J.D. Admissions: Transfer & Visiting Students

Electronic Application (EApp)

The JD 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, law, 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. 

Either the official law transcript or the Letter of Good Standing must indicate your class rank or the reason that no rank is provided. 

Academic Course Descriptions 

Transfer students must submit descriptions of the law courses they have completed (or will complete) in order to assist the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in determining which credits can transfer to Richmond Law. Course descriptions should be taken from an applicant’s school’s course catalog and compiled into a single document. Please do not include syllabi.

Course descriptions are not required for visiting applicants. 

Letter of Good Standing

A letter of good standing is required to be submitted by the appropriate Dean or Registrar of the law school an applicant is currently attending and may be sent directly to the Admissions Office. This letter must provide proof of good standing and eligibility to continue studies at the institution of origin. Either the Letter of Good Standing or transcripts must indicate class rank or the reason that no rank is provided. 

Visiting applicants must also provide acknolwedgement of the home institution’s willingness to accept the transferring credits received at Richmond Law. 

Approved Standardized Tests

Richmond Law accepts the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) or Graduate Examination Record (GRE) for admissions consideration. Applicants who were admitted to law school with a GRE score in lieu of the LSAT must submit both their GRE score(s) and an explanation of why they took the GRE in place of the LSAT> Both total and individual scores must be reported. No alternative standardized exams are accepted. 

An LSAT addendum must be included to discuss score discrepancies of more than eight (8) points, or optionally if there is context that you feel should be shared with the Admissions Committee related to your LSAT preparation or performance. 

Letters of Recommendation

One (1) letters of recommendation is required; up to three (3) will be accepted. We encourage at least one (1) letter of recommendation from a faculty member at your current law school 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 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. 

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.

Addendum

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. 

Federal Loans

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.

Private Loans

The University of Richmond encourages students to thoroughly research private loan options, and does not recommend or endorse any private loan lender. There are many different private loan lenders and products available. ELMSelect is a resource that provides a historical list with information about private lenders used by University of Richmond students and families over the past two academic years. To find lenders Richmond students have used in the past two years that do not participate in ELMSelect, visit the ELMSelect website, click "University of Richmond" on the page header, and view "Helpful Links" in the drop-down menu. 

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.

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).