One of the most important factors in determining the quality of any law school is the quality of its student body. The admissions policies of the J. Reuben Clark Law School are designed to enhance the diversity, vigor, and academic ability of our student body.
The university Honor Code, which appears in full on page 47 of this bulletin, requires honesty, morality, and abstinence from tobacco, tea, coffee, alcohol, and harmful drugs by students, faculty, and staff either on or off campus.
Approximately 150 students will be selected for admission to each new class. First-year students are admitted only in the fall semester. To be admitted to the J. Reuben Clark Law School, the applicant must meet the Law School's high academic and admissions criteria and hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Each applicant must also establish through the recommendation of his or her bishop, branch president, or mission president; a religious leader of another faith; or a judge of a court of general jurisdiction that he or she will live in accordance with the BYU Honor Code. Registration signifies a student's willingness to live according to these standards.
A bachelor's degree is required for admission to the Law School to ensure that the entering student has the soundest possible foundation for the study of law at the graduate level. The purpose of undergraduate preparation is not to gain a head start in any law-related subject matter; rather, it is to provide general preparation for life as a student and lawyer.
Because the study of law ranges broadly, no specific undergraduate field or course of study is required. The skills that the student should bring to law school include the ability to analyze, reason, read carefully, think in abstract terms, and express thoughts clearly and precisely. The Admissions Committee does not award standard preferences based on anyone degree/major. We recommend you select the most rigorous education in a field which you enjoy.
Ultimately, the greater and more diverse the student's contact with the human experience, the greater will be his or her ability to understand the forces at work in the creation and application of the law. Introduction to Law School-type courses and classes with a vocational rather than an academic emphasis are of little worth in preparing for law school. The greatest worth lies in courses that truly challenge the intellect.
Although breadth and development of skills are of primary concern, the prospective law student should also pursue a particular field in sufficient depth to become intimate with its basic literature and the processes, methods, strengths, and limitations of knowledge in that field.
Applicants to the JD program must take the LSAT, regardless or their nationality. The LSAT is the test will be used to determine your level or readiness to learn at the law school, as well as your English language proficiency. If a JD applicant is being considered for admission but the LSAT score is below 145, thus indicating a potential English language difficulty, a TOEFL test may be required. If the TEOFL is required, the law school admissions office will work with the applicant to complete the process. Applicants to the JD program at the BYU Law School should NOT submit TOEFL test results unless specifically requested to do so by the admission office.
JD applicants who will need to apply for a student visa must work with the Office of Graduate Studies (105 FPH, Provo, UT 84602, gradstudies@byu.edu) to complete the paperwork forms required. These forms included the I-1, and the I-2 if a sponsor in involved. The applicant will not receive the I-20 certificate of eligibility which is required in order to apply for a visa at an embassy or consulate until the Office of Graduate Studies has cleared the finances based on the I-1 / I-2 forms.
JD applicants filling out the I-1 and I-2 forms must be prepared to document cash resources to cover 3 years of the cost of attendance at the law school. This could be as much as $45,000.00 (US), because it includes tuition plus living expenses. The law school does not offer scholarships to cover this amount. For highly qualified students, some scholarship money may be available, but would not exceed the cost of tuition. In addition, some private loan money from the law school may be available, but this would have to be paid back to the law school after graduation, and would not exceed $14,000.00 (US). It is the applicant’s responsibility to find the necessary financial resources. The law school does not have staff member who will help you secure funding or sponsors. Please understand that the requirement to prove finances is a United States Federal Government rule related to applying for a Visa, and cannot be waived.
Individuals with physical and other disabilities who are interested in legal education and careers in law are encouraged to apply. All students compete for admission to BYU based on the same criteria. There are no exceptions or changing of criteria for students with disabilities. Students who feel there are special circumstances the Admissions Committee should consider may include with their application a letter explaining their individual circumstances.
BYU provides a variety of services for students with physical or learning disabilities who apply for such services. Each student is considered on an individual basis. Accommodations are decided by an advisor from SSD based on interviews with the student, the student's current medical documentation, and what is common practice by other universities throughout the nation. Some accommodations include counseling/advising, diagnostic testing for learning disabilities and ADD, letters of accommodation for faculty, live readers, note takers, and sign language interpreters (ASL, Signed Exact English, Oral). Contact the ADA advisor at the law school, Dean Carl Hernandez, 422-6386, hernandezc@lawgate.byu.edu for more information or to request accomodations.
