How to Apply

Eligible candidates for admission to the J.D. program must have completed their Bachelor's degree, or be in the final year of a Bachelor's degree program. The Bachelor's degree must be awarded by an accredited U.S. college or university or be an equivalent degree from a recognized non-U.S. institution.

Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, and priority consideration for scholarship awards is March 1. 

Typically, it may take up to 8 weeks for decisions to be made in accordance with the following timeline:

• Regular JD applicants will begin to receive decisions in early January.
• Early Decision applicants will begin to receive decisions in mid-November.

In order to enroll a highly qualified, diverse class each year, the Admissions Committee conducts a holistic review of each applicants' materials and considers factors such as student engagement and leadership, professional experience, writing ability, community service, and references.

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 for Bar Examiners.

Deferrals are not routinely granted and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Admitted students may contact the Assistant Dean of Admissions to request a deferral of up to one year.

Candidates who have determined that the University of Minnesota Law School is their first choice may submit an application to the Early Decision program. This program is binding; therefore, applicants admitted through the program commit themselves to matriculating at Minnesota Law, withdrawing all applications at other law schools, and not initiating new applications after being admitted to the Law School. Early Decision applicants receive the same scholarship consideration as regular candidates; if not admitted through Early Decision, students may be considered for regular admission at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

Admissions decisions will begin mid-November for Early Decision applicants who submitted their application between September 1 and November 15. If you submit your Early Decision application after November 15, your application will be reviewed on a rolling basis within 2-3 weeks. The early decision application deadline is December 31.  All Early Decision applicants will receive a decision by January 15.

All applicants are required to submit their application electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).

The nonrefundable application fee is $60 and is paid via credit card through LSAC when submitting the application. You may be eligible for an application fee waiver for financial hardship if LSAC grants you a financial waiver to take the LSAT. If so, please submit a copy of the LSAT financial waiver to jdadmissions@umn.edu. If you are eligible for a merit-based fee waiver, we will reach out to you individually. We encourage all candidates to register for the Candidate Referral Service (CRS) through LSAC.

You are required to answer two Character & Fitness related questions on our application.  After law school matriculation, all states require bar exam applicants to establish their character and fitness to practice law. Bar applicants should carefully review these requirements for the state in which they intend to practice, available at Character and Fitness Investigations through the National Conference of Bar Examiners website

All applicants, including international, must first register with the Credential Assembly Service through the LSAC website. The service will act as a repository for academic transcripts, testing scores, and letters of recommendation. CAS will summarize your transcripts and send them to each law school to which you apply.  We do not waive the CAS report fee.

Once registered with CAS, applicants must contact every previous college or university attended (even if a degree was not earned) to request a transcript be sent directly to CAS. Universities and other educational institutions should send transcripts to:

Law School Admission Council
CAS
P.O. Box 2000-M
Newtown, PA 18940-0993

Applicants are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The LSAT score is considered current for five years. The LSAT requirement will not be waived for any applicant. If multiple scores are available, the highest score will be used for review of your application. If you intend to retake the test after you have submitted your application and wish to have your application held until the newest score is available, please submit an addendum making this request with your application or email jdadmissions@umn.edu. International students also must have completed a post-secondary degree at an English-speaking institution OR must submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For more information, visit the TOEFL website.

One letter of recommendation is required and must be submitted through CAS. The Law School will accept a maximum of two letters.

The letters should be from persons in an academic setting who are personally familiar with an applicant’s work and can attest to his or her ability to enter a competitive professional program. If an applicant has been out of college for more than two years, letters from an employer may be submitted instead. Letters from family friends or personal acquaintances are discouraged.

The varied backgrounds and exceptional talents of our students contribute tremendously to the quality of the education at the University of Minnesota Law School. Through the personal statement, the Admissions Committee seeks insight into the abilities, motivation and experiences of an applicant, as well as an assessment of writing ability. Your personal statement (two pages, double spaced) should articulate significant achievements, professional goals, and reasons for pursuing a law degree. It is also helpful to the Committee to discuss specific interest in the University of Minnesota Law School (you may attach a supplemental statement for this, if you prefer).

