J.D. Admissions

Our J.D. degree is a full-time program that combines sophisticated legal theory with numerous opportunities to put theory into practice.

Because of the limited number of seats, we base our decisions on a careful and holistic evaluation of each individual's promise of success at Richmond Law and fitness to become a member of the legal profession.

Learn more about our process below.

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  • Timeline

    September 1, 2025

    We will begin accepting applications for Fall 2026 by September 1. All applicants must apply through LSAC.org. Richmond Law does not charge an application fee.

    December 1, 2025 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

    Begin to fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible after December 1. Our FAFSA code is 003744.

    December 1, 2025

    Early Decision Applications must be received and completed by December 1, 2025. Early Decision admissions are binding.  Additional information on the terms and requirements for this program can be found below.  Applications not complete by this date will be moved to the regular decision process.

    February 15, 2026

    The priority deadline for scholarship consideration is February 15. We will continue to award scholarships after that date as long as funds remain, but there may be a delay.

    March 1, 2026

    Priority consideration for admission. We will continue to accept applications thereafter until the class is filled.

  • Requirements

    Application Form
    J.D. applications MUST be submitted through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). In order to be considered, an application must be transmitted and your application file must be complete with all required sections, supporting documentation, and additional requirements. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible, and may apply prior to receiving a reportable LSAT or GRE score. Richmond Law does not charge an application fee. 

    Transcripts
    Registration with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is required. After you register for the CAS, you must request transcripts from ALL undergraduate, graduate, or technical schools you have attended (as a matriculated or non-matriculated student), whether or not a degree was earned. This includes any dual credits earned in high school, college-level summer school, all transfer credits, etc. Applicants are advised to wait until they have completed at least six (6) semesters of undergraduate work before requesting transcripts.

    Please note that the J.D. program requires that, at minimum, a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent has been earned prior to the start of your J.D. coursework. No later than October 15 of the year of matriculation, you must ensure that the Law School has received your official transcripts verifying all previous academic credits undertaken and degree(s) conferred.  If the Law School does not have your transcript(s), you will not be permitted to enroll in subsequent semesters until the official transcripts have been received.

    LSAT
    Students must register and take the exam through LSAC. While applications can be submitted prior to receiving LSAT scores, they will not be evaluated until an LSAT score is on file. Scores older than five (5) years from the anticipated year of matriculation will not be considered. All reportable LSAT scores will be automatically included in your CAS report. Please see the GRE Policy below for more information about submitting a GRE in lieu of an LSAT score. 

     

    Letters of Recommendation
    Applicants should use the Letter of Recommendation Service offered through CAS. Two (2) letters are required; up to four (4) will be accepted. We encourage at least one (1) letter of recommendation come from a faculty member who can address your academic and intellectual abilities, unless you completed your undergraduate work two (2) years prior to your application. Professional recommendations are also acceptable. Note: Letters of recommendation are held in confidence. The submission of your application constitutes your waiver of any and all rights to review letters of recommendation retained by this law school. Letters are used for law admissions purposes only.

    Résumé
    Your résumé is not limited to a single page, and should be formatted appropriately for a professional résumé or CV. It should provide chronological information about your academic background, employment experiences, scholastic accomplishments, publications, extracurricular or charitable activities.

    Personal Statement
    Your personal statement should be a maximum of three (3) pages, double-spaced, written in your own words on a topic of your choice that will provide additional insight into your experiences, qualifications, and interests. While there is no required topic, a strong personal statement will discuss why the applicant is interested in pursuing a law degree or what your anticipated career goals & interests are at this time. We encourage you to provide information about yourself not otherwise found in your application and distinct from any other written statements or addenda to be submitted as part of this application (see below). Please note that everything in your personal statement must be entirely your own original work and may not be produced in any part with ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence or large language model system. All written submissions should include headers or titles identifying each seperate item. 

    Optional Supplemental Statement 
    Recognizing that applicants may have more to share beyond their required personal statement and other contents of their application file, we offer this option to submit a supplemental statement. This statement is not required and no applicant will be penalized for choosing not to submit one.

