Applicant's Admission Checklist
The Application:
Fill out and submit the online application form via Law School Admission Council. (Note: if you experience browser compatability difficulties reaching the online form, access the form by way of the LSAC home page.)
For priority consideration for scholarships and grants, your application should be received by February 15th. We will continue to accept applications until the class is filled but strongly recommend you apply prior to March 15. The undergraduate GPA and LSAT are two important items considered by the admissions committee, although the committee is also interested in extracurricular and community-service activities and employment experience
The Application Fee:
An application processing fee of thirty-five ($35.00) Dollars (U.S.) must accompany each application. Check or money order should be made payable to University of Richmond. Do not send cash. Your name should appear on the check or money order. This fee is not refundable and may not be applied to any other University fee. The University will waive the application fee when certification can be made that the payment of this fee will prevent a student from applying. This certification must be made by the Financial Aid Officer of the institution which the student is currently attending, setting forth the circumstances necessitating the waiver and recommending that the fee be waived.
Dean's Certification Form:
The Law School certifies the character, fitness and other qualifications for admissions to the bar. To determine what those requirements are in the state(s) in which you may wish to practice you should contact that state’s Board of Bar Examiners.
The Dean’s Certification, and your statements in the application, provide the law school with character, fitness and other qualifications for admission to the Bar prior to your matriculation. Material omissions in your application could significantly hinder subsequent admission to a state bar.
Print out and give the Dean's Certification Form to the appropriate administrative officer, asking the official to complete it as required and return it to the Law School at the address listed above. The form must be on file as soon after March 30th as possible. If you have more than one undergraduate institution, please photocopy the form and have it filled out by the appropriate official at each school.
Letters of Recommendation:
While the Law School does not require specific letters of recommendation, students may submit such letters as a part of their application, if they so choose. No more than two letters may be submitted by any student. These letters should be sent to the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), where they will be copied and sent to law schools. If your college maintains a central placement office where such letters of recommendation and other items are available, you may substitute that document for letters of recommendation. The envelope flap should be countersigned by an authorized person in that office.
Narrative Statement:
A short narrative statement (preferred maximum of 500 words) is required as part of the application process. We encourage you to provide information about yourself not otherwise found in your application. For example, you may wish to highlight your background, personal or cultural factors, achievements, obstacles overcome, goals, or experiences that you believe would contribute to the diversity of the law school community.
If you have a disability which you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee, or would like to include an addendum to address diversity factors or specific concerns to aid us in better understanding your file, please feel free to use a separate statement for that purpose. We welcome any additional information which will help in our decision-making process
LSAT (Law School Admission Test):
We encourage you to take the LSAT no later than December of the year before you plan to enter law school, however we will accept the February test score. You can sign up for the LSAT on the Law School Admissions Council's website.
LSDAS (Law School Data Assembly Service):
An LSDAS Transcript Request (from LSDAS Information Book) must be sent to each school attended (regardless of when you attended the school, how long you were a student there, or how many courses you took). Request your transcripts be sent to the Service in a timely fashion. Once all the required information has been gathered by LSDAS, you must request a report be sent to the law school (Law School Code 5808).