Applicants should include a detailed résumé with their application. The résumé should contain work history during college and since college graduation, including paid and unpaid employment. Resumes should also include academic or professional honors, co-curricular activities and community service, or hobbies and special interests.  There is no page limit to resumes we accept.

Applicants may also submit one or more supplemental statements (one page, double-spaced) to highlight diversity perspectives and/or demonstrated commitment to racial justice/equity, explain absences or breaks in academic history, discuss any obstacles or adversity you overcame, or present other matters that may be of importance to the Admissions Committee.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to participate in our pre-recorded interview process, which provides an additional opportunity for you to introduce yourself to the committee. Priority consideration will be given to candidates who participate. Interview details will be sent via email about seven days after your application has been submitted. Please watch your inbox for this important email.

Applicants receiving their undergraduate degree from institutions outside the United States must submit their transcripts to the CAS for evaluation. 

Questions about the J.D. Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at 215-968-1001, or lsacinfo@lsac.org. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and the evaluation will be incorporated into your CAS report.

International applicants, whose English is a second language, need to submit a current TOEFL or IELTS score to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).  Please see LSAC instructions regarding reporting of these scores. This requirement is waived if you have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution. This requirement may also be waived if you received an undergraduate degree from an international institution for which English is the official language and submit documentation to that effect, for example a letter from your school's Registrar's office.

All applicants, regardless of international student status, are considered on a holistic basis for merit scholarships. Scholarships are based on admission applications and are awarded at the time of admission.

If you're admitted, the process to receive your I-20 begins when you make your seat deposit securing your seat in the class. Then you will receive an email from the JD Admissions Office with the necessary forms and documentation to complete. When we receive all of your completed paperwork, we will process everything and send a request to the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office at the University of Minnesota to have an I-20 generated and sent to you. This process can take 2-4 weeks after your completed documents are reviewed by the JD Admissions Office.

For more information or for answers to specific questions related to your individual circumstances, please reach out to the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office at the University of Minnesota. 

Who is on the waitlist?

Due to the strength of the applicant pool and limited seats in the entering class, we are unable to immediately admit all strong candidates. The waitlist consists of applicants who we believe have the talent to be successful at the University of Minnesota Law School. Students who choose to remain on the waitlist are those who are willing to wait, sometimes up to orientation, to enroll at the University of Minnesota Law School.

Is the waitlist ranked?

No, the waitlist is not ranked. If space becomes available on the waitlist, applicants will be selected in an attempt to round out the class with regard to the academic and personal attributes outlined in the admissions criteria stated on our website.

When is the waitlist used?

The waitlist can be used at any time between now and the beginning of orientation with an effort to utilize the waitlist sooner rather than later. An exact date of whether or not we go to the waitlist cannot be determined, but is more likely to occur following our April 15 deposit deadline and typically from mid-May through late-July.

What is the likelihood of being offered admission from the waitlist?

The likelihood of gaining admission from the waitlist varies greatly from year to year. As each admission cycle is independent from previous cycles, but we typically see about 5-8% of our waitlist applicants get admitted (20-40 people).

What can a waitlist candidate do in the meantime?

• Fill out the form to indicate whether or not you’re interested in remaining on the waitlist.
• Submit your letter of continuing interest (LOCI) through the Applicant Status Portal
• Complete your optional virtual interview if you have not already. If you need your individual link resent please contact jdadmissions@umn.edu
• Make sure your contact information is up-to-date. Email us at jdadmissions@umn.edu with any changes.
• Send updated transcripts to LSAC via CAS.
• If your status changes and you no longer wish to be on our waitlist, please let us know promptly.

If the waitlist is used, how will candidates be informed?

We will notify you by phone and/or email if you are admitted and send an admittance packet in the mail. Please keep us updated with any changes in your contact information.
We sincerely appreciate your continued interest in the University of Minnesota Law School and your patience during the waitlist review process.