IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT ALL J.D. APPLICANTS SHOULD READ
Responsibilities for the Admitted Student
Transfer and Visiting Students from Other Law Schools
It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure that all items required for a completed application form are on file with the Office of Admission and Financial Assistance. Applications are accepted after October 1 for classes that begin the following fall semester. The recommended deadline for filing an application is January 15. Applicants must apply to either the full-time, part-time day or part-time evening division. Due to the volume of applications, formal interviews cannot be granted.
Any misrepresentation or material omission of any information requested by the application may result in denial of admission to this or any law school and referral to the Law School Admission Council. Further, answers to questions on the application must conform to questions asked by the state bar association, particularly in regard to character and fitness. Discrepancies discovered after admission may result in dismissal and may adversely affect the ability to practice law.
Applications are not reviewed until all required materials have been submitted. All applications must be completed before April 30, but, it is recommended to complete your file prior to this date. It is the discretion of the Faculty Committee on Admission not to review any application submitted after the deadline.
Admission Criteria
The Faculty Committee on Admission evaluates all of the following in reaching admission decisions: the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score; the undergraduate record; graduate work, if available; and the applicant's characteristics as profiled in the letters of recommendation and the applicant's personal statement. Please go to http://www.luc.edu/law/admission/jd/entering_class_stats.html for the most recent statistics for the LSAT and GPA.
Early Notification
Candidates may elect to submit all necessary materials for their application files by January 15. If all items are received by this date, an admission decision will be mailed by February 15. The deadline for acceptance of the offer by the candidates is the same as for those who elect not to participate in the early notification program. This program is of particular relevance to applicants applying for specialized scholarships. Please note, this decision is not binding.
Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required and should be submitted on the writer's letterhead. Letters should be submitted directly to the LSDAS. Recommendations should be written by faculty and/or teaching assistants from undergraduate or graduate institutions who can assess academic capabilities.
Applicants who have been away from a formal educational setting for more than three years may submit letters from employers or other qualified individuals in lieu of academic recommendations.
Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS)
Because the receipt and processing of the LSDAS report requires approximately four weeks, the School of Law recommends that applicants take the LSAT in June, October or December, but no later than February of the year prior to the date of admission.
LSAT test scores that antedate the year of application by no more than three years will be considered valid for processing purposes, provided that an LSDAS report has been forwarded to the School of Law. In the event that the LSAT is taken twice, individual scores are used for evaluation. The committee will have access to the average, as they review the entire file.
Responsibilities of the Admitted Student
Each admitted student is required to submit, prior to registration, official transcript(s) of his/her baccalaureate degree and any graduate degrees. Final admission is contingent upon a determination that there has not been a significant change in the quality of the applicant's pre-legal record. By May 1 preceding the academic year for which the acceptance is effective, the applicant must furnish a $250 nonrefundable tuition deposit to confirm their acceptance. On June 1, a second nonrefundable $250 tuition deposit and on July 1, a third, and final deposit of $500 are required. No part of financial assistance awards may be applied to the tuition deposit. No portion of these tuition deposits can be refunded. Failure to submit any deposit in a timely fashion may result in the withdrawal of the offer of admission.
Applicants who received their educational degrees outside the United States or Canada must have their academic credentials evaluated, course-by-course, to determine if the applicant has the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree. The results of a course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts either by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)www.ece.org or World Education Services (WES) www.wes.org. Applicants must hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree.
International applicants may be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Inquiries on the above requirements should be directed to the Office of Admission and Financial Assistance. Disclosure of citizenship is required, as is immigration status at the time of application. Admitted applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are required to contact the university's International Students Office to ascertain the required documents to be submitted
The lowest score Loyola University Chicago School of Law will accept on the TOEFL is 650, if the test is taken in the paper form; 280, if it is taken on a computer; and, 114, if it is taken in the iBT version.
Transfer or Visiting from Other Law Schools
Students who have attended a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association or is a member of the Association of American Law Schools may be admitted upon proof of such prior study in law and upon such adjustment of credits and subject matter as may, in the opinion of the dean, be required. Students are normally not admitted as transfers unless their admission credentials would have initially enabled them to be accepted at Loyola, and, unless they have maintained an excellent GPA average in law school. Typically, the committee will only consider applicants in the top 25% of their class. Transfer students receive no more than 24 hours of credit toward graduation and are required to complete their remaining credit hours at Loyola. Further information on requirements is available at the above web page.
Students may elect to spend one semester or one year visiting Loyola University Chicago. Participation as a visiting student can occur only after the completion of 30 hours of credit.
Admission to the Bar
http://www.state.il.us/court/SupremeCourt/Rules/Art_VII/default.asp
Each state has its own requirements for admission to the bar. The requirements for admission to the bar in Illinois are specified in Rules 701-708 of the Supreme Court of Illinois. Under these rules, proof of school studies is made by a certificate issued by the School of Law. In addition, an affidavit of good character and fitness for the practice of law is required from the dean of the law school for each candidate. The prescribed pre-legal education must have been undertaken at a college or university in the United States approved by the State Board of Law Examiners. Applicants who cannot comply with this requirement must seek a waiver directly from the board.
Students should be aware that a growing number of jurisdictions (including Illinois) permit registration for the bar during the first year of legal studies. Some states require students to file certain registration statements and certificates of pre-legal study or take preliminary examinations. An applicant for admission to the School of Law who intends to practice in a state other than Illinois should, before beginning the study of law, obtain from the State Board of Law Examiners, or from the clerk of the Supreme Court in the state in which he/she intends to practice, complete information concerning the requirements of that state. Failure to do so may unnecessarily delay or preclude admission to the bar.
