allowed students on co-op to represent immigrants seeking political asylum, tenants fighting to prevent eviction, women seeking shelter from domestic violence, children trying to obtain educational services, mothers seeking child support payments, inmates challenging overcrowded prison conditions and more.

Alumni who enter public service after graduation may be able to have student loans forgiven through Northeastern’s  Loan Deferral and Forgiveness Program  and/or through the federal  College Cost Reduction and Access Act

Is the law school diverse?

Yes! Visit the  Class Profile page of our website to see the makeup of our current 1L class. Northeastern seeks a student body with a broad set of interests, backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives. Our students represent various political ideologies as well as religious, cultural and social backgrounds, including a large number of LGBTQ+ students.

Is the law school faculty accessible to students?

Absolutely! Most professors have open door policies, meaning that if they are in the building, students are free to come by to say hello, ask questions or get help with difficult course material. Professors also have designated office hours and are widely available via email. Finally, professors are very involved on the campus through student organizations, social events and other activities that allow students to get to know them on a personal and professional level.

Is on-campus housing available?

University housing will not be available to new or returning law students at this time.

I do not currently live in the Boston area. How can I find an apartment off-campus?

Most students prefer to live in an apartment off-campus. There are many apartments available near the school, and even more apartments in surrounding areas close to public transportation. The most popular neighborhoods for students to live are Jamaica Plain (a 15-20 minute commute on the Orange Line or bus), Cambridge (especially Central Square - a short commute on the #1 Bus or Red/Orange Lines), and the Fenway area (a 10-15 minute walk). Northeastern is accessible via two lines of the  MBTA  subway system, the Orange Line and Green E-Line, as well as multiple bus lines. Students are encouraged to utilize the resources provided by  Off Campus Housing and Support Services , which include access to apartment listings and information about the various neighborhoods near campus.

Foreign-Trained Lawyers Program Applicant Question

What materials do i need to submit to apply for admission to the foreign-trained lawyer program.

You must submit a completed application form, résumé and personal statement. You must submit your transcript(s) and letter(s) of recommendation through the Law School Admission Council’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Once the law school receives your application, we will contact the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in order to obtain copies of your transcript(s), letter(s) of recommendation and any other information you have sent to LSAC. Additionally, applicants whose foreign degree program was not taught in English must submit a TOEFL score report directly to Northeastern University School of Law (institution code 3658). Alternately, Northeastern University School of Law will accept an official IELTS score report.

Do I need an LSAT score?

You are not required to submit an LSAT score if you hold a law degree from a non-US law school. If you have an LSAT score, it will appear on your CAS report and be considered as part of your application.

Do I need a TOEFL?

If your foreign degree program was not taught in English, you will need to submit a TOEFL score report directly to Northeastern University School of Law (institution code 3658). Alternately, Northeastern University School of Law will accept an official IELTS score report.

When is the application deadline for the Foreign-Trained Lawyer Program?

Your application and supporting documents should be received by Admissions by March 1 of the year you would like to enter. The later you apply, the fewer seats will be available in our class. If you will require a visa to study in the United States, please submit your application before July 1 to ensure enough time to secure your visa.

How will my credits be evaluated for advanced standing?

Once you have been granted admission to the JD program, Academic and Student Affairs will review your transcript and evaluate you for advanced standing.

Are international students applying as foreign-trained lawyers eligible for merit-based scholarships?

No, international students who apply under the Foreign-Trained Lawyer Program are not eligible for merit-based tuition scholarships.

Are international students eligible for loans?

International students may apply for loans from private student loan lenders; however, these loans typically require a creditworthy co-signer who is a US citizen or permanent resident. US federal student loans are not available to international students.

Once I am an advanced standing student, what will the length of my program be?

Students admitted with advanced standing typically complete the JD program in two years. Although situations may vary, students with advanced standing usually enter in late August with the incoming first year JD class and graduate in August two years later.

Transfer Applicant Questions

What materials do i need to submit to apply for admission as a transfer student.

To apply as a transfer student, submit an application, Dean's letter of good standing, résumé, transfer statement, and current CAS report that includes LSAT score(s), two letters of recommendation (one of which must be from a law school faculty member), and all required transcripts.

When is the application deadline for transfer applicants?

There are two transfer options available:

Early Transfer: March 1 Deadline If accepted, early transfer students will begin upper-level coursework when the summer term commences at the beginning of May.

Regular Transfer: July 1 Deadline* If accepted, regular transfer students will begin upper-level coursework in the fall term.

*This is the priority deadline for transfer students. Applications received after July 1 will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

What does Northeastern University School of Law look for in a transfer applicant?

We will focus primarily on your performance in your first year of law school, but we will also consider your undergraduate work, LSAT score, outside activities and connection to the mission of Northeastern University School of Law. You should have enrolled in the following classes in your first year in order to be eligible for admission as a transfer student.

Civil Procedure Constitutional Law Contracts Criminal Justice/Criminal Law Property Legal Writing Torts

If you have not or will not complete these courses in your first year, please contact Academic and Student Affairs at  [email protected]  or 617.373.5147.

I am attending a law school that is not ABA-accredited. Can I transfer to Northeastern?

Unfortunately not. In order to transfer to Northeastern, you must have completed your first year at another ABA-accredited law school.

How many transfer students enroll in a given year?

It varies from year to year; we typically enroll a small class of transfer students.

Assuming that I am accepted, will all of the credits from my first year at my current law school transfer?

Academic and Student Affairs determines which credits transfer on a case-by-case basis. First-year students at Northeastern take seven courses (Civil Procedure, Property, Torts, Criminal Justice, Constitutional Law, Contracts and Legal Skills in Social Context). Transfer students are not required to take Legal Skills in Social Context, but must complete a first-year legal writing course. If you have any questions as to which courses will transfer, please contact Academic and Student Affairs at  [email protected]  or 617.373.5147.

Waitlisted Applicant Questions

When are decisions made regarding waitlisted students.

The waitlist is monitored throughout the summer. When we are able to extend offers to waitlisted students, it is usually done between early May and Orientation, which occurs in late August.

How will I be contacted if I am selected off of the waitlist?

If and when we are able to extend an offer of admission to a waitlisted candidate, an admissions staff member contacts the student directly (via phone or email). Those who are admitted from the waitlist have a limited window of time to respond to an offer of admission.

Is the waitlist ranked?

No, we do not rank our waitlist. Should we activate the waitlist, we will give every file consideration. If you are interested in attending Northeastern, we encourage you to submit a letter of continued interest and keep us updated on your status throughout the summer.

I'm a waitlisted student, can I set up an interview to meet with an admissions representative?

Unfortunately, we do not interview or formally meet with applicants, but we have staff on hand to answer any questions you may have. You are welcome to schedule a meeting with an admissions counselor.

Can I submit updated documentation?

Yes, you may submit additional materials to your application, including an updated resume, letter of continued interest, or any other relevant update to  [email protected] . We ask that you refrain from submitting materials such as theses, works of art, creative writing, publications, reports, videography, music, or other similar materials.

Will I be eligible for scholarship funding?

Students admitted from the waitlist are not typically awarded merit scholarships. It is also our policy not to negotiate scholarship aid. You are encouraged to submit a FAFSA to be eligible for need-based loans. If you have any questions regarding financial aid, please contact our Financial Aid office at [email protected] or 617.373.4620, or schedule a meeting here .

If I'm selected from the waitlist, can I defer?

No, we do not allow students admitted from the waitlist to defer entrance to the law school.

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Law school applications: “Optional” Essays and Addenda

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Many law schools offer students the opportunity to write so-called “optional” essays. Most often, the prompts ask why you’re applying to that particular law school, or how you might want to take advantage of some specific program at their school (e.g., Northeastern’s co-op program). Some are more creative and varied, like Georgetown’s “top ten list” or Michigan’s menu of nine (at last count!) possible essays. In Fall 2023, in response to the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, there are a range of new and/or revised optional essay prompts that invite candidates to share how their background and experiences have shaped the perspectives and insights they’ll bring into the law school community.

