Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 06/02/23
If you’re thinking about applying to several law schools and want to know exactly how to do so, read on to learn more about the law school application requirements.
Narrowing down the law schools you want to attend the most can be challenging, and compiling a list of everything you need to apply to these schools can make the process even more complicated.
To ease some of your stress and to make the beginning of your legal journey easier, this comprehensive guide will review basic law school application requirements and specific requirements at the top 45 schools.
In the next few sections, we’ll review these law school application requirements in more detail.
Undergraduate Degree
The first prerequisite for any law school is a baccalaureate degree. Law schools don’t require applicants to take specific course prerequisites. However, it’s worth noting that there are some dual degree programs that allow students to finish the final year of their undergraduate degree while also completing their first year of law school.
While it may help prepare you for law school, studying pre-law is not a prereq for law school. What matters most isn’t your major but your GPA. A wide range of GPAs are accepted across law schools. This GPA can be as low as 2.95 or as high as 3.7-3.9 for top-ranking schools.
Admissions Tests
Students must complete the LSAT or GRE, depending on their preferred law school, to be considered for admission.
LSAT
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the primary admission test accepted by U.S. law schools; for most schools, you have to write the LSAT.
According to experts, applicants should aim to get at least 150 to be accepted into an accredited university, 160 or higher to be accepted into the top 25 universities, and 170 or higher to be accepted into the top 10 universities.
GRE
You don’t have to take the GRE if you take the LSAT. You can choose to write either the LSAT or GRE when applying to schools that allow this option. To date, about 70 U.S. law schools accept the GRE.
The test you take depends on which school you’d like to go to. While only 70 schools accept the GRE, top-ranking schools like Yale and Harvard are part of this list, meaning you can still apply to top-ranking schools if you choose to write the GRE instead of the LSAT!
Your personal statement is a fantastic opportunity to let your fit, passion for law, and personality shine.
To make this admission requirement less daunting, here’s a list of qualities law schools seek in personal statements:
Passion: If you write about something you’re passionate about, you’re more likely to be engaging
Originality: The admissions committee reads thousands of personal statements; you want to make sure yours stands out
Structure: Your essay should follow a logical order
Simplicity: You should not cram all your experiences or accomplishments into your essay – focus on one or two and specify how they relate to your desired law career
Care: You shouldn’t have any typos or spelling and grammar mistakes; it should be obvious you wrote the essay carefully and accurately (and ensure you’re actually answering the question!)
Letters of Recommendation
This law school prerequisite requires less effort on your side in terms of writing. Most law schools require you to submit letters of recommendation from people who can attest to your character. You should aim to have at least one letter written by an academic faculty member.
Recommendation letters should be:
Extraordinary: Your letters should paint you as someone extraordinary
Personal: The person writing your letter must actually know you well and be able to speak to your character, your growth, and your accomplishments
Compelling: These letters must sell the committee on you! They should convince law schools you have the necessary skills and traits to be an excellent student and lawyer
Extracurriculars
Another factor to consider before even applying to law school is participating in extracurriculars that will help make your application stand out.
All extracurriculars are important! They show you have good time management skills, want to help others, and are able to work as a team. So, ensure you join extracurriculars you will enjoy.
To boost your application, however, you should aim to join extracurriculars with the following qualities:
They develop your legal skills
They are service activities
They have substantial time commitments
They show leadership and teamwork
You are a key member of the team (vice president, president, executive member, etc.)
Resume
Your law school resume should be one to two pages long, typed in a standard font. The main sections you should include in your resume are:
Personal/biographical information
Education
Work experience
Extracurricular activities
Depending on how many entries you’d have in each category, you can also consider adding sections for:
Honors/awards
Research
Skills/interests
All these law school requirements are the standard at most law schools.
Requirements for Top Law Schools
The coveted T14 law schools are often at the top of students’ lists. These schools are the most prestigious law schools in the country and are some of the hardest to get into!