    Richmond Law believes that a legal education is more than just learning the law. Diverse life experiences, viewpoints, and values inside and outside of the classroom will enhance discussions, challenge students in their own perspective, and ultimately prepare them better for their legal career. Please consider sharing significant life experiences, challenges, perspectives, or identities that have shaped you as a person and may influence your contributions to our community and the legal profession.

    Note that any written submissions must be entirely your own original work and may not be produced in any part with ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence or large language model system. If you choose to submit a supplemental statement, please include it in the appropriate "Attachments" section. All written submissions should include headers or titles identifying each seperate item.

    Addendum
    An addendum must be submitted to address any criminal charges, academic dismissals or code of conduct violations, or character and fitness disclosures within your application. Brief optional addenda may also be useful to explain LSAT score discrepancies, grade inconsistencies, gaps in work history, or to provide context for reviewers on any other topic you feel is relevant to their decision. Addenda should be long enough to fully disclose and explain each topic. All written submissions should include headers or titles identifying each seperate item.

     

    TOEFL Waiver for International Applicants
    International applicants are expected to demonstrate fluency in the English language. Candidates for whom their native language is not English are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. All scores must be submitted through LSAC; paper copies of scores are not accepted.

    International applicants who believe they are fluent in English or have completed their undergraduate (or other advanced degrees) at an institution where the primary language of instruction is English may request a waiver of the English language testing requirement. Applicants must submit a written statement indicating their level of proficiency and how they achieved it, i.e. either through school instruction or work experience in an English-speaking professional job.

  • GRE Policy

    GRE in lieu of LSAT Policy:

    The University of Richmond School of Law will accept the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) under the following conditions:

    I) GRE scores are considered only when an applicant does not have a reportable LSAT score.

    1. An applicant must request an official GRE score report be submitted to the University of Richmond School of law from ETS.

    2. If an applicant has a reportable LSAT score on file at any time during the admissions process, the GRE score will not be considered as part of the process.

    3. If an applicant has been admitted with a GRE score, receipt of a subsequent LSAT score will result in a reevaluation of the applicant’s file, and the Admissions Committee may reconsider the admissions decision and/or any scholarship award offered.

    II) Applicants must submit all GRE scores from the past five (5) years. Both total and individual section scores are required. The Admissions Committee will evaluate scores from all sections of the GRE. Scores older than five (5) years from the anticipated year of matriculation will not be considered.

    III) Applicants are encouraged to take the LSAT, unless there is a specific reason to prefer the GRE. The GRE may be considered and weighted differently than the LSAT for purposes of admission and scholarship allocation. Applicants who choose to apply with only a GRE must submit a brief explanation of their decision to do so.

  • Early Decision Binding

    The early decision application is a binding application for individuals who know Richmond Law is their primary choice.  An early decision applicant may apply for admission to other law schools on a non-binding basis, but once admitted to the University of Richmond School of Law as an early decision applicant, the applicant must withdraw all other law school applications and may not initiate any new applications for admission.  

    Early Decision Applications must be received and completed by December 1. Applications not complete by this date will be moved to the regular decision process.  To apply, simply answer "yes" to Early Decision Binding on the J.D. application.

  • Character & Fitness

    An applicant’s character and fitness to practice law must be established as a prerequisite for licensure. In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Bar Examiners may ask for more detail or additional questions beyond those listed on this application. Any information are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction directly. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners. 

    As part of the process, an applicants must disclose any information regarding events both before and during law school. It is important that this information be accurate and complete. The Bar’s Character and Fitness Committee will compare your answers to its questions with those provided in your law school application. Inconsistencies between your law school application and your application to the Bar may cause difficulty and/or delay with bar admission. Failure to make a coplete disclosure when answering the character and fitness questions may also subject a student to disciplinary sanctions, including revocation of law school admission. 

  • Scholarships & Loans

    Merit Scholarships
    The University of Richmond School of Law offers generous scholarship assistance. All applicants for admission are considered for these scholarships; no separate application form is required. Awards are based upon a holistic assessment of merit that includes LSAT or GRE scores, undergraduate academic achievement, and overall aptitude for the study of law. For further information on merit scholarships, contact the Law School Admissions Office at (804) 289-8189. For additional information on loans, check our Financial Aid Office website contact them at finaid@richmond.edu or (804) 289-8438.