There are also a handful of questions on every law school application that require elaboration in an attached statement, or addendum, if the applicant answers the question in the affirmative. The two most common addendum questions involve academic challenges and college conduct or criminal records (also known as Character and Fitness questions). As with the “optional” essays and the resume, these statements should be crafted in such a way as to supplement the remainder of the application, not duplicate it. (Addendum literally means “something added on.” The singular is addendum, the plural is addenda. Lawyers love Latin.)

It should be clear that the essays labeled “optional” are not entirely optional — if you don’t take advantage of one or more of the additional prompts, you may leave the committee members wondering why you declined to provide more information about yourself. That said, if you really don’t have anything to add in response to any of the prompts — especially the academic, character & fitness, and background questions — don’t try to shoehorn something only marginally relevant into the essay.

But let’s take each type of additional prompt separately:

First, the character and fitness questions . We have so much to say on these, that we have several additional pages of information and advice here .

Academic addendum

This question usually goes something like, “If there’s anything in your educational background that requires additional explanation, please do so here.” The addendum prompt may be even more open-ended—for example: “If there is anything about your application that you would like to address, you may submit an addendum.” Sometimes the question is clearly mandatory, for example, when you’ve answered yes to any questions about academic discipline. Regardless, this is where you can give the admissions committees additional context to help them understand your poor performance during a particular semester, your less-than-direct path to your undergraduate degree (for example, multiple transfers or significant gaps), or your history of standardized tests not predicting your academic performance. It is not  the place to explain away a single bad grade—one failed class will not doom your law school admissions (most law school admissions committee members will understand that Organic Chem is not for everyone).

In drafting an academic addendum, you’ll want to avoid sounding defensive or making excuses. The question in the reader’s mind is not a judgmental, “How could you let this happen??” but rather, “Help me understand what happened during that time.” If a family or personal crisis was going on, don’t hesitate to simply state as much and describe how it affected your ability to get your school work done. You do NOT have to go into great detail about the nature of the crisis if you do not feel comfortable doing so. If the bad semester happened during your first year of college, and had something to do with your adjustment period, know that you’re not alone. A significant number of students stumble their first year (and an even greater percentage of transfer students do so—this is often why students transfer). State the facts simply, and don’t feel that you have to have learned some grand lesson from the process. It’s enough to learn that college is harder than you expected and required more focus, or that a mistaken choice of college can be fixed by transferring, or that it’s hard to balance a demanding family life with college. If your poor academic performance is related to anything that might also raise concerns among some admissions officials about your ability to succeed in law school (drug or alcohol abuse, serious mental health issues, diagnosis with a learning disability, etc.), you should speak with the pre-law advisor about your situation and how you might address those concerns.

If you are writing an essay to support your claim that your LSAT does not represent your potential to succeed in law school, you will need to present convincing evidence in the form of a history of mismatched standardized test scores and academic performance. In other words, you will need to show that your college GPA far exceeded what your SAT/ACT would have predicted. Remember in drafting this essay that law students are most often graded, especially during the first year, based on a single timed test at the end of the semester (albeit an essay exam, not a standardized test), and that to become a lawyer, you will need to take a two- to three-day standardized test known as the bar exam. Admission committee members will want to understand how you hope to overcome these prior challenges in law school, on the bar exam, and beyond. An LSAT-related addendum is really only appropriate (and convincing) in extraordinary circumstances.  If you are thinking about an addendum to explain a single bad test-taking experience, the reader will want to know why you didn’t simply retake the test.

Optional essays about background, perspectives, commitment to diversity, etc.

The Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision ended the use of race as a standalone factor in admissions decisions. But the Court made clear that “nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”  Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. ___ (2023). Accordingly, you should feel free to write about how your life experiences — race-related and not — have impacted your perspectives and your decision to become an attorney. The prompts inviting you to do so may take different forms than they have in the past, though, and you’ll want to pay careful attention to the wording of those questions to ensure that your answer is responsive.

If you believe that your background in any respect has given you a unique perspective, you should absolutely use this kind of prompt to describe it. You’ll want to demonstrate to the admissions committee how that aspect of your life has contributed to how you view the world. You should not however feel that you need to link your background to your future career. In other words, just because you’re a member of an oppressed minority, don’t feel you have to want to be a lawyer on behalf of that oppressed minority. You don’t even need to make the case that your background will shape how you perform as, for example a Black corporate lawyer or a queer criminal defense attorney. The law schools are most interested in knowing how your background will shape your contribution to the law school community — the insights and perspectives you’ll bring — not that there is some connection between your background and the legal career you aspire to.

You may find that there is some overlap between elements of your personal statement and this type of essay. Some overlap is fine. The key is to ensure that you’re using the additional space wisely, for example, to amplify a point you may have made in passing in your personal statement, and not to duplicate much or all of the statement.

Why our law school? Why this program?

For the most common prompt — some version of “Why our law school?” — do your research and identify specific features of the school that will further your educational goals and career aspirations. Are there specific faculty you want to work with, clinical experiences you want to take advantage of, programs you want to be a part of? General flattery of the school (e.g., “the best clinical programs in the country”) is not persuasive. Rather, you want to connect the dots between your biography and aspirations with the school’s offerings. Show why you’d be excited to attend not just any law school, but this particular one.

Similarly, if a school asks how you’ll take advantage of a particular program they offer, make sure there’s a coherent link between what you present here and what you’ve said elsewhere about your interests and aspirations. If you have no interest in public service, for example, don’t pretend otherwise based on the erroneous belief that it will make you look better. It will probably ring false, and that will not help your application.

Creative prompts

Some schools offer optional prompts that don’t look like any of the above, and are instead inviting you to share some more of your personality. Georgetown’s “Top Ten List” and Michigan’s “If you could have dinner with any prominent person…” are great examples. These are generally opportunities to provide the committees with a little more insight into who you are, and what kind of community member you’ll be at their law school. Often they’re a little less formal, but be cautious about how casual and/or humorous you pitch these — remember that tone doesn’t always carry over well in writing. Always make sure you have someone who doesn’t know you review essays of this nature to ensure you’ve hit the right notes.

In sum, think of optional essay(s) and addenda as additional opportunities to market yourself to the admissions committees. Choose prompts and topics that will allow you to expand about parts of you that would not otherwise be evident to the readers. Make sure they complement rather than duplicate your personal statement, resume, and other submissions. And then pay attention to any additional requirements or suggestions the school offers—page lengths, for example, or additional clarifications of what they’re looking for. If you have any questions whatsoever about the nature of the question and whether your topic “fits,” don’t hesitate to contact the admissions staff. They sincerely want to evaluate you based your best work, not the result of a misunderstanding.

And, of course, always feel free to run a draft by the pre-law advisor.

More about Statements, essays, resume, and addenda

See an overview of the entire application process

2023 Law School Application Changes Compiled

In the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admissions , we have seen more law schools making changes to their application components and instructions this cycle than in any other we can recall.

For easy reference, we will be compiling these changes below, adding new schools as their applications and instructions are posted.

Please note that, even though all of the below have been announced officially by the law schools, these questions are subject to change prior to the actual application opening date. You can find a list of all law schools' application opening dates here .

Updated October 2, 2023

Fall 2023 Law School Application Essay Changes

Yale law school.

Prior to this 2023-2024 cycle, Yale Law School's application required a Personal Statement and a 250-word essay on a subject of the applicant's choice. Applicants were also offered the option to write a Diversity Statement. This year, the application still requires a Personal Statement and 250-word essay, but in lieu of the Diversity Statement, there are now four different options for Optional Essays to write. Full instructions below.

New Yale Law Optional Essay Instructions: Source

Applicants may choose to submit an essay in response to one of the four questions below, each related to a value that is central to the Law School community. This is an opportunity to provide readers with relevant information that may not be found elsewhere in your application. If you choose to answer one of these questions, your essay should focus on your relevant personal, professional, and/or academic experiences and not on specific reasons why you wish to attend Yale Law School.

