Prospective Students
Application
Admission to DePaul University College of Law is very competitive. We consider numerous factors in evaluating each applicant, including undergraduate academic performance, Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, advanced degrees, professional work experience, writing ability, potential for leadership, professional and academic recommendations and the student's special talents, qualities, interests, and socioeconomic and cultural background. No single factor is dispositive when determining admission.
Personal qualities that demonstrate intellectual depth, high ideals and diligence also are considered, as are economic, societal or educational obstacles that have been successfully overcome. Diversity in background and experience among the members of each entering class is a continuing objective. Having a diverse student body allows us to encourage and foster the exchange of different ideas. In addition, a candidate's prior relations with the DePaul University community and her or his potential for furthering DePaul's institutional goals are considered.
Last year, more than 4,000 candidates applied for 250 seats in the full-time day program and 50 seats in the part-time evening program. Because applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, early application is highly recommended, especially for those who desire merit scholarship and financial aid consideration. For first-year applicants with no previous law school credit, admission is granted only for the fall semester. First-year applicants should ensure that their application and all necessary documents are on file in the Office of Admission prior to the suggested application deadline of March 1, 2013.
Prospective applicants who have received their baccalaureate degrees from accredited institutions or who have received degrees prior to July of the year for which admission is sought are eligible to apply. In no event will anyone who has yet to receive a baccalaureate degree be permitted to enroll in the College of Law. No specific fields of study are prescribed at the baccalaureate level.
DePaul University has a nondiscriminatory admission policy; it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability.
Electronic Application Process Instructions
Electronic Application
All applicants to the College of Law must submit all materials electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). We only accept applications submitted through the LSAC electronic application.
We will not accept any paper application materials or paper updates to your application. Paper materials and updates will not be retained or reviewed by the Admission Committee and will be discarded. You are welcome to submit updates to your file electronically. Application update materials may be submitted to lawinfo@depaul.edu. Please include your name and LSAC Account number on each attachment.
Disabled applicants in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, or other applicants who require a paper application, should contact the Office of Law Admission at 312.362.6831 or by emailing lawinfo@depaul.edu with their request.
Evaluation or Letter of Recommendation
One LSAC applicant evaluation or one letter of recommendation is required for all applicants. Additional letters and evaluations are welcome. Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Letters of recommendation or evaluations from an applicant's college professors are particularly useful. Evaluations also may be submitted by employers or colleagues who are in positions to make critical and informed appraisals of an applicant's qualifications.
Personal Statement
A personal statement is required and must be electronically attached to the application for admission. It should not exceed two pages, and may provide the Admission Committee with information regarding such matters as intellectual interests and pursuits; personal, family or educational background, experiences and talents of special interest, reasons for applying to law school as they may relate to personal goals and professional expectations, or any other factors that will assist the committee's evaluation of the applicant's candidacy for admission. Applicants also may describe, either within the personal statement or as an addendum, how their admission would contribute to the diversity of the College of Law.
Résumé
A current résumé is strongly recommended and may be electronically attached to the application for admission. It should not exceed two pages. It should include a complete employment record and identify honors, scholarships and commendations received; membership in any scholastic, honorary and professional associations; as well as community, volunteer and extracurricular activities.
Law School Admission Test / Credential Assembly Service
All applicants must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). LSAT scores earned prior to June 2007 will not be accepted. In addition, all applicants must register with Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Please visit the Law School Admission Council website at www.LSAC.orgfor additional information.
Application Fee – Online Waiver
The application fee is waived for all first-year online applicants to the J.D. program. The application fee is also waived for disabled applicants who submit a paper application as a reasonable accommodation to complete the admissions process.
International Applicant Information
Applicants who have earned degrees or received diplomas from international institutions must submit all materials required of first-time Juris Doctor applicants.
In addition, applicants who have completed coursework or earned degrees from international institutions should submit their international transcripts through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service. This service is included in the standard Credential Assembly Service fee. International transcripts received will be sent to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) where the transcript will be authenticated and analyzed. The data will be assembled into an International Credential Evaluation document that contains AACRAO's summary, copies of the transcripts (and translations, as necessary) and a TOEFL or IELTS score, if applicable.
Applicants who were educated in international countries, at institutions where English is not the primary language, must also register for the TOEFL (www.toefl.org) or IELTS (www.ielts.org). Applicants who register for the TOEFL must advise Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send their TOEFL score to DePaul University College of Law (institution code number 1165).
LSAC will incorporate the applicant's International Credential Evaluation, TOEFL or IELTS score and associated documents into the CAS report. While the College of Law strongly encourages international applicants to submit their international transcripts to CAS, we also will accept detailed evaluation reports from Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org), World Educational Services (www.wes.org) or from any other member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
International applicants who have graduated from international law schools may receive up to 30 credit hours toward the Juris Doctor degree. The determination of applicable credit is made upon admission. For additional information, including a copy of the Financial Affidavit of Support Form for International Students, please visit http://international.depaul.edu/admission/.
Transfer Applicant Information
DePaul University College of Law welcomes applications from students who will have completed, within the preceding two years, at least one year of study at another ABA-accredited law school. Transfer applicants may apply for admission to the day and evening programs during the fall and spring semesters. Transfer applicants admitted to the College of Law may receive up to 30 hours of credit toward the Juris Doctor degree. The determination of applicable credit is made upon admission. DePaul University College of Law does not have an articulation agreement with any university or law school program regarding transfer admission.
Students applying for transfer admission complete a separate online application than first-year applicants. Transfer applicants are required to submit the following: transfer student application form, one letter of recommendation from a law school professor, résumé, personal statement and current law school report from LSAC. In addition, transfer applicants must submit directly to the Office of Law Admission: (1) letter of good standing indicating eligibility to return from all previously attended law schools; and (2) law school transcripts from all previously attended law schools. Class ranks are not required to evaluate an applicant's transfer application. While a transcript showing spring grades generally is required to review the application, the Admission Committee may make an exception and grant a conditional admission based upon the applicant's strong academic performance in the fall semester.
In evaluating transfer applicants, the Admission Committee will consider the applicant's undergraduate academic record, LSAT score, law school grades, personal statement, letter of recommendation and other information requested in the application.
Optional Specialized Sections of Legal Analysis
For first-year, full-time students only, the College of Law offers special sections of Legal Analysis, Research & Communication (LARC) with a focus on Child & Family Law, Intellectual Property Law (including traditional Intellectual Property, Information Technology, and Cultural Property/Art Law), and Public Interest Law.
Admission to these special sections is competitive. Students must apply for a seat in the Child & Family Law, Intellectual Property Law or Public Interest Law section of LARC at the same time they apply for JD admission. Interested students must indicate their interest by selecting the appropriate program on the application for admission.
Applicants may apply to only one section and also must electronically attach to the application a statement of no more than one page indicating the reason(s) for their interest in Child & Family Law, Intellectual Property Law, or Public Interest Law. Applicants will be informed of their acceptance into the desired section after they receive their letter of admission from the College of Law.