LSAT/GRE Scores: The median accepted LSAT score is 175
A Personal Statement: Share who you are as a person, potential law student, and future lawyer
An Essay: 250 words about an idea that is of particular interest to you – many students write about a time they changed their mind
An Optional Diversity Statement: Explain how your unique circumstances will contribute to the Yale community
An Optional Addenda: Explanations for weak parts of your application
Letters of Recommendation: At least two letters are required, preferably written by professors
Statement of Activities: Will ask what you did during terms you weren’t in school, what you did during terms you were, and what other relevant activities you pursued
A Resume: Listing your paid and unpaid extracurriculars during and after college
An Undergraduate Degree: The median accepted GPA is 3.92
LSAT/GRE Scores: the median accepted LSAT score is 174
A Resume: One to two pages long, including relevant experience and extracurriculars
A Personal Statement: Two full double-spaced pages long, giving more context on how your strengths and experiences would make you a valuable contributor to the Harvard community
Letters of Recommendation: Two to three letters are required, with at least one from an academic source
Optional Statement: A one-page statement describing your achievements in the context of your background or an elaboration on how you could contribute to Harvard
Optional Addenda: Explains any negative aspects of your application
LSAT/GRE Scores: The median accepted LSAT score is 172
A Personal Statement: No page limit – it should introduce you and elaborate on parts of your application
A Resume: Lists your work, academic, and volunteer experience
Letters of Recommendation: Two letters are required, preferably from academic faculty members
Additional Information Statements: Students can submit documents explaining low performance, unique experiences, history of educational or socioeconomic disadvantage, and other relevant circumstances
An Undergraduate Degree: The median accepted GPA is 3.87
LSAT, GRE, or GMAT scores: The median accepted LSAT score is 171
A Personal Statement: No page restrictions, but two pages double-spaced is recommended
A Resume: One to two pages long
Letters of Recommendation: One letter is required, preferably from a professor
Optional Responses: You can submit a 250-word response to one of five questions
Optional Diversity Statement: States how your personal background will contribute to the school’s diversity
Application Requirements for Other Law Schools
The next 31 schools may not be the highest-ranked in the nation, but they’re still excellent choices for aspiring law students! Here are all their law school prerequisites:
LSAT/GRE Scores: The median accepted LSAT score is 171
A Personal Statement: Shouldn’t exceed two double-spaced pages
A Resume: One to two pages long
Letters of Recommendation: Two letters are required, with at least one being written by an academic faculty member
The University of Minnesota
As the 16th-place law school, the University of Minnesota is a great option for aspiring law students. This school requires the following from its applicants:
An LSAT Score: The median accepted LSAT score is 168
A Personal Statement: Should be two pages, double-spaced
A Resume: No page limit
Letters of Recommendation: One to two letters from academic sources
Optional Statement of Interest: Discuss why you chose Minnesota Law in particular
Optional Addenda: Each addendum should be one page, double-spaced to highlight diversity or explain parts of your application, obstacles, or other important matters
Optional Video Interview: All applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the pre-recorded video interview to introduce themselves to the committee
LSAT/ GRE scores: the median accepted LSAT score is 172
A Personal Statement: Two to three double-spaced pages long
A Resume: Highlights relevant experiences
Letters of Recommendation: At least two are required, preferably from academic mentors
Optional Addenda: Regarding diversity, financial need, experiences, and grades
Brigham Young University (Clark)
The 22nd-best law school in the nation is Brigham Young University. BYU is associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and requires applicants to submit these materials:
An LSAT Score: The median accepted LSAT score is 164
A Personal Statement: Generally one two to three pages, double-spaced
A Resume: Generally one to three pages long
Letters of Recommendation: Two letters are required, preferably written by academic faculty
Optional Essays: Includes a diversity essay, essay on leadership potential/experience, and a commitment to public interest/service essay
The University of Florida (Levin)