The optional essay should be approximately one page double-spaced. The prompts for the optional essay are as follows:

• Option 1: The Law School has a strong tradition of public service and encourages its students to contribute to the community in a wide variety of ways. Describe a community that has been particularly meaningful to you. Discuss what you have gained from being a part of this community and what you have contributed to this community.
• Option 2: The Law School encourages its students and alumni to be leaders, innovators, and changemakers across many different sectors. Describe one of your most important accomplishments and explain why it is important to you. Discuss how you demonstrated leadership, helped innovate, and/or drove change as part of that accomplishment.
• Option 3: The Law School values determination and resilience and recognizes that these traits are critical to success at the Law School and in the legal profession. Describe a significant challenge, disappointment, or setback that you have faced. Discuss how you approached this experience and what you learned from it.
• Option 4: In order to succeed at the Law School and in the legal profession, you must be able to have discussions across difference and be open to changing your mind. Describe a time when you changed your mind on an important topic after discussing it with a person with whom you disagreed or learning additional information. Discuss what you learned from this experience.

Harvard Law School

Prior to this year, Harvard Law required one two-page Personal Statement and gave applicants the option to submit an additional Diversity Statement. This year, HLS has replaced both with two required essays: a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Perspective. Instructions below.

New Harvard Law Essay Instructions: Source

Every applicant must submit both a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Perspective, responding to the prompts below. Each Statement must be one to two pages in length, using double-spacing, one-inch margins, and a font size that is comfortable to read (no smaller than 11 point). We expect every applicant to use at least one full page for each Statement.

Statement of Purpose: What motivates you to pursue law? How does attending law school align with your ambitions, goals, and vision for your future?

Statement of Perspective: The Admissions Committee makes every effort to understand who you are as an individual and potential Harvard Law School student and graduate. Please share how your experiences, background, and/or interests have shaped you and will shape your engagement in the HLS community and the legal profession.

University of Chicago Law School

Prior to this cycle, UChicago Law gave applicants the option to write a Diversity Statement. This year, they have removed that statement and now include the below prompt as an optional Addendum.

New UChicago Law Addendum Prompt Source: UChicago Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

UChicago Law aims to train well-rounded, critical, and socially conscious thinkers and doers. Describe how your background or experiences will contribute to the UChicago Law community. Example topics include: lessons you have learned; skillsets you have developed; obstacles you have overcome based on your background or upbringing; or topics you have become passionate about studying in law school based on your lived or educational experiences.

Columbia Law School

Prior to this 2023-2024 cycle, Columbia Law School asked for a traditional Personal Statement and gave applicants the option to write a Diversity Statement. This year, applicants will have the option to submit one Supplementary Statement from five options, which are included below.

New Columbia Law Supplementary Statement Options: Source: Columbia Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Optional Supplementary Statements. Please note that these questions are completely optional and if an applicant chooses not to submit a response to any of these questions, it will not have an impact on their admissions decision. Applicants should choose no more than one supplemental statement, which should be no longer than 500 words double spaced. Kindly note that supplemental statement may be shorter than 500 words.

• A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community.
• We recognize that many applicants have faced adversity in myriad ways and to varying extents throughout their lives. Tell us about an example of adversity or a challenging circumstance in your own life and describe how you overcame it and how that experience has shaped your life and your own perspective.
• Columbia Law School aims to prepare its students to be advocates as well as effective leaders. Tell us about an example of leadership in your own life whether in an educational, professional, or personal setting and how those leadership skills and qualities would contribute to your legal education and the profession.
• Columbia Law School’s mandatory pro bono program requires that every student devote at least 40 hours to public interest law service during their time in law school. Tell us about your own commitment to public service and describe how volunteer work, advocacy, community service, pro bono work, and/or extra-curricular activities have shaped who you are today and how you want to continue serving the public good during law school.
• Tell us why you are applying to Columbia Law School and how the Law School's programs, faculty, curricular and extra-curricular offerings, location, and/or community would be a good fit for your legal education given your own academic, professional, or personal goals.

NYU School of Law

Prior to this year, NYU Law offered applicants the option to submit an Underrepresented Group statement. This year, that statement has been replaced by an Optional Additional Information attachment with the below prompt.

New NYU Law Optional Additional Information Prompt: Source: NYU Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

New York University School of Law seeks to enroll a student body from a broad spectrum of society. The Committee on Admissions encourages you to provide any information that may be helpful to us in reaching a thoughtful decision on your application. While the choice as to whether and what information to submit to the Committee is entirely yours, any information you provide will be used to give the Committee a more complete understanding of your academic, professional, and personal background; to help the Committee reach an informed decision on your application; and to aid the Committee in selecting a student body with a range of experiences.

This is an opportunity to share with the Committee information about how your background will enable you to contribute to the NYU Law community. Information that has been helpful in the past includes but is not limited to meaningful leadership experience; significant community involvement; personal/family history of educational or socioeconomic disadvantage or unusual circumstances which may have affected academic performance and how you exceled despite those circumstances; and skills you have developed to overcome adversity. This list is not all-inclusive, but we offer it for you to think about as you consider whether such information might be relevant in your case, and to assure you that it is quite appropriate.

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

Prior to this year, Penn Law gave applicants four choices for optional essays—one on diversity (wording changed this year, see below); one on core strengths, goals, and values (same this year); one asking, "What do you find valuable (or challenging) about a collaborative environment?" (removed this year); and one on reasons that the applicant's academic record or test scores do not accurately reflect their aptitude (i.e., a GPA/LSAT addendum) (same this year). This year's new prompts are below.

New Penn Law Optional Essay Prompts: Source

• Penn Carey Law is committed to achieving an expansive and inclusive law school community that brings a diverse range of ideas, experiences, and perspectives to our classrooms. Tell us how your lived experience informs who you are today.
• Describe a significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge.
• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
• What don't we see in your application file that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee?

University of Virginia School of Law

UVA Law added an optional "Why UVA Law" statement to their application this year (prompt below).

New "Why UVA Law" Statement Instructions: Source: UVA Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Why UVA Law (optional) (suggested page limit: two pages double-spaced in 12pt font)

We recognize that some applicants have personal reasons for applying to UVA Law. Such reasons might include, but are not limited to, being a child of someone who graduated from or works for UVA Law, being a descendant of ancestors who labored at UVA, prior participation in other UVA programs, specific interest in our academic offerings, and/or a personal connection to the Charlottesville area. If these reasons are not already addressed elsewhere in your application, you are welcome to include that information here. Please note this question is optional.

Duke University School of Law

Prior to this year, Duke Law required a Personal Statement and gave applicants the option of submitting either or both of two additional essays, a diversity statement and/or a statement of interest in Duke. This year, in addition to the Personal Statement and optional statement of interest in Duke, they are requiring applicants to write 1-2 short essays from a group of six prompts/options, all of which are listed below.

New Duke Law Short Answer Essay Instructions: Source

Short Answer Essay(s) (required): Our admissions process is guided by the view that a law school class that includes actively engaged students who possess a variety of skills, personal qualities, and life experiences helps to advance the Law School's mission, improves the learning process, and enriches the educational experience for all. Please write one or two short essays from the list below. Be sure to label the essay(s) you are answering and use only one attachment even if you submit two short answers. Please limit your answer(s) to approximately 250-500 words per essay.

• What does the rule of law mean to you, and what special background or experience do you have that may help you contribute to its advancement or that underscores its importance to you personally?
• The promise of equal justice is fundamental to our legal system. Why is equal justice important to you personally, and what personal experiences or knowledge do you have that may help you become an effective advocate for equal justice under law?
• Exposure to a diversity of perspectives and experiences can enhance one's ability to deliver effective professional services. Please describe any opportunities you have had to serve clients or your community, either through work or on a volunteer basis, and how your own exposure to different perspectives and experiences helped you.
• Lawyers are members of a learned profession, and are often called to serve the public in a variety of ways. Please describe your interest in public service and any experience that you have had to prepare you for a life of service in the public interest.
• Please describe your interest in learning the law in an open, rigorous, and collaborative environment. Why is a commitment to the free expression of ideas so important in the learning process?
• What does ethical leadership mean to you? Please provide examples of how you have prepared yourself to become an ethical leader.

University of Michigan Law School

Prior to this year, in addition to a Personal Statement, Michigan Law gave applicants the option to write 1-2 additional essays from a selection of prompts. Some of those prompts have been updated this year; full list below.

