Two-Year J.D. for International Lawyers

Lawyers with a first degree in law from outside the United States who are admitted to our program receive one year’s credit toward their Juris Doctor 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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  • Timeline

    September 1, 2024

    We will begin accepting applications for Fall 2025 by September 1. All applicants must apply through LSAC.org. Richmond Law does not charge an application fee.

    February 15, 2025

    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, 2025

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

    Application - J.D. applications MUST be submitted electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Please carefully complete all required sections and relevant optional sections. Failure to do so may delay the processing of your application. In order to be considered, an application must be transmitted and your application file must be complete with all supporting documentation and additional requirements. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

    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 must include transcripts from all law school institutions attended, including any LLM and professional courses taken in the U.S. or abroad.

    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.

    Letters of Recommendation - Applicants should use the Letter of Recommendation Service offered through the CAS. Two letters are required; up to four will be accepted. We would encourage at least one letter of recommendation from faculty who can address your academic and intellectual abilities, unless you completed your undergraduate work 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 may be of any length and in any appropriate format for a professional résumé or CV. It should provide chronological information about your academic background, employment experience, scholastic accomplishments, publications, and extracurricular or charitable activities.

    Personal Statement - A personal statement is required. Your personal statement should be approximately 1-3 pages 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, if you are unsure of a topic, you may consider sharing why you are 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.

    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.

    Addenda - An individual addendum must be submitted to address each specific topic regarding any legal matters, educational dismissals, 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. There is no required format. 

    TOEFL Waiver for International Applicants - International 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.

  • English Language Capabilities

    In addition to a first degree in law from outside the U.S., applicants to the two-year J.D. program must have excellent English language ability (as evidenced by a TOEFL or IELTS exam) and a strong record of academic or professional accomplishments. The preferred scores are as follows:

    • TOEFL: 100 (internet-based total); 250 (computer-based total); or 600 (paper-based total)
    • IELTS: 7

    Richmond Law may occasionally accept students with a slightly lower score where there are other indicia of the necessary language fluency.

  • Character & Fitness

    State Bar Character and Fitness - An applicant’s character and fitness to practice law must be established as a prerequisite for licensure. When you apply to sit for the bar exam, you are required to provide relevant, detailed background information that will be carefully evaluated by the bar examiners in the state in which you apply. Any information discovered during this background investigation that negatively reflects on your character and fitness to practice law may be treated as just cause for further analysis.

    As part of the process, all applicants must disclose any information regarding events both before and during law school. The State Bar’s Character and Fitness Committee will compare your answers to its questions with those provided in your law school application. Any discrepancies can result in adverse consequences, so the information you provide on your law school application must be accurate and complete.  Should the committee find that your responses on the law school application are inconsistent with those provided on the bar exam application, the Board of Bar Examiners will likely initiate a more intensive review of your file. Should this review occur, you may be subject to sanctions, including revocation of law school admission and/or a delay in certification of fitness.

  • Scholarships & Loans

    Merit Scholarships
    The University of Richmond School of Law offers scholarship assistance. All applicants for admission are considered for these scholarships; no separate application form is required.

    Educational Loans
    Permanent Residents and U.S. Citizens applying for federal loans must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available for submission online starting October 1, 2022, and we would encourage you to submit the required documents no later than February 25 or as soon as possible therafter.  You can submit your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov; the University of Richmond School of Law FAFSA code is 003744.  

  • Policy Prohibiting Discrimination

    The University of Richmond prohibits discrimination and harassment against applicants, students, faculty or staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, military or veteran status or any classification protected by local, state, or federal law.

    As a recipient of federal funds, the University complies with federal laws prohibiting discrimination, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). Title IX provides that: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

    Admissions applications will be reviewed holistically. You are assured both by school policy and by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act that the information will be confidential and accessible only to school officials, government agencies 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, ethnicity, 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

    Once an application has been marked complete, candidates can expect a timely decision, usually within six to eight weeks. On occasion, some applications may be held for future review.

    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 has not determined whether its programs meet other states’ educational or professional licensure and certification requirements. Students planning to pursue licensure or certification in other states are responsible for determining whether the completion of the University of Richmond School of Law programs will meet their state’s requirements for licensure or certification. This disclosure is made pursuant 34 CFR §668.43(a)(5)(v).  

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