Tied for 22nd in the nation, the University of Florida may not have made the top 20, but it’s known for producing successful lawyers. These are the application requirements:
An LSAT Score: The median accepted LSAT score is 166
A Personal Statement: You must discuss why you want to become a legal professional, why you think you’re ready for the demands of the profession, and why you chose UNC – it shouldn’t exceed four pages
A Resume: Can be up to three pages long
Letters of Recommendation: Two to three letters are required; at least one should be from a professor
Supplemental Application: Determines your residency for tuition purposes
A Personal Statement: Should be no more than two double-spaced pages
A Resume: Typically one to two pages long
Letters of Recommendation: Two to four letters are required, but it’s suggested to only submit two written by academic instructors
Optional “Why Notre Dame” Statement: Should be no more than two double-spaced pages
Optional “Different Kind of Lawyer” Statement: Should be no longer than two double-spaced pages, explaining why you’re unique and what you hope to achieve in the future
LSAT/GRE Scores: The median accepted LSAT score is 164
A Personal Statement: A typed, double-spaced personal statement not exceeding two pages – there’s no specific prompt or format
A Resume: Include details about your education, honor societies, military service, extracurriculars, service, honors/awards, publications, foreign language proficiencies, and any other achievements Letters of Recommendation: Two letters of recommendation, ideally from present/previous professors and supervisors
LSAT/GRE Scores: The median accepted LSAT score is 158
A Personal Statement: Your personal statement must be two to three pages long, double-spaced
A Resume: Must include your educational/work/extracurricular experiences
Letters of Recommendation: At least one letter should come from a professor (if you graduated less than three years ago) – you must provide at least two letters
Optional Kansas Statement: Explain your interest/connection to Kansas or the University of Kansas
Optional Diversity Statement: Share the life experiences or personal characteristics that would contribute to the school’s diversity
Optional Addendum: Share additional information about your academic record, if needed
An LSAT Score: The median accepted LSAT score is 163
A Personal Statement: Must not exceed three pages – you can write about any topic
A Resume: No format or length requirements listed
Letters of Recommendation: One letter is required – you can submit additional letters if you want to
Optional Essays: Candidates are encouraged to write an essay (no longer than 2 pages) expressing their qualifications, talents, perspectives, and goals
Law schools with lower rankings are generally the easiest to get into. These law schools typically have a high acceptance rate and lower GPA and LSAT requirements, such as the Southern University Law Center. This law school has a 59.7% acceptance rate, a median LSAT score of 146, and a median GPA of 3.22.
3. What Is the Hardest Law School to Get Into?
Yale School of Law is the hardest law school to get into, with a 6% acceptance rate.
4. How Long Should My Personal Statement Be?
Most law schools ask applicants to limit their personal statements to two to four pages.
5. Do Law Schools Ask for Resumes?
Most law schools ask for resumes to learn about your experience, skills, and abilities.
6. Do I Need Work Experience for Law School?
Many law schools tend to prefer applicants with work experience, but it’s only one component of your application. Candidates with extensive volunteer and extracurricular experiences may be able to use these to make up for lack of work experience. In short, work experience isn’t necessarily a requirement to go to law school.
7. What GPA is Required for Law School?
Although most law schools don’t list cutoffs, the GPAs of admitted students at the country’s top law schools tend to be at or higher than 3.7.
8. Are There Prerequisite Courses for Law School?
There are no required courses you must take to apply to law school.
9. Do You Have to Go to College Before Law School?
Yes, law schools require applicants to complete college before enrolling.
10. What Degree Do You Need for Law School?
You need a bachelor’s degree to attend law school.
11. Which Test Should I Take to Get Into Law School?
Depending on the school you’re applying to, you can take the LSAT or GRE. Which test you take is ultimately up to you and which schools you’re applying to.
Final Thoughts
After going over this comprehensive guide of general and the top 45 law school application requirements, you should know exactly what you need to apply to your top choices! Good luck!
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