New Michigan Law Supplemental Essay Instructions: Source

Supplemental essays allow you an opportunity to provide us with relevant information that you were not able to include elsewhere in your application materials. If you think writing on any of the topics suggested would help us get a better sense of who you are, we encourage you to consider submitting your responses to one or two (but no more) of the following topics. Each essay should be between one and two pages. For ease of reading, please use double-spacing and at least an 11-point font. Please be sure to include the number of the prompt you are addressing at the top of your essay.

• Essay One: Say more about your interest in the University of Michigan Law School. Why might Michigan be a good fit for you culturally, academically, or professionally?
• Essay Two: Describe a challenge, failure, or setback you have faced and overcome, whether long-term and systemic (e.g., socioeconomic, health, or complex family circumstances) or short-term and discrete (e.g., a workplace scenario or a particularly demanding course). How did you confront it? What, if anything, might you do differently?  
• Essay Three: How has the world you came from positively shaped who you are today?
• Essay Four: Describe a quality or skill you have and discuss how you expect it will help you in your legal career.
• Essay Five: Tell us about a time in the recent past when you changed your mind about something significant.
• Essay Six: We seek students who are encouraging, kind, and collaborative, even when it is not convenient or easy. Describe a recent experience where you exhibited these characteristics.
• Essay Seven: One of the goals of our admissions process is to enroll students who will enrich the quality and breadth of the intellectual life of our law school community, as well as to expand and diversify the identities of people in the legal profession. How might your experiences and perspectives contribute to our admissions goals?
• Essay Eight: Think of someone who knows you, but doesn't know you well (i.e., not a family member or a close friend). How would they describe you? Would their description be accurate? Why or why not?
• Essay Nine: If you could have dinner with any prominent person, living or dead, who would it be and why? What would you discuss?

UC Berkeley School of Law

This year, UC Berkeley Law added some additional language to their diversity-focused essay prompt and added a new optional statement on applicants' interest in the legal profession. The latter prompt also gives applicants the option to record a video submission in lieu of a written statement.

New UC Berkeley Law Optional Statement Prompts (including Kira video submission) Source

Perspective and Experiences:

How will you (your perspective, experience, Voice) contribute to diversity in our classrooms and community? Feel free to address any factors or attributes you consider important and relevant. In the past, applicants have included information about characteristics such as: race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic background, first generation college or professional school student, student parent, re-entry student, geographic diversity, ideological diversity, and others. (500 word maximum)

Interest in the Legal Profession (Video Submission Option):

Please share more about why you are applying to law school by answering one or more of the following questions:

• What about you (your experiences, your values, your perspective, etc.) calls you to law school?
• How will you use your law degree with integrity, vision, creativity, and/or to innovate?
• What makes you hopeful, optimistic, or excited about entering the legal profession?
• How do you see yourself contributing to or advancing the public good as a lawyer, scholar, or advocate?

(4 minutes or 500 words maximum)

For the optional statement, “Interest in the Legal Profession,” applicants are invited to complete this statement in an alternative modality: video submission. This is not an interview. It is another opportunity to share insight into your potential for study at Berkeley Law, and it gives you an additional tool (video recording) for the communication and presentation of that information. You may also choose to complete this statement in written format.

Optional video statements, as with all statements, are unscored and intended only to augment your application. While we will consider the information shared and will use it within our holistic review of your application, no value will be assigned to whether you choose the written or video format.

Candidates will submit this statement via a free, third-party platform called Kira. Kira will allow you to respond to the prompt either via video recording or in writing and provides comprehensive support and trouble-shooting. Please only submit your response through Kira; written or video “Interest in the Legal Profession” statements sent separately will not be considered.

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Prior to this year, Northwestern Law offered one Optional Essay prompt asking about diversity. This year, they are offering applicants four different Optional Essay prompts, allowing applicants to respond to any or all of them.

New Northwestern Law Optional Supplemental Essay Instructions: Source: Northwestern Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Responding to the following questions is entirely optional and should not be viewed as required.  You may include responses to as many of the four optional essays as you wish or none at all.  These are intended to give you an opportunity to provide additional information that you were unable to include in other portions of the application.  Please limit your response to each essay that you complete to 1-2 pages, double-spaced, and at least an 11-point font.

• Describe your interest in attending Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
• Describe any experiences in your life or unique qualities you think would benefit Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and/or your classmates.  (Relevant information may include but is not limited to financial hardship, educational adversity, special talents, work or community service experience, first generation or immigrant experience, an unusual rural or urban upbringing, foreign residence, military background, or unique family and/or personal circumstance.)
• What does public service mean to you and how do you see yourself engaging in public service or pro-bono work to meet the needs of the underserved?
• Did you face any particular challenges we should know about when considering your academic history or test scores?

Cornell Law School

Prior to this year, Cornell Law School offered an optional Diversity Statement. They have removed that prompt this year and added additional instructions to their personal statement (below). They also used to have a question in their application about reasons for applying to Cornell with a 600-character limit and the option to attach a longer essay. This year, they have made a one-page "Why Cornell" essay required.

New Cornell Law Personal Statement Prompt Source: Cornell Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

RESPOND TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS (required). YOU MAY RESPOND TO AS MANY AS YOU WISH, BUT DO NOT EXCEED A TOTAL OF FIVE (5) PAGES.

• We aim to train excellent lawyers. GPAs and test scores have some predictive power, but they don't tell the whole story. Please describe any significant challenges you have overcome, including but not limited to economic hardship, discrimination, trauma, or disability, and/or significant accomplishments of which you are proud.
• In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War, Ezra Cornell wrote, "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study." For over 150 years, Cornell University has remained deeply committed to Ezra's vision. Explain how your life experiences will help inform your contributions to a law school learning community devoted to "...any person...any study." We encourage you to think broadly about what you will contribute to a law school class and eventually to the legal profession, including bu not necessarily to expertise you have, experiences you can share, and how communities of which you have been part have shaped your perspective.
• From its founding, Cornell Law School has not only focused on producing excellent lawyers, but "lawyers in the best sense." A law school education teaches you a craft, and prepares you for a great career, but law is also a calling, and a lawyer in the best sense is one who will, in some way, serve justice. If your career goals include representing under-served populations or otherwise vulnerable individuals or groups, please tell us about those goals and how you hope to pursue them.
• Is there anything else you wish the Admissions Committee to know about you beyond what you have revealed in other parts of your application? You can describe a formative experience, or your motivation to go to law school, or a story that reveals your character, personality, or strengths, or whatever else you think is relevant.

Georgetown University Law Center

Georgetown Law updated their "Diversity Statement" to an "Optional Statement" this year. Additionally, they updated their (separate) Optional Response prompts, as they have many times in the past. All of the new prompts are below.

New Georgetown Law Optional Statement & Optional Responses Prompts: Source: Georgetown Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Optional Statement:

If you would like to share any additional personal perspectives, reflections, or experiences – whether positive, challenging, a combination of both, or something else entirely – that have contributed to who you are as a person and as a future legal scholar and lawyer, we invite you to do so in an additional statement.

Optional Responses:

• What’s the best (or worst) piece of advice you ever received?
• If you could “uninvent” one thing, what would it be?
• Tell us about a moment in your life that you regret.
• Describe your perfect day.
• Share a top ten list with us.
• Prepare a one-minute video.

University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law

UCLA Law slightly altered the wording of their optional "Challenges Addendum" this year. The updated prompt is below.

New UCLA Law Challenges Addendum Prompt: Source: UCLA Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Please share any information about adversity or challenge that you would like us to consider about your personal life experiences. This may include socio-economic challenges; educational challenges; health issues; disability; immigration status; surviving abuse; or complex family circumstances like an incarcerated parent, homelessness, living in foster care, or others. This is not an inclusive list, but simply an opportunity, if you wish, to share any additional aspects of your background that may give us a deeper sense of your strengths and who you are.

The University of Texas at Austin School of Law

Prior to this year, UT Law required a Personal Statement and gave applicants the option to submit a Statement of Economic, Social, or Personal Background. This year, they are giving applicants the option to write responses to one or both of two prompts, below.

