Juris Doctor for International Lawyers Application

Lawyers with a first degree in law from outside the United States who are admitted to Richmond Law's program receive one year’s credit toward their Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. This enables them to graduate in two years but still to receive the same J.D. degree that our three-year students receive.

Two-year students are fully integrated into the J.D. program. They take the regular first-year curriculum required of all J.D. students and in the second year select from an extensive array of elective courses and seminars.

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Before You Begin

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  • Eligibility

    Lawyers with a first degree in law from outside the United States are eligible to apply for the Two-Year JD for International Lawyers. Early applications are recommended in order to ensure ample time for necessary documentation processing and must be completed by March 1 for admission consideration.

    In addition to an international law degree, applicants to the Two-Year JD program must have excellent English language ability (as evidenced by a TOEFL or IELTS exam) and a strong academic or professional accomplishment record. Applicants are not required to take the LSAT; however, if you have taken (or are registered to take) the LSAT, these scores will be considered as part of your application file. The Admissions Committee will also take GRE scores into consideration for admission, though priority will be given to LSAT scores.

  • Dates & Deadlines

    August 15 - Richmond Law Application is Live

    Candidates may begin working on their Richmond Law application through LSAC. Application submission will be available on September 1.

     

    September 1 - Application Submission Start Date

    Applications will begin to be accepted through LSAC and will continue through March. As soon as possible after the September 1 submission date, the Admissions Office will begin review of applications. 

     

    October 1 - FAFSA Available

    Permanent residents and US Citizens may apply for federal loans through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid - it is recommended to check this website for changes to availability dates. We recommend submitting this application as soon as possible so that the University of Richmond Financial Aid Office can process your loan information and provide results quickly in the spring semester. Our FAFSA code is 003744.

     

    November 1-7 - Admissions Decisions 

    By the first week of November, admissions decisions will be begin to be communicated on a rolling basis. Candidates should refer to their Application Status Checker for the most updated status of the application throughout the cycle.

     

    March 1 - Priority Application Submission Deadline

    Applications submitted and completed by March 1 will be fully considered for admission and scholarships. Applications submitted and completed after March 1 will be considered on a space and scholarship available basis. Applications submitted and completed after April 1 may not be considered for admission and scholarships.

  • Scholarships & Loans

    Merit Scholarships

    All applicants are considered for merit scholarships during the admission process; no separate application form is required. Awards are based upon a holistic assessment of merit that includes standardized test scores, academic achievement, and overall aptitude for the study of law. All merit scholarships are non-conditional and automatically applied at the start of each academic semester. Richmond Law does not fully fund fellowships or research assistant positions for the Juris Doctor program; therefore financial planning is essential for international students. 

     

    Need-Based Scholarships

    Eligible candidates will be contacted by the Admissions Office to apply for need-based scholarship consideration. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a required component of this process, and candiates eligible to submit the FAFSA are encouraged to submit this application as soon as possible after October 1. 

     

    Federal Loans for US Citizen & Permanent Residents

    Qualified students applying for federal loans must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after the application opens on October 1. We encourage applicants to submit the required documents no later than February 15 or as soon as possible thereafter. 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. More information, including new requirements for federal loan consideration for professional programs, can be found on the Financial Aid Office website. Financial Aid counselors can be contacted at finaid@richmond.edu or (804) 289-8438.

     

    Alternative Funding Sources

    The University of Richmond encourages international students to thoroughly plan the entirety of their education in the United States prior to enrolling - and that includes funding. The University does not endorse or recommend any specific loan program or product, but does encourage students to research options fully, especially if a cosigner is required. NAFSA, the Association for International Educators, has several resources for planning your international education and identifying sources of funding. Richmond Law does not fully fund fellowships or research assistant positions for the Juris Doctor program; therefore financial planning is essential for international students. 

Application Checklist

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  • Application Components

    Electronic Application (EApp)

    The Two-Year JD for International Lawyers application must be submitted electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). The EApp consists of the application questions as well as the required and optional written material provided by the applicant. Richmond Law does not charge an application fee and therefore an application fee waiver is not required. 

