Law School Application Components

Application Form

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) offers a standardized application, the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which virtually all US law schools require. The service processes transcripts and stores LSAT scores, letters of recommendation, and other application materials. Check each of your target schools' websites to see if they require any additional materials.

Application Fees

In addition to the CAS registration fee and the cost of sending CAS reports to each school, individual schools charge their own application fees. It is worthwhile to check with the LSAC and individual schools to see if you are eligible for fee waivers.

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The American Bar Association requires that all law school applicants take an entrance exam. This score and your cumulative GPA are the most important factors in your application. The LSAT is the preferred entrance exam for most law schools, though around 100 U.S. schools will accept the GRE in its place. LSAT scores range from 120-180; to see what you are shooting for, find charts listing LSATs and GPAs for most law schools through the LSAC's Official Guide to ABA-approved Law Schools (look up a school, scroll to the bottom of their information, and click on "Explore admission data for X school"). You can find our advice about timing and preparing for the LSAT on our Preparing for the LSAT page.

Transcript(s)

The CAS collects, verifies, and standardizes transcripts for each institution from which you have received college credit. Obtain your Hanover transcript from the Registrar's Office. Be sure to review the LSAC's guidelines, Requesting Transcripts, to see how their transcript requirements impact you.

Letters of Recommendation

Typically, law schools require from 2 - 4 letters, but you should check your target schools' websites for their specific requirements. Stick to the minimum number unless an additional letter offers a significantly different angle or perspective. Ensure that your letters are submitted before the schools' deadlines. For detailed advice about whom to ask and the protocol to follow when requesting letters, check out our Letters of Recommendation for Law School.

Resume

While an undergraduate resume won't detail impressive legal experience, you can still tailor it to reflect the skills that are important in law school and in the practice of law: writing, research, public speaking, analysis, critical thinking, applying logic, problem-solving, listening, and building rapport, for example. You can draw on your leadership activities and volunteerism as well as paid roles to demonstrate your interests and skills, and to outline the impact you made in these roles. For resume examples and tips, read our Resume Guide and other related resources. Make an appointment to get feedback from the Levett Career Center staff.

Personal Statement

The personal statement allows you to present yourself, your background, your perspective, and your qualifications to the Admissions Committee in your own words. It provides an opportunity for you to describe your motivation to pursue law school, to highlight key aspects of your background that shaped you as a future law student, to outline pivotal moments of growth, or to describe obstacles you have overcome that have strengthened you. As its name implies, it should be primarily about you, not your heroes or role models. For help in thinking through possible approaches and in organizing your statement, see our Tips for Drafting your Law School Personal Statement. Tailor your statement for each school based on their application requirements.

Financial Aid

You must submit the FAFSA in order to be considered for federal student loans. Check with each school about additional funding sources and requirements. Review the LSAC's Applying for Aid advice, as well.