New UT Law Optional Statement Instructions: Source

Applicants may submit one or more of the following optional statements to provide to the Admissions Committee additional insight when reviewing their application. Each optional statement may not exceed one (1) double-spaced page with a minimum 11-point font size and 1-inch margins.

• Please address any information that you believe your application would be incomplete without and that sheds more light on your unique potential to succeed in the J.D. program and contribute to the University community and the field or profession.
• Civil dialogue and reasoned debate over contested ideas are core values both for the practice of law and in legal education. In light of this, Texas Law is interested in learning about experiences you may have had engaging with ideas with which you disagreed, and how such experiences have impacted you.

Boston University School of Law

BU Law modified the language in their diversity-focused optional essay prompt this year. New language below.

New BU Law Optional Essay Prompt Source: BU Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Consistent with the American Bar Association, Boston University School of Law believes that knowledge about bias, cross-cultural competency (ability to understand people from different backgrounds and engage with them effectively), and racism are central to the legal profession. Please tell us how your education, training, or lived experience has deepened your knowledge about bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism and/or prepared you to explore these topics at BU Law.

Vanderbilt Law School

Prior to this cycle, Vanderbilt Law allowed applicants to submit an optional diversity statement. This cycle, a Lived Experience Statement (full prompt below) is required from all applicants.

New Vanderbilt Law Lived Experience Statement Prompt: Source: Vanderbilt Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

The quality and vibrance of the educational environment at Vanderbilt Law arise from enrolling a student body with a broad mix of individual backgrounds, experiences, skills, knowledge, and interests. Please tell us about any aspects of your background and experience that you believe would contribute to the educational environment.

University of Florida Levin College of Law

Prior to this year, UF Law included a Diversity Statement prompt that they have removed this year. Source: UF Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

George Washington University Law School

GW Law altered their optional Identity Statement prompt this year—new prompt below.

New GW Law Identity Statement Prompt: Source: GW Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

We are proud of the perspectives brought to the GW Law community by individuals from around the United States and the world. To that end, how has your identity contributed to the person that you are today? Examples might include, but are not limited to, lived experiences, obstacles overcome, areas of intellectual or professional interest, background/upbringing, and service.

University of Georgia School of Law

UGA Law has kept their optional Diversity Statement this year. The slightly altered prompt is below.

New UGA Law Diversity Statement Prompt: Source: UGA Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

The School of Law believes the overall educational environment of the law school may be enhanced by life experiences that significantly add to the academic, cultural, geographic, or socioeconomic diversity of the student population. You are invited to explain how your own life experiences would significantly add to the diversity of the student population and enhance the educational climate of the law school. This may also include discussion of your status as a first-generation college graduate or veteran.

Notre Dame Law School

Notre Dame Law has updated the wording of their Different Kind of Lawyer Statement prompt this year—full text below.

New Notre Dame Law Different Kind of Lawyer Statement Prompt: Source: Notre Dame Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

The mission of Notre Dame Law School is to educate a "Different Kind of Lawyer" - one who sees the law as more than just a profession, but as a service to others. Students are encouraged to explore not only the moral and ethical dimensions of the law but also their unique roles in furthering the cause of justice.

Following the murder of George Floyd, Dean G. Marcus Cole wrote an open letter to the Notre Dame Law Community in June 2020 in which he stated the following:

One thing that each and every one of us can do is to end the cycle of hate by ending the separation that leads to it.... Each of us needs to get to know people who differ from us. We must all make a conscious decision and effort to expand our circles.

Considering the mission of Notre Dame Law School, Dean Cole's open letter, and his call to action, please provide a response to one or both of the following:

• What experiences, hardships, or adversity have you faced that have shaped your perspective on law and justice?
• How has your own circle, culture, and community inspired you, your morals and ethics?

The "Different Kind of Lawyer" statement must be the applicant's own work in their own words. It should be no more than two double-spaced pages. If an applicant plans on providing this statement, it must be included with their application at the time of submission. The statement's header must include the applicant's name, LSAC account number, and be titled "DKL Statement."

University of Minnesota Law School

Prior to this year, Minnesota Law offered applicants the option to write a one-page Diversity Statement. This year, applicants will have the option to submit a one-page Supplemental Statement answering the below (similar) prompt.

New Minnesota Law Supplemental Statement Prompt: Source: Minnesota Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Applicants may attach additional statements to highlight or discuss any of the following: Unique backgrounds and lived experiences; demonstrated commitment to racial justice/equity; obstacles or adversity overcome; absences or breaks in academic history; or other matters that may be of importance to the Admissions Committee. Each additional statement should be no more that one-page, double spaced.

USC Gould School of Law

USC has updated their Diversity Statement this year to be a "Diversity of Background and/or Experience Statement"—prompt below. They also removed the prompt for a "Why USC" statement that had previously been an optional essay.

New USC Law Diversity of Background and/or Experience Statement Instructions: Source

USC Gould's admissions process is guided by the view that an individual student that reflects the broad and rich diversity of our society provides a superior educational environment for all law students. The primary goal of our admissions process is to enroll students who demonstrate outstanding academic and professional promise and whose background and experience will enrich USC Gould's educational environment or enhance the diversity of our student body or the legal profession.

• Based on the above, we invite you to discuss any ways in which your lived experiences offer a unique ability that you may contribute to the Gould School of Law. Examples include (but are not limited to) students who:
• Have overcome racial discrimination if that is tied to the student's courage and determination.
• Have been motivated by your heritage or culture to assume a leadership role or attain a particular goal.
• Have struggled against prejudice, economic disadvantage, family or personal adversity, or other social hardships (perhaps as a result of disability, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation or religious affiliation)
• Have lived in a foreign country or spoke a language other than English at home
• Have unusual career goals, employment history (perhaps military or law enforcement experience) or educational background (including graduate study)
• Demonstrate unusual extracurricular achievement (including school or community service)

Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

ASU Law added a new "elevator pitch video" to their application this year.

New ASU Law Elevator Pitch Video Instructions: Source: ASU Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

You may submit an optional elevator pitch video as part of your ASU Law application in addition to your written materials. The elevator pitch is a concise and compelling summary of yourself that shows your oral advocacy skills. The video should be no longer than 30 seconds. You may only submit one video.

University of Illinois College of Law

Illinois Law added seven Supplemental Essay prompts to their application this year.

New Illinois Law Supplemental Essay Options: Source: Illinois Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Supplemental essays allow you an opportunity to provide us with relevant information that you were not able to include elsewhere in your application materials or that did not fit thematically with your personal statement.  If you think writing on any of the topics below would help us get a better understanding of what you individually bring to the law school class, we encourage you to consider submitting your responses to one or two (but no more) of the following topics.  Your response to each essay should be less than 500 words. Please use a minimum of 11 point font and double space your responses.  Please be sure to include the number of the prompt you are addressing at the top of your essay.

Essay Prompt #1

Describe a challenge, failure, or setback you have faced and overcome, whether long-term and systemic ( e.g., socioeconomic, health, or complex family circumstances) or short-term and discrete ( e.g., a workplace scenario or a particularly demanding course).  How did you confront it?  What, if anything, might you do differently?

Essay Prompt #2

Describe a quality or skill you have and discuss how you expect it will help you in your legal career.

Essay Prompt #3

Tell us about a time in the recent past when you changed your mind about something significant.

Essay Prompt #4

Our law school culture is one of encouragement, cooperation, and collaboration. We actively seek out students who exhibit those characteristics, even when it is not convenient or easy.  Describe a recent experience when you exhibited any or all of these characteristics.

Essay Prompt #5

One of the goals of our admissions process is to enroll students who will enrich the quality and breadth of the intellectual life of our law school community and the legal profession.  How have your lived experiences and perspectives positively shaped who you are today in a way that contributes to our admissions goals?

Essay Prompt #6

Think of someone who knows you in an academic or professional setting, but doesn't know you well ( i.e., not a family member or a close friend).  How would they describe your work ethic, written or oral communication skills, and/or professionalism?  Would their description be accurate?  Why or why not?

