Admission Requirements
The School of Law encourages applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
Prerequisites for Law School
Students entering law school come from a variety of academic backgrounds. While there is no prescribed program of pre-law studies, the faculty expects that students will possess the skills necessary for effective oral and written communication. Any undergraduate program developing those skills and providing for rigorous training in analysis and problem solving within an academic discipline can constitute a satisfactory pre-law education.
- Admission to the School of Law requires a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited
college or university. Each member of the Admissions Committee personally reviews
the completed file of each applicant. All factors which indicate reasonable prospect
for success in law study and in the profession are considered, including the applicant's:
- Undergraduate record
- Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score
- Recommendations from those in a position to judge an applicant's potential for the study and practice of law
- All law school applicants are advised that in addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
- The educational opportunities in the School of Law are available to all qualified applicants regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, handicap, or sex. Furthermore, the School of Law is committed to achieving a diverse student body in terms of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, sex and age to enhance the quality of educational experiences provided all of its students.
- As a state-supported institution, the School of Law is especially concerned to provide opportunities to those with substantial ties to North Dakota.
Credential Assembly Service
The School of Law is a participating law school in the Credential Assembly Service and a member of the Law School Admission Council. All applicants are required to register with the Credential Assembly Service. In order to register, students should visit the Law School Admission Council site which will provide forms and instruction for registration.
LSAT
The LSAT, which is administered under the auspices of the Law School Admission Council, must be taken by all applicants for admission to the School of Law.
The LSAT is designed to measure the applicant's aptitude for legal study rather than knowledge of any particular subject. The test is given four times each year, but applicants should register to take it at an administration which will assure that the score is reported to the School of Law well before the April deadline so that their application files will be completed early and may be reviewed by the committee before the class is full.
LSAT forms, instructions and registration
Application Deadlines
The Law School will consider only completed application files.
- Applicants should complete their files by April 1 of the spring prior to anticipated registration.
- Applications will be accepted until July 15, however files completed after April 1 may be rejected solely because of the number of applicants already admitted.
- All applicants after January 1 must submit a $35 nonrefundable application fee with the application.
Consideration is always for admission to the class next entering after the applicant's file is complete; if admission is granted, it is good only for that entering class. Applicants are strongly urged to begin the application process early in the autumn of the year preceding the autumn of expected registration as a law student, and to complete their files no later than April 1. The Admissions Committee reviews files as they become complete; a file completed early may be acted upon early, and files which become complete after April 1 are reviewed in the context of the number already admitted.
Applying to Law School
Students can apply for admission online through LSAC.org. Students can also request instructions, application forms, and current admission information by mail.
Acceptance
First year students must begin their course of study at the beginning of the academic year during the Fall Semester.
The University of North Dakota School of Law required a non-refundable acceptance deposit to reserve a place in the entering class. Admitted students who register will have the amount of the deposit, currently $300, returned to them upon full payment of fees. The School follows Law School Admission Council guidelines by not requiring this deposit prior to April 1.
Transfer Students
Students transferring into the UND School of Law will be given a class rank based on their cumulative GPA earned after completing one semester as a full-time student at the UND School of Law, and each semester thereafter. Cumulative GPA calculation will include all credits accepted from the transfer institution and all credits earned at the University of North Dakota School of Law and will be based on a 4.0 grading scale.
Transfer students from any law school must successfully complete the courses in the UND School of Law’s first-year curriculum and any other required courses or have successfully completed, as determined by the School of Law, substantially equivalent courses. Any courses not taken, including those deemed not substantially equivalent, must be completed after admission to the UND School of Law J.D. program.
Transfer Applications
UND Law will accept applications after a student has successfully completed at least one semester at their current law school. If a student is applying for Spring semester transfer, applications are accepted through November 1st. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. A final transcript and letter of good standing after your second semester is completed will be required to finalize the transfer process.
- Most recent CAS Law School Report from the Credential Assembly Service
- Official Academic Transcript from your current law school
- Application for admission (including personal statement)
- Letter of Good Standing from your current law school
Canadian Students
UND Law has an increasing number of students from Canada in our student body.