Applicant Requirements

Applicants for admission to the William S. Boyd School of Law must:

  • Have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university, or be on track to graduate before law school classes begin. The bachelor's degree may be in any discipline or major.
  • Have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or qualify for LSAT-Alternate Admission. The test is offered several times per year. LSAT scores older than five years will not be considered.
  • Register for, and maintain an up-to-date file with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). It is the responsibility of applicants to ensure that an official transcript from each institution they have attended is sent by that institution to CAS. Do not have transcripts sent directly to the Boyd School of Law.

 

Submitting an Application

Applications will be accepted beginning October 1. The application deadline is March 15; applications after that date will be considered as space permits. 

When submitting an electronic application through LSAC, submit the following documents:

  • A completed electronic application form.
  • A personal statement no longer than three typed pages (double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins) about the applicant's abilities, motivation, experiences, and specific interest in pursuing a Boyd Law degree.
  • An optional statement no longer than two typed pages (double-spaced, 12 point font, one-inch margins) about the applicant's individual background and lived experiences.
  • A résumé including educational background, work experience, honors, and community service activities.
  • For part-time applicants, a brief statement explaining why you are applying to the part-time program.
  • If needed, an explanation for a "yes" answer to any of the Character and Fitness questions.
  • A $50 non-refundable application fee.

When submitting your Credential Assembly Service report (CAS report), submit the following documents:

  • Official transcripts from all schools you have attended.
  • Your LSAT score that is no older than five years (unless applying through LSAT-Alternate Admission).
  • Between one and four letters of recommendation. The admissions committee prefers at least one academic recommendation, especially if you are a recent graduate. Recommendations from current or former professors, professional colleagues, or supervisors who can attest to your intellectual and professional attributes are most effective. Recommendations from friends, family members, and other such acquaintances are strongly discouraged. 

 

Selection Criteria

The William S. Boyd School of Law seeks to enroll an accomplished and diverse group of people who will contribute to the enrichment of the school’s educational program, to the community, and the profession after graduation. We seek students who have demonstrated significant accomplishments in their lives by achieving distinguished academic records as undergraduate or graduate students, engaging successfully in important and demanding careers, providing significant service to their communities, and/or meeting challenges associated with their race, ethnicity, gender, economic status, or disability. We believe that the law school can and must have a student body that is both academically well-qualified and diverse. The presence in the school of students who have diverse backgrounds, attitudes, and interests contributes to the breadth and quality of the classroom and non-classroom dialogue that is a critical element of legal education.

In assessing applicants, the Admissions Committee looks at:

  1. Academic Capability. To assess an applicant’s academic capability, the Committee considers such factors as undergraduate grade point average, the trend of college grades, the difficulty of the applicant’s course of undergraduate study, the quality and grading pattern of the applicant’s undergraduate institution, the extent of work or other activities undertaken while in college, the date of the undergraduate degree, graduate studies, and performance on the Law School Admission Test.
     
  2. Non-academic Accomplishments. The Committee will consider evidence of significant accomplishments in extracurricular activities, employment, military service, and community service.
     
  3. Individual Background. The Committee will consider the applicant’s background in totality, including any disadvantages and significant barriers overcome, lived experiences that inform the applicant's view of the law, past service and/or leadership in the applicant's communities, and/or the applicant's plans to use their law degree in addressing the needs of underserved communities. The Committee considers this information through the applicant's required personal statement and the optional statement about the applicant's background and lived experiences. The Committee will also consider any history of criminality or academic and professional misconduct.
     
  4. Personal Courtesy and Professional Integrity. The Committee will consider the applicant's history of personal courtesy and professionalism as evidenced through the application materials, including the personal statement, letters of recommendation, and interaction with the Boyd Law community, including the Admissions Office, and among other evidence of which the Committee may become aware. Lawyers and those seeking to become lawyers should demonstrate civility, professional integrity, personal dignity, and respect because these qualities are essential to the fair administration of justice and conflict resolution.

 

Statement of Nondiscrimination

The William S. Boyd School of Law is an institution dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity characterized by diversity of races, cultures, and values. The law school adheres to a policy of non-discrimination that prohibits the use of admission policies or other actions to preclude admission of applicants or retention of students on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or military status.

 

Check Application Status

Access to the Applicant Status Online tool is provided to you after you have submitted your application. Through this tool, you can view your application status and current decision, and also verify that the law school has received your letters of recommendation. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset your password through this tool.