Essay Prompt #7

Provide insight into your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which scholars with varied perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and [sic].

University of North Carolina School of Law

Prior to this cycle, UNC Law required two written statements—one essentially asking "Why law?" and the other "Why UNC?"—and gave applicants the option to submit two additional statements—one on diversity and one functioning as a place for an LSAT/GPA addendum.

This year, the optional diversity-related prompt has been removed, but the required "Why UNC?"-type prompt (Statement Topic 2 in the application) has been updated to include new language asking about how applicants will "contribute to the breadth of perspectives" at the law school. Full prompt below.

New UNC Law Statement Topic 2 Instructions: Source: UNC Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

What is your reason for choosing the University of North Carolina School of Law? How does the institution meet your educational and/or your professional goals? Please include how your academic background, personal qualities, and life experiences inform your pursuit of legal education at Carolina Law and how you will contribute to the breadth of perspectives in the law classroom and broader law school community.

Florida State University College of Law

Prior to this year, FSU Law gave applicants the option to submit a Diversity Statement. That statement has been removed this year, and an optional Seminole Statement has been added—prompt below.

New FSU Law Seminole Statement Instructions: Source: FSU Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

Located within the heart of Tallahassee, the capital city of Florida, Florida State University College of Law is surrounded by a vibrant legal community.  As Florida has the third largest economy of any state in the United States, there are ample opportunities to practice law in a rich variety of settings – law firms, state government, local and municipal government, courts, associations, non-profit organizations, business settings, and more – which work to serve the legal needs of a diverse clientele made up of a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds.  Florida State University College of Law is a values-based and purpose-driven law school that embraces all perspectives, backgrounds, and students.  FSU College of Law is consistently ranked one of the top schools in terms of student satisfaction – and that is due to the emphasis on creating a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute.

In no more than two typed pages (double-spaced, using a 12 point font), please feel free to submit a Seminole Statement to provide the Admissions Committee with insights and examples from your life to share a quality of your character, and/or a unique ability that you possess to describe how you would uniquely contribute to the academic and student communities at the Florida State University College of Law.

Wake Forest University School of Law

This year, Wake Forest Law added a required Imagining Your Future statement and updated the language of their Optional Statement. Both prompts are below.

Source: Wake Forest Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

New Wake Forest Law Imagining Your Future Statement Prompt:

Upload a brief descriptive statement of a job, in terms of the job title and responsibilities, you envision holding (or hope to hold), a decade after graduating from law school and being admitted to the bar.

New Wake Forest Law Optional Statement Prompt:

You may upload an optional statement describing any other information about yourself that you wish to share that is not included in your personal statement.

Examples of optional statement topics include, but are not limited to:

• interest or preference in attending Wake Forest Law compared to other law schools;
• describe how the ethos of Wake Forest University’s motto, Pro Humanitate (“for humanity”), applies to your past experiences and your plans for the future as a law student and attorney.

Uploading an optional statement is not required. There is a separate optional upload for an addendum related to test scores and academic performance.

William & Mary Law School

W&M Law has modified their Optional Essay prompt and removed the description "Diversity & Inclusion Statement." The full updated prompt is below.

New W&M Law Optional Essay Instructions: Source: W&M Law Fall 2024 JD Application (LSAC)

You are invited to submit an essay that describes your life experiences with an emphasis on how the perspectives that you have acquired would contribute to the William & Mary Law School’s intellectual community and enhance the diversity of the student body. Examples of topics include (but are not limited to): an experience of prejudice, bias, economic disadvantage, personal adversity, or other social hardship (perhaps stemming from one’s religious affiliation, disability, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity); experience as a first-generation college student; significant employment history (such as in business, military or law enforcement, or public service); experience as an immigrant or refugee; graduate study; or impressive leadership achievement (including college or community service).  Please be as concise as possible.

Information for First-Year Applicants

We invite you to apply to the youngest top law school in the nation – UCLA School of Law. The Office of Admissions is available to help you experience a smooth and successful application process. Applications for Fall 2025 will be available through the LSAC online application service on September 3, 2024. Applications will be due by January 31, 202​5 .

Steps to Applying to the First Year Class

Please note that by the time of enrollment, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree that has been awarded by an institution that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. For students educated outside of the United States, the undergraduate degree must be from an institution that is equivalent in quality to that of institutions accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. If you have any questions about educational prerequisites, please email  [email protected] .

All applicants for Fall 2025 should follow these application procedures:

Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Records Exam (GRE) no later than January 31, 2025, if applying regular decision. Note the cut off dates for the LSAT and GRE are different for students applying Early Decision, for the Distinguished Scholars Award and for the Achievement Fellowship (see below). Complete information regarding the Standardized Test Requirement is below.

• Register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
• Completed application.
• Separate essay not to exceed two double-spaced typed pages.
• No less than 11-point font.
• Discuss any matters relevant to your ability to succeed in law school and the practice of law, and any attributes, experiences, or interests that would enable you to make a distinctive contribution to UCLA Law or the legal profession.
• Current résumé (use an electronic attachment).
• Two letters of recommendation (no more than two) submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service are required. 
• Official transcripts sent directly to LSAC. Applicants should not wait for fall grades before sending transcripts to LSAC. However, applicants must submit work completed after the initial registration to LSAC, as updated reports will be forwarded to the Law School Admissions Office. Accepted applicants will be required to have their undergraduate institution submit directly to UCLA School of Law a final transcript showing the award of a baccalaureate degree before classes begin in the fall semester.
• Nonrefundable application fee of $75. You may submit your application and pay the fee electronically via LSAC. You may also pay by check, money order, or international money order payable to the Regents of the University of California and include it with your signed Certification Letter. 
• David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy Application , if applying to that program.
• Early Decision Program Agreement, if applying to the Binding Early Decision Program . The priority Early Decision deadline is November 15, 2024. Students applying priority Early Decision must take the LSAT or GRE by October 31, 2024. Applicants will be informed of their admissions decisions by the end of December 2024. Students applying Early Decision after November 15 must take the LSAT or GRE by January 31, 2025 and will receive decisions on a rolling basis.
• Distinguished Scholars Award Agreement, if applying for the Distinguished Scholars Award . The deadline is November 15, 2024 and applicants must take the LSAT or GRE no later than October 31, 2024.
• If applying to the Achievement Fellowship Program , applicants are required to include an additional one page essay describing in detail the obstacles they have overcome in life and why they are a strong candidate for the program. The deadline to apply to the Achievement Fellowship is December 16, 2024 and applicants must take the LSAT or the GRE no later than November 30, 2024. However, applicants taking the LSAT or GRE after these dates may still apply and be considered for any remaining Achievement Fellowships that are available.
• We do not require a dean's certification.
• The use of any artificial intelligence tools to assist in the completion of this application is prohibited.  
• Applications must be submitted on or before January 31, 2025.

UCLA requires that students take a standardized test for admission—either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Records Exam (GRE) . The LSAT or GRE must be taken no later than January 31, 2025 for students applying to the regular JD program.

Those applying Early Decision or for the Distinguished Scholars Award must take the LSAT or GRE no later than October 31, 2024. Applicants to the Achievement Fellowship must take the LSAT or GRE no later than November 30, 2024.

Though we anticipate that most applicants will continue to apply with an LSAT score, UCLA Law does not have a preference in the admissions process for one test over another and will evaluate all applications holistically regardless of the test taken.

Students may choose which test to take; however please note the following guidelines:

• An applicant who takes both the LSAT and the GRE is required to submit all LSAT test scores from the last five years but may choose whether or not to submit their GRE score(s). However if the applicant elects to submit a GRE score in addition to the LSAT, the applicant must submit all GRE scores from the last five years.
• An applicant who only takes the GRE and not the LSAT must also submit all GRE scores from the last five years.
• GRE scores should be submitted directly to UCLA Law by the Educational Testing Service ("ETS"—the organization that administers the GRE) using UCLA Law's ETS school code 4837 and the department and major field code 5201.
• Applicants applying only with a GRE score are still required to subscribe to and utilize the LSAC Credential Assembly Service for the submission of transcripts and letters of recommendation.

