Lewis & Clark Law School affirmatively seeks a diverse academic community of students who have demonstrated significant professional promise and the capacity for excellence in law school. The school selectively admits candidates who have the desired intellectual talent, motivation, and high ethical character, from a rich variety of academic and professional disciplines.
Candidates for admission to the J.D. program must hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university. No specific program of prelaw study is required. Candidates must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and must participate in the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS).
In addition to test scores and the LSDAS report, the application for admission to the J.D. program at Lewis & Clark Law School includes official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate study, two letters of recommendation, a personal essay, a resume, and a $50 application fee.
The Admissions Office welcomes appointments or phone calls concerning your application. The office is open from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. every weekday. Weekend and evening appointments can be arranged.
Your admission file is created only after the law school receives your completed application form and fee. You should submit your application for admission as soon as possible. January and February are the prime months to have your application considered. The priority deadline for consideration of applications is March 1. Later applications from well-qualified candidates will be considered on a space-available basis.
The Admissions Office will confirm receipt of your application for admission. We will keep you informed throughout the process and will notify you of the final decision on your application. Once the Admissions Committee begins meeting in January, all J.D. applications are reviewed as soon as they are completed. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, so the sooner your application is received and completed, the sooner you can be considered by the committee.
November 1
Applications begin to be submitted
Late January
Application review begins
February 1
International application priority
March 1
Financial aid priority deadline
March 1
Application priority deadline
The Admissions Office checks for incomplete files monthly. However, due to the rolling admission process, many decisions may already be made before you are notified of incomplete status, leaving fewer spaces available by the time your file is complete and reviewed by the committee. Therefore, it is to your advantage to make sure your application is complete.
If you have any questions as to whether the file is complete, call the admissions office at 800-303-4860.
If you are offered admission and choose to accept, you must submit a partially refundable $200 tuition deposit by the deadline stated in your admission letter, but not before April 1, to hold your place in the class. A second non-refundable deposit of $300 is required from all admitted students on June 15.
If you plan to apply for financial aid, you should do so at the same time you apply for admission. Although no financial aid award will be made until after you are admitted, do not wait until you are admitted before beginning your application for financial aid.
Scholarships are awarded by the law school scholarship committee. If you are awarded a scholarship, it will be announced in your offer of admission. Students are considered on the basis of extremely strong potential for success in law school. An additional statement as described in these instructions can be helpful to the committee in making scholarship decisions.
If you have requested financial aid information, the law school will mail it to you as soon as the forms are available (usually in December). To make sure everyone gets the information, we also mail a packet to each person who applies to the law school.
Be sure to file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the federal processor as early as possible. Financial aid is awarded on a rolling basis. It is to your strong advantage to apply for admission and for financial aid in January.
Your FAFSA can now be completed via the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. We recommend that you use the Web since it is the fastest method with the least chance of error. Our Title IV school code is 003197.
Loan amounts are determined by the Office of Student Financial Services using the information you provide in the FAFSA form.
For the 2002-03 academic year, costs for tuition and fees totaled $23,196 for the Day Division. Evening Division costs totaled $17,400. Students should also anticipate a budget of $8,000 to $11,000 for living expenses during the academic year. All applicants will be notified as soon as tuition for the 2004-05 academic year is set (usually in the preceding spring).
Complete and electronically submit the online application for admission.
Prepare the essay and any additional statements you wish to submit.
Prepare a resume
Print a copy of your application and any supporting documents to keep for yourself.
Electronically submit the nonrefundable $50 application fee when you submit your application.
Register with LSDAS and send them transcripts and letters of recommendation
LSAT and LSDAS Report
You must participate in the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS), Post Office Box 2000, Newtown, PA 18940. We must have your LSAT score and LSDAS report before we can consider you for admission. Send transcripts directly to LSDAS from each college or university attended.
Letters of Recommendation
You are responsible for submitting two letters of recommendation. (Additional letters are not encouraged.) These letters will help the Admissions Committee evaluate your academic competence and your ethical character, determine your ability to relate to people and society, and assess your professional promise as a lawyer. Letters should be written by people who are well acquainted with you. Recommendations from prominent individuals who have little personal knowledge of you do not impress the Admissions Committee. We prefer that students use the LSDAS recommendation letter service. Videotapes and cassettes are not accepted.
Personal Essay
You are required to submit one essay to be considered for admission. Please tell us what about your background, abilities, interests, and experiences makes you a good candidate for law school at Lewis & Clark. Explaining why you are applying to Lewis & Clark is also helpful. There is no word limit; the essay may be as long or short as you wish. The Admissions Committee will read the statement for style, grammar, and content. In addition to the required essay, you may submit an optional statement if you believe there are special factors the committee should consider in evaluating your application. Such a statement might describe your family, social, ethnic, or economic background. If you believe your LSAT test score or your undergraduate grades do not accurately indicate your potential for law school, you may, at your option, submit a separate explanation.
Scholarship
If you wish to be considered for a scholarship, please indicate so in the merit-based scholarship section of this application form. Scholarships are available for a large portion of each entering class and are granted primarily on the basis of merit. In awarding these scholarships, we take into consideration statistical indicators, writing ability, and other evidence of extraordinary potential for success in law school. Submitting a short (no more than one page) statement with this application regarding your particular qualifications will help the scholarship committee in considering your request. If we determine that you are eligible based on merit, we may take financial need into consideration to the extent that we are informed of it.
Transcripts
Mail transcripts to LSDAS. If you are admitted and decide to enroll here, you will need to have official copies of your undergraduate transcripts submitted directly to the law school before you begin classes. An "official" transcript is one that has the official seal of the school and that is sent directly from the issuing school to our registrar or Admissions Office. If you have ever attended another law school, however briefly, you must provide a letter of good standing from the law school attended or an explanation of dismissal.
International applicants must follow the same application procedures as stated in the instructions with the following exceptions:
All application materials must be submitted to the Admissions Office no later than February 1.
The $50 application fee is waived for international applicants. Use the "Apply For Fee Waiver" option on the payment screen.
Applicants whose university schooling took place outside of the United States should subscribe to the "LSAT only" service (not LSDAS) via LSAC. Transcripts and letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the Admissions Office. Transcripts from foreign schools must be officially evaluated and translated into English. Please contact the admissions office if you need a list of evaluating services.
International applicants do not qualify for U.S. federal financial aid; therefore, you do not need to file the FAFSA form. International applicants will be considered for scholarships.
Those who seek advanced standing or transfer admission must attend or have previously attended another law school fully approved by the American Bar Association and belonging to the Association of American Law Schools. Candidates must be in good standing and eligible to continue legal studies at their previous law school.
Advanced standing candidates are considered separately and may mail or deliver their application to the law school registrar on or before July 15.
In addition to mailing official undergraduate and advanced transcripts, submit official transcripts of all previous legal education to the law school. Candidates for advanced standing must also submit a letter from the dean or registrar of the present or former law school certifying good standing and eligibility to continue legal studies. Candidates are not required to submit an essay or statement of extracurricular activities; however, we would appreciate a short statement as to the reasons you wish to transfer or visit.
Candidates for transfer or visiting status should direct inquiries and correspondence to:
Please visit Lewis & Clark's Web site to learn more about our programs, students, faculty, and much more: law.lclark.edu.
Lewis & Clark Law School adheres to a nondiscriminatory policy with respect to employment, enrollment and program. The law school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or marital status and has a firm commitment to promote the letter and spirit of all equal opportunity and civil rights laws.
Law School Admissions
