Admission Information

The J.D. Program
The UDC-DCSL Admission Philosophy
Entering Class Profile
The Admission Process
The Application
The Application Form
The Law School Report
The Law School Admission Test
The Academic Record
Recommendations

Group photo of Class of 2003 Dean's Fellows

Application Fee
Essays
Interviews
Re-application
Applicants with Foreign Credentials
Declaration of Residency Form
Transfer and Visiting Students
Non-degree Students
Statement of Certification
Completing the Application

The J.D.Program of UDC-DCSL enrolls entering students for the Fall semester only, and only as full-time day students. Enrolling students must have received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

The UDC-DCSL Admission Philosophy

The School of Law seeks to enroll academically qualified students who have demonstrated a commitment to public service and who will use their legal training in the public's interest. The student body comes from a broad spectrum of society. The entering classes are as diverse in background and life experience as they are in ethnicity, gender, and age. The Admission Committee reviews academic credentials and admits only those who it believes will successfully complete the three-year program. Because the School of Law's mission is to admit and educate those who have been historically denied access to the bar, and who have demonstrated commitment to public service, the Committee's decisions are based on academic and non-academic criteria.The non-academic criteria include employment history; community service and volunteer work; family and educational background; family responsibilities; and recommendations that speak to the candidate's professional promise, judgment, integrity, character, skills, and leadership potential.

Entering Class Profile

The UDC David A. Clarke School of Law Fall 2007 Entering Class has the following profile:

Number of Applications:	1,291
First Year Enrollment:	94
Women:	60%
Students of Color:	59%
Average Age:	29 years
Age Range:	21 yrs. - 57 yrs.
States Represented:	27 & the District of Columbia
Foreign Countries Represented:	3

	LSAT	GPA
75th percentile:	153	3.4
25th percentile:	149	2.8
Median:	151	3.1
Mean:	151	3.1
Range:	144 - 161	2.08 - 4.00

The Admission Process

Applicants are encouraged to apply early in the Fall. The deadline for submitting an application is March 15th. Supporting information, including the Law School Report and recommendations, must be received by June 1st for consideration for Fall enrollment.

The Committee on Admission reviews applications as they become complete and notifies an applicant as soon as a decision has been reached on his or her file. In some cases, an application will be held for ongoing consideration with other applicants. Candidates placed "on hold" are notified that they will receive decisions in late spring. During early summer, after the class has been admitted, a few candidates will be placed on a wait list for openings in the class that occur during the summer.

The Application

A complete application to UDC-DCSL consists of the application form, with responses to the essay questions included; the $35.00 application fee; the Law School Report, which includes all undergraduate and graduate transcripts, letters of recommendations, and the LSAT score; a Declaration of Residency form from candidates claiming District residency; and self-addressed labels included with the application.

The Application Form

Applicants may submit the UDC-DCSL application form included with the school's catalog; download the application from this web site; or apply on-line via the Law School Admission Council's Electronic Application (EApp) Service. To proceed with one of these steps, go to the Application page.

The Law School Report

All applicants must register with the LSDAS — Law School Data Assembly Service — provided by Law School Admission Council. Applicants should arrange for transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate academic work, and for their letters of recommendation, to be sent to LSDAS. Law Services will send the candidate's Law School Report to UDC-DCSL. The Law School Report includes the candidate's LSAT score, copies of all transcripts, analysis of undergraduate transcripts, and copies of all recommendations. UDC-DCSL’s Law School Code is 5245.

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The LSAT is given four times a year. All applicants must have taken the test within five years of the Fall semester they plan to enroll. The LSAT given in February is the last one that will be accepted for Fall admission. The test is designed to measure aptitude for the study of law. The score is considered by the UDC-DCSL Committee on Admission in tandem with other academic and non-academic information provided in the application. Applicants should provide any information that would be helpful to the Committee in reviewing their LSAT scores. UDC-DCSL encourages applicants to prepare for the test, and to retake the test only if their scores are significantly inconsistent with previous test performance or if extenuating circumstances impacted their performance on the test day. Applicants taking multiple tests are encouraged to include such information with their applications.

Registration forms for the LSAT and the LSDAS are on LSAC’s website at www.LSAC.org. The LSAT & LSDAS Information Book, which contains an LSAT sample test and other information, is available from LSAC, the UDC-DCSL and other law school admission offices, and college career services and pre-law advisor offices. The LSAC address, telephone number, and website are:

Law School Admission Council
P. O. Box 2000
Newtown, Pennsylvania 18940-0998
(215) 968-1001
http://www.lsac.org/

The Academic Record

The Committee on Admission carefully reviews each candidate's academic record. No specific academic preparation is required for admission, and the academic backgrounds of entering students are as diverse as are their life experiences. The Committee looks for breadth and depth of coursework, including courses that require significant amounts of writing and reading, and courses that are analytically demanding. It reviews trends in grades, competitiveness of environment, and class rank.

The Committee on Admission will identify some applicants who show academic potential but who require additional preparation before beginning their first-year at UDC-DCSL. These candidates will be admitted to the Academic Success Summer Program. The program, which is taught by UDC-DCSL faculty, introduces students to legal writing, legal reasoning, torts and criminal law.

Recommendations

Each applicant must submit two recommendations, one scholastic and one personal. The information contained in these recommendations plays an important role in the selection process. The recommenders should be individuals who know the applicant's academic work and personal qualities well.

The scholastic recommendation must be written by a faculty member from the undergraduate, graduate, or professional school most recently attended by the applicant. Applicants whose academic work was completed more than five years ago may, if no academic recommender is available, substitute a letter from a recent employer.

The personal recommendation should be written by someone who can provide information about the candidate's potential to contribute positively to the law school community and legal profession.

The two required recommendations must be submitted to Law Services' Letter of Recommendation service. Additional recommendations, academic and personal, may be sent directly to the School of Law or submitted in a sealed, signed envelope with the application form. Applications will be reviewed, however, as soon as the two required recommendations have been received.

Application Fee

The application fee is $35.00. Checks should be made payable to UDC David A. Clarke School of Law. Candidates for whom the fee is a hardship should request a fee waiver application from the Admission Office. The application fee is non-refundable and is not applied toward the tuition or fees of enrolling students.

On-line applicants wishing to pay by credit card should use the Statement of Certification form included in the application packet.

The application fee is waived for applicants who apply on-line via LSAC's UDC-DCSL EApp through January 15.

Essays

Because the Admission Committee intends to enroll students who share the school's mission and the faculty's commitment to public service, it asks applicants to include a brief essay on a relevant topic. The Committee encourages candidates to submit, in addition to the required essay, additional information that might be helpful in making thoughtful decisions on their applications. The essay and additional information should be typewritten and attached to the application form.

Interviews

The Committee does not routinely use interviews in making admission decisions, but may occasionally invite a candidate for an interview.

The Admission Office encourages prospective applicants to visit and will arrange tours and class visits by appointment. The Office of Admission also holds weekly group Information Sessions, at which time questions about the school, the application process, the financial aid program, and an applicant's individual situation will be answered.

Re-application

Applicants may reactivate their files once, by written request.

Re-applicants must pay an application fee; provide the Committee with transcripts of any academic work completed since their previous application; provide Law School Admission Test scores not in their previous files; submit a letter of reference and submit a brief statement of their recent activities. UDC-DCSL keeps applications on file for one year.

The deadline for applicants who wish to reactivate their files for Fall 2008 admission consideration is February 15, 2008.

Applicants with Foreign Credentials

Applicants whose baccalaureate degrees were earned in universities outside the United States may have their transcripts evaluated by LSAC’s JD Credential Assembly Service (JD CAS) or by another reputable credential evaluation service. Those candidates whose study was in a language other than English may be required to submit, in addition to the LSAT, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service.

Declaration of Residency Form

UDC-DCSL is the District of Columbia's public law school. Tuition is, therefore, lower for residents of the District than for students who are from outside of the District. In order to qualify for resident tuition rates, a student must have lived in the District for twelve months prior to the first day of registration.

Residency is determined by a number of factors including payment of income tax in the District, motor vehicle registration, voter registration, receipt of public benefits for the twelve months prior to registration, lease or mortgage agreement, and jury service.

Applicants who wish to qualify for District tuition rates must complete a Declaration of Residency Form and submit supporting documentation. The initial determination of residency occurs in conjunction with an admission decision. Residency is reviewed annually thereafter. Students must maintain residency to remain eligible for District tuition rates.

Students who matriculate at the School of Law as non-D.C.residents may be considered for District residency after residing in the District of Columbia for twelve months and providing documents to support their claim.

Transfer and Visiting Students

Those who have completed one year’s study and are in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school may apply to transfer to UDC-DCSL. Transfer applicants may enroll in either the Fall or Spring term. December 15th is the deadline for Spring matriculation; June 30th is the deadline for Fall enrollment. Transfer candidates must submit a completed UDC-DCSL application, a Law School Report, an official transcript of law school work completed, a recommendation from a law school faculty member, a statement of good standing from the appropriate law school official, and an essay stating the candidate's reason for wishing to transfer to UDC-DCSL.

Students who have completed two years' study at other ABA-accredited law schools may be admitted as visiting students and take up to 15 credits of study at UDC-DCSL. Applicants who apply for visiting status must submit a letter of permission from the relevant law school official, a UDC-DCSL application, and a law school transcript.

Summer 2008: Non-UDC School of Law students wishing to take courses at UDC-DCSL during Summer 2008 must submit the following no later than May 19, 2008: a Summer 2008 Application for Visiting Students; a completed Course Registration Form; a letter of good standing from your home school; a declaration of D.C. residency (if applicable); and a tuition deposit.

Some of the documents above are in Adobe .pdf format. If you have trouble opening them, please download and install the free Adobe Reader.

Non-degree Students

Foreign-trained lawyers and graduates of state-accredited law schools may apply for admission as non-degree enrolled students. To be considered for admission as a non-degree student, both new and returning applicants must submit the items described in the appropriate Non-Degree Application listed below. Candidates may apply as a non-degree student for either the Fall or Spring term. They must re-apply for each subsequent term in which they wish to enroll. Non-degree students are not eligible for financial assistance from UDC-DCSL.

Note: The Fall 2008 non-degree application will be posted by June 2008. The application materials for Spring 2008 are provided below for those interested in reviewing the application requirements.

Some of the documents above are in Adobe .pdf format. If you have trouble opening them, please download and install the free Adobe Reader.

Statement of Certification

The Statement of Certification is a form that provides the Office of Admission with the original signature of an on-line applicant, signifying that the information supplied in his or her application is accurate. To be considered, all on-line applicants must mail a completed Statement of Certification to the Office of Admission after completing the on-line application.

The Statement also can be used to transmit application fee payment information for candidates who want to pay their fees by credit card.

Completing the Application

A complete application consists of:

A completed, signed application, including a personal statement and the response to one of two essay questions;
A transcript of all courses attempted at each college and graduate school attended provided by LSDAS;
A current LSAT score;
Scholastic and Personal Recommendation letters submitted through the LSAC letter of recommendation service;
A completed Declaration of Residency form (D.C. residents only);
A completed Statement of Certification form (on-line applicants and/or those paying the application fee by credit card only);
A set of