Note: The LSAT writing sample is not conducted at the same time as the LSAT exam—it is an on-demand writing exam administered online. (For full details please visit: https://www.lsac.org/lsat/taking-lsat/lsat-writing-faqs .) Applicants taking the LSAT should be aware that their application cannot be transmitted to UCLA Law for evaluation without an LSAC writing sample. Note that we will review applications as soon as they are complete and at least one LSAT writing sample has been submitted. Unfortunately, we are not able to wait to review your application if you decide to take additional writing sample tests.

Applicants apply by completing UCLA School of Law's electronic application  available through the LSAC. For more information, visit the LSAC website ; call 215.968.1001; or e-mail: [email protected] .

Please view our fee waiver policy .

The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) was developed to help participating schools collect and analyze data pertaining to the academic records of applicants. The law school report includes a year-by-year summary of units and grade-point averages (GPA), a cumulative GPA, LSAT score(s) (if applicable), and a copy of each transcript. All applicants, including those reapplying, those taking the GRE, and applicants from institutions that do not issue grades, are required to register with the Credential Assembly Service. A transcript from each college or university attended and listed on the registration form should be sent directly to LSAC's Credential Assembly Service in accordance with their instructions. The Credential Assembly Service will analyze and summarize the transcript(s). UCLA School of Law will request the LSAC Law School Report once the application is received.

Applicants should not wait for fall grades before sending transcripts to LSAC. However, applicants must submit work completed after the initial registration to LSAC, as updated reports will be forwarded to the Law School Admissions Office. Accepted applicants will be required to have their undergraduate institution submit directly to UCLA School of Law a final transcript showing the award of a baccalaureate degree before classes begin in the fall semester.

LSAT/Credential Assembly Service registration forms and other information may be obtained from the Law School Admission Council website or (215) 968-1001. 

UCLA School of Law requires that applicants submit two letters of recommendation. At least one letter should be from someone familiar with the applicant's academic work, if at all possible. The Law School strongly prefers that letters be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. This service is included with the Credential Assembly Service registration. Letters will be copied and sent to UCLA School of Law along with the LSAC Law School Report. To use this service, follow the directions for submitting letters outlined at LSAC.org .

The UCLA School of Law requires that your transcripts be submitted through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service. This service is included in the Credential Assembly Service subscription fee. If you completed any post-secondary work outside the U.S. (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcripts.

To use the Credential Assembly Service, log into your LSAC.org account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive international transcripts.

Questions about the Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001 or [email protected] .

UCLA School of Law will request the applicant's law school report, including any LSAT score(s), from LSAC. All internationally-educated applicants must take the LSAT or the GRE but are not required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

If there is a change in the applicant's contact information after filing the application, the UCLA School of Law Office of Admissions must be notified by sending an e-mail with the applicant's name and LSAC Account Number to  [email protected] or by writing to:

UCLA School of Law Law Admissions Office 71 Dodd Hall Box 951445 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1445

Applicants will be notified by e-mail when:

• the application has been received;
• the application has been marked complete; and
• when an admission decision has been made.

The Office of Admission should be advised of any change to the applicant's e-mail address. The majority of applicants will receive notification by the end of April 2025.

The School of Law considers requests to defer enrollment on a case-by-case basis. To apply, applicants should contact the Office of Admissions.

Applicants to approved joint-degree programs must contact the appropriate graduate school or department to obtain its application and must meet that department's deadline. All J.D./Ph.D. in Philosophy applicants are advised to take the LSAT or GRE no later than November 30, 2024 and apply by January 4, 2025.

More Information on Joint Degree Programs

Applicants who reapply for admission must comply with the following procedures:

• Complete a current application
• Pay the nonrefundable application fee in the amount of $75. You may submit your application and pay the fee electronically via LSAC. You may also pay by check, money order, or international money order payable to the Regents of the University of California and include it with your signed Certification Letter.
• Have a valid LSAT or GRE score.
• Re-register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service.

Note that the original application materials, including letters of recommendation, will remain on file. It is strongly suggested that a re-applicant submit an updated personal statement and résumé.

For reapplicants applying with a valid GRE score, official score reports from the original application will also remain on file.  A reapplicant will only need to request a new score report if there is a new reportable GRE score since submission of the original application from the prior year.  Please see the Standardized Test Requirement section above for further details on submitting test scores.

• UCLA School of Law requires that both the student’s and parents’ information be provided on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the law school Financial Need Application, with few exceptions. Please review detailed guidelines here before submitting your applications.
• The FAFSA priority filing date is March 2, 2025. Once available, starting October 1, 2024, the application can be accessed here . Please use UCLA’s school code: 001315 .
• All admitted students are considered for a Dean’s scholarship upon completion of the Dean's Scholarship Consideration Form (provided after admission). In determining the scholarship amount, both merit and financial need can be considered. Eligible admitted students who wish to be considered for need must first complete the law school Financial Need Application (provided after admission) and the FAFSA.  

Rose Chan Loui appears on NBC Los Angeles to discuss Harry and Meghan's charity

Rick hasen is quoted by courthouse news service on the voting rights act and racial gerrymandering, rick hasen is quoted by usa today on how the 14th amendment applies to a congressional candidate who went to prison for january 6.

Hear exclusive application tips from Assistant Dean Jason Fiske before the final application deadline on June 3, 2024

Join us for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a discussion on the current slate of LGBTQ+ legislation.

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Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

June 29, 2017

Law School Admissions Tip #7: The not so optional “optional” essay

The Top 15 Things Every Law School Applicant Should Know is a series that will teach you the ins and outs of successful law school applications. Stay tuned for the remaining elements. This week we’ll discuss the not so optional “optional” essay.

Almost every law school will ask for a personal statement as part of your admissions application. These personal statements are an integral part of your application, but what about the optional essays ? Should you write these or not? After all, they do say “optional.” Here’s the scoop: If they give you another chance to show off your writing skills and endear yourself to the admissions committee, grab it. Not only are you taking advantage of another opportunity to sway the admissions decision in your favor, you are also demonstrating a proactive and determined attitude toward your application. This is something law schools like to see.

Here are a couple of examples of optional essays schools may encourage you to submit:

“You are welcome to supplement your personal statement with either or both of the following optional essays. Optional Essay I:  You may submit an essay providing additional information about why you have chosen to apply to law school in general and Duke in particular. We are interested in the factors that have prompted your interest in a legal career and the ways in which you think Duke can further that interest.  Optional Essay II:  You may submit an essay that describes how you will enhance the educational environment of the Law School and contribute to the diversity of the student body. Because we believe that diversity enriches the educational experience of all our students, Duke Law School seeks to admit students from a variety of academic, cultural, social, ethnic, economic, and other backgrounds. In this essay, you may tell us more about your particular life experiences with an emphasis on how the perspectives that you have acquired would contribute to the intellectual community of the Law School.”

• Georgetown:

“In the Office of Admissions, we take great pride in dispelling the myth that the admissions process is strictly a numbers game. While numbers are important, the Admissions Committee would like to give you the opportunity to express yourself, and us to get to know you, in another way. If you would like to provide us with additional information about yourself which the Admissions Committee will consider in evaluating your application, please feel free to choose  one  of the following five  optional responses. Your response should be limited to 250 words. Please be advised that the Committee will in no way hold it against you if you choose not to submit an optional response. 

•       Tell us about a time when you failed and what you learned .
•       What is the best advice you ever received and have you followed it?
•       Describe your perfect day. Ever have one?
•       How would your friends describe you? Did they miss anything?
•       Prepare a one-minute video that says something about you. Upload it to an easily accessible website and provide us the URL. (If you are using YouTube, we strongly suggest that you make your video  unlisted  so it will not appear in any of YouTube’s public spaces.) What you do or say is entirely up to you. Please note that we are unable to watch videos that come in any form other than a URL link.”

Note that in the case of Duke, one of their suggestions is specifically about diversity. Many schools will offer this up as one of their optional essays. The reality is that most everyone is diverse in one way or the other, so get creative and demonstrate how you are different from every other face in the crowd. After all, their description of diverse is, “… a variety of academic, cultural, social, ethnic, economic, and other backgrounds.” That’s a fairly wide range of experiences, so give it some thought.