     

    Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report

    CAS registration is required through LSAC. The CAS Report contains transcripts, letters of recommendation, LSAT scores, and the LSAT Writing Sample. Note that transcripts from ALL undergraduate, graduate, or technical schools (as a matriculated or non-matriculated student) must be submitted to CAS, whether or not a degree was earned. This includes any dual credits earned in high school, college-level summer school, all transfer credits, etc. 

  • Required Materials

    Letters of Recommendation

    Two (2) letters of recommendation are required; up to three (3) will be accepted. We encourage at least one (1) letter of recommendation 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. Applicants should use the Letter of Recommendation Service offered through their CAS registration. The submission of your application constitutes your waiver of any and all rights to review letters of recommendation retained by the law school.

     

    Résumé

    The résumé should be formatted appropriately and need not be limited to a single page. It should provide chronological information about your academic background, employment experience, scholastic accomplishments, publications, leadership and service experience, and extracurricular or charitable activities.

     

    Personal Statement

    The personal statement must not exceed a maximum of three (3) typed pages, double-spaced. A strong personal statement will discuss why the applicant is interested in pursuing a legal career 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). All written submissions should include headers or titles identifying each separate item.

     

    Character & Fitness 

    If an applicant answers "yes" to any Character & Fitness question, an individual addendum must be submitted to address each specific topic regarding any criminal charges, academic dismissals or code of conduct violations, or disclosures within your application.

     

    Approved Standardized Tests

    Two-Year JD applicants are not required to submit an LSAT for admissions consideration. However, if you have taken (or are registered to take) the LSAT, these scores will be considered as part of your application file. The Admissions Committee will also take GRE scores into consideration for admission, though priority will be given to LSAT scores.

     

    English Language Fluency 

    Applicants are expected to demonstrate fluency in the English language. Candidates with a native language other than English may be required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Exam. If necessary, all scores must be submitted through LSAC; paper copies of scores are not accepted. International applicants who have demonstrated their English fluency in their LSAT exam or completion of a degree at an institution where the primary language of instruction is English may receive a waiver of the English language testing requirement. If requested, applicants must submit a written statement indicating their level of proficiency and how they achieved it.

  • Optional Materials

    Optional Supplemental Statement 

    We encourage applicants to submit an optional statement discussing how the significant life experiences, challenges, perspectives or backgrounds that have shaped you as a person have influenced your alignment with the mission and values of Richmond Law. This statement is not required, and no applicant will be penalized for choosing not to submit one. All written submissions should include headers or titles identifying each separate item.

     

    Optional Addenda 

    Additional written material may be useful to discuss grade inconsistencies, gaps in work history, or to provide context for the Admissions Committee on any other topic relevant to the holistic review of the application. Addenda should be long enough to fully disclose and explain each topic. All written submissions should include headers or titles identifying each separate item.

  • Use of Artificial Intelligence

    Richmond Law expects that application materials, including all written submissions, are substantially your own original work. While we do not prohibit the use of AI in all aspects of the preparation of your application, you should pay special attention to the accepted and prohibited uses of AI tools described below. If you use AI tools to complete your Richmond Law application materials, you must disclosing the tools used and the way you used them.

    For the purpose of this application, AI tools include but are not limited to: natural language processing algorithms, machine learning algorithms, large language models, and generative AI. This includes services like Grammarly, ChatGPT, Claude, Co-Pilot, and others.

    Not Permitted

    • Using generative AI to draft your personal statement, addenda, short answers, or other written components of the application in lieu of your own original work.
    • Using AI to substantially re-write your work.

    Permitted

    • Using AI tools to develop and select a theme for your personal statement;
    • Using AI tools to check spelling, grammar, and word choice, including in your personal statement or other narrative submissions and short answer questions; and
    • Editing your original writing with AI tools to assist with length or clarity, while preserving your ideas, structure, and substantial content.

University Policies & Disclosures

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  • 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.

     

    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).