    Educational Loans
    Students applying for federal loans must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available for submission online in October, and we encourage applicants to submit the required documents no later than February 25 or as soon as possible thereafter. You can submit your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov; the University of Richmond School of Law FAFSA code is 003744. Please note that parental information is not required of considered on the FAFSA for law students. 

  • Policy Prohibiting Discrimination

    The University of Richmond’s Policy Prohibiting Discrimination is designed to foster adherence to the University of Richmond’s commitment to non-discrimination and to ensure compliance with applicable laws. This policy serves as the University’s notice of nondiscrimination for purposes of compliance with Title VI and Title IX and fulfills the University’s obligations under IRS Revenue Procedure 75-50 (as amended by Revenue Procedure 2019-22). The complete policy can be found at https://policy.richmond.edu/documents/policy-pdfs/Public/Governance/policy_prohibiting_discrimination.pdf

    Admissions applications will be reviewed holistically. You are assured both by school policy and by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that the information will be confidential and accessible only to school officials and others with a legitimate educational interest in this information.

  • Admissions Policy

    Richmond Law seeks to admit highly qualified applicants who have demonstrated the potential to complete not only a rigorous course of legal study but also possess the promise of contributions to the law school, the legal profession, and the broader community. Using a holistic review process, the Admissions Committee seeks to admit a student body of wide-ranging backgrounds, education, and experience.  In so doing, the Committee seeks to bring a variety of skills and perspectives to the classroom and campus community.

    In determining an applicant’s suitability for the program, the Admissions Committee reviews academic factors such as the candidate’s GPA, transcripts, undergraduate institution, and the quality of the applicant’s prior academic experience. Emphasis is also placed on the applicant’s capacity for law school study, as reflected through appropriate evaluative mechanisms, including but not limited to standardized tests and writing samples.  In addition, the Committee recognizes that other factors such as location, leadership qualities, challenges overcome, and work experience can contribute to an applicant’s likelihood for success in law school.  The Committee further acknowledges that such factors can affect the applicant’s ability to constructively impact the legal profession as well as the society at large.

    Character and Fitness

    Applicants to Richmond Law are required to complete all questions in the Character and Fitness section.  Applicants have a continuing obligation to update their responses to these questions if the answers change, even after their application is complete. 

    Admission Decisions

    The admissions committee does its best to make final decisions in a timely manner. The length of time needed to fully review an application and provide a decision varies greatly based on when a completed application was submitted and the complexity of the information provided. We highly recommend submission as early as possible in the fall semester; applications are read in order of submission. 

    Offers of Admission & Deferral

    Offers of Admission are good for the year in which the offer is made. An applicant who chooses not to enroll for the year in which the admission offer is made may reapply the following year by completing an updated application. Admission in one year does not, however, guarantee admission in subsequent years, and applicants are considered holistically each year.

    Applicants may request a deferral of enrollment by emailing the Associate Dean of Admissions. Deferrals are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and applicants must provide a statement explaining their reasons for requesting a deferral. Deferments may be granted for up to two years for military service, or other recognized paid service work such as Teach for America, Peace Corps, etc.

    Applicants who are not granted deferral may reapply for admission in subsequent year(s) and will be considered with the applicant pool for that year.

  • GDPR Statement
    In compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the University of Richmond has a legitimate interest in collecting information needed to evaluate an applicant’s personal, educational, and work background in order to make admissions decisions and otherwise process such applications. The University of Richmond General Data Protection Privacy Notice can be found at https://policy.richmond.edu/documents/policy-pdfs/Public/Information-Services/general_data_privacy_regulation_notice.pdf.
  • Licensure & Certification Disclosures

    The University of Richmond School of Law programs for professions that require licensure or certification are intended to prepare the student for Virginia licensure and certification requirements. Admission into any programs for professions that require licensure and certification does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or certificate. Licensure and certification requirements are set by agencies, not controlled by or affiliated with the University of Richmond School of Law, and licensure and certification requirements can change at any time.

    The University of Richmond School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).  As such, the University of Richmond School of Law has determined that its JD program meets the legal education requirements for eligibility to sit for the bar in every U. S. jurisdiction.  In addition to legal education requirements, there are also character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission in every U.S. jurisdiction.  This disclosure is made pursuant 34 CFR §668.43(a)(5)(v).

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