For Georgetown, they offer applicants an opportunity to write both a diversity statement as well as one of the five optional essays above. Take advantage of the opportunity and write both.  Just think about it from an admissions officer’s point of view. If you have two applicants, and one has written only the personal statement, and the second, equally qualified applicant, has gone above and beyond and put together two supplementary, well thought out and articulated essays , which applicant are you more likely to endorse? We know it’s a lot of writing, and we know it is easier to submit only the personal statement, but if you were looking for easy, you wouldn’t be applying to law school! Consider the extra writing good preparation for the years ahead.

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Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School? By lulu.dewey Published May 14, 2024 Updated May 13, 2024

Once you have your school list decided, your LSAT dates locked in, and your essays all mapped out, you might think that you’ve made every important pre-application decision. But there’s at least one more: should you apply “early decision” to a law school? 

What Is Early Decision?

When you apply early decision (ED), you’re agreeing that, if the law school admits you, you will attend. You can’t make this promise in good faith to more than one school, so you’re only allowed to submit one early decision application at a time. If a school rejects you or defers you into the regular applicant pool, thus releasing you from your early decision obligation, you can submit an early decision application to another school—this is what admissions insiders sometimes call “ED2.”

Early decision deadlines are often in the fall, though some schools, like Georgetown, have let people apply ED as late as March. Schools sometimes promise to respond to early decision applications more quickly; other schools don’t offer ED at all. You should check a school’s website carefully for all their early decision policies.

Does Applying Early Decision Help My Chances? 

Applying early decision may make it slightly more likely that you will be admitted, especially if your UGPA or LSAT score is equal to or above the school’s median. Why? A few reasons:

• The ED process lets schools lock in candidates who will pay full tuition.
• The ED process lets schools lock in applicants who will support at least one of their medians.
• The ED pool is smaller than the regular decision pool, so it may be easier to stand out.
• Applying ED is a strong indication of your interest, so even if you get waitlisted, the admissions dean may turn to you before other waitlisted applicants.

There’s one more small advantage: applying early decision may expedite the review of your application.

It’s important to note that how much early decision helps depends on where your LSAT scores and GPA lie relative to the school’s medians. Our data shows that if your LSAT and GPA are both stronger or both weaker than the school’s medians, ED doesn’t give you a measurable boost. 

There are three potential outcomes once you’ve applied somewhere ED: a school can accept you, a school can reject you, or a school can punt you into the regular applicant pool and release you from your ED commitment. The last scenario is common for applicants with below-average numbers. Schools may not feel the need to reject you yet, but they can’t accept you either until they see how the applicant pool shapes up.

Does Early Decision Impact Scholarships & Financial Aid?

Beyond the fact that early decision limits your options, it will hinder your ability to negotiate for financial aid and almost always removes you from merit scholarship consideration as well. Why? Because many students are able to negotiate for more aid by using offers from other schools as leverage. If you’re accepted to a school ED, you can’t say that you’re considering an offer of more aid from another school. In fact, admissions officers often look to their early decision pool to lock in a certain amount of revenue, knowing that early decision admits will pay the sticker price.

There may be exceptions to these conclusions. Some law schools, including Berkeley and Northwestern, have offered automatic scholarships to all ED admits. In these cases, early decision admission is probably more competitive than regular decision admission, and applying ED may not give you a large boost, but it’s unlikely to hurt your chances, either. 

So Should I Apply Early Decision?

You should also be sure that the school you’re applying ED to is truly, absolutely, fully, and honestly your dream school, cross your heart and hope to die. Let’s say you want to apply early decision at a particular school, and you are accepted so you have to withdraw from consideration for that coveted acceptance from somewhere like Harvard. Are you okay with that possibility? If so, applying ED is a great choice for you.

And finally, are you going to be ready to apply before the early decision deadline? You should feel confident in your application and have all your ducks in a row, including letters of recommendation and all of your written materials. 

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Attending an Unaccredited Law School: the Pros and Cons

Law schools not approved by the American Bar Association offer savings and convenience, but limited job prospects.

Pros, Cons of Unaccredited Law Schools

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More than 30 law schools in the U.S. and a few more international law schools overseas provide a legal education without ABA accreditation.

When people talk about law school , they generally mean one of the nearly 200 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association, which is the national organization of the legal profession. Any graduate of one of these law schools who has met the eligibility requirements may sit for the bar examination in any state.

To be accredited, law schools must comply with ABA standards, which cover everything from curriculum and faculty to facilities and services. The ABA frequently reevaluates and updates these standards.

For example, the ABA is currently debating whether to standardize law school curricula, allow law schools to take more students without the LSAT or GRE , and expand options for online J.D. programs .

To stay accredited, law schools file annual reports that contain data useful to applicants about factors like selectivity, diversity, bar passage and career outcomes. New law schools must meet these standards to gain accreditation, and law schools that don’t are placed on provisional status or ultimately de-accredited.

It is possible for law schools to operate without ABA accreditation, however. More than 30 law schools in the U.S. and a few more international law schools overseas provide a legal education without ABA accreditation . Most are based in California, where graduates of nonaccredited law schools can take the bar exam and qualify as lawyers.

A few other states, such as Alabama, also permit graduates of certain unaccredited law schools to take the bar.

Why Attend an Unaccredited Law School?

Unaccredited law schools tends to be much easier to get into than ABA-approved schools, making them the best option for applicants whose low grades or LSAT scores bar them from admission elsewhere.

Unaccredited law schools also tend to be cheaper and more convenient than accredited schools. Many unaccredited law schools offer flexible, part-time and online options that appeal to older applicants working full time.

Applicants may also choose unaccredited schools because of their location or other distinctions like their high levels of diversity. Some unaccredited schools have a religious bent or unconventional pedagogy that may appeal to like-minded students. 

The Pitfalls of Unaccredited Law Schools

Even if graduates of unaccredited law schools save money in the short term, their postgraduate career prospects may suffer. Their overall rates of bar passage and postgraduate employment are significantly lower than for their peers from low-ranked but accredited law schools.

For example, a report by the State Bar of California found that 67% of graduates of ABA-accredited law schools passed the state bar in 2022, while state-accredited law schools had a bar passage rate of 21% and unaccredited law schools had a 9% bar passage rate. The report also found that students of unaccredited law schools are far more likely to drop out of law school.

Furthermore, there are few states that allow graduates of unaccredited law schools to take the bar and practice law. While California is a vast state with an outsize legal market, its bar exam is notoriously hard, with the lowest passage rate in the U.S. Its major legal markets are also highly competitive, attracting lawyers nationwide, putting graduates of unaccredited law schools at a disadvantage.

It is also worth noting that California is one of four states – along with Virginia, Vermont and Washington – that allow individuals to skip law school altogether and qualify for the bar exam after a traditional legal apprenticeship.

Weighing the Evidence

To be sure, graduates of unaccredited law schools who pass the bar exam can succeed in the legal field, and as practicing lawyers their legal education will fade from relevance. Many states even allow lawyers who passed the California bar and have practiced for a certain number of years – typically three to 10, depending on the state – to take their bar exam regardless of their education.

However, there are strong reasons to be wary that unaccredited law schools offer enough benefits to justify the time and tuition. Before matriculating to an unaccredited law school, ensure that it is on sound financial footing and that its graduates have a strong track record of success.

Rather than attend an unaccredited law school, consider gaining entry to an ABA-approved school by raising your LSAT score , gaining relevant work experience or improving your application essays. Even if you are denied the first time you apply, you can strengthen your candidacy as a reapplicant .

In the long run, investing in your application is a surer path to legal practice than accepting a seat at a law school that isn’t worth the cost of tuition .

Tips to Boost a Law School Application

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About Law Admissions Lowdown

Law Admissions Lowdown provides advice to prospective students about the law school application process, LSAT prep and potential career paths. Previously authored by contributors from Stratus Admissions Counseling, the blog is currently authored by Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach , an admissions consultancy. Kuris is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has helped hundreds of applicants navigate the law school application process since 2003. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

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