Preparing to Apply

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 BYU Law School are designed to enhance the diversity, vigor, and academic ability of our student body.

Approximately 150 students will be selected for admission to each new class. First-year students are admitted only in the fall semester. Completed applications are due March 1; however we begin accepting applications September 1 of the year before admission is sought.

As a law school accredited by the American Bar Association^* (ABA), and as a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), the J. Reuben Clark Law School provides equal opportunity in legal education for all persons, without discrimination or segregation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability. Because of the Law School's religious affiliation and purpose, ABA standards and AALS regulations as applied to the Law School require equal opportunity on the basis of sexual orientation but not on the basis of conduct.

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; a BYU Chaplain; 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.

To be admitted to the BYU 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; a BYU Chaplain; 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.

All applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, have taken the LSAT, and have completed the application form which requires:

• 2 Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement
• Resume
• Ecclesiastical Endorsement
• LSAT Score
• Dean's Certification

Please be aware that there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in each state. We encourage you, before matriculation in law school, to determine what those requirements are in the state(s) in which you intend to practice. You may obtain this information from the relevant state bar association.

The BYU Law School welcomes students from around the world. All applicants must take the LSAT and submit a completed application regardless of nationality. The Law School also offers a one year (two semester) LLM program for foreign lawyers leading to a master's degree in comparative American law.

LSAT
Applicants to the JD program must take the LSAT, regardless of their nationality. The LSAT is the test that will be used to determine your level or readiness to learn at the law school, as well as your English language proficiency.

Credential Evaluation
BYU requires all international JD & LLM applicants to use a credential evaluation service for transcript and degree verification. BYU currently accepts reports from International Education Research Foundation (IERF), World Education Services (WES), and LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You may choose which organization you would like to use.

Student Visa
Graduate Studies will work with admitted international students in obtaining an I-20.

LLM Brochure

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. Because the study of law ranges broadly, no specific undergraduate field or course of study is required.

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. 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 any one degree/major. We recommend you select the most rigorous education in a field which you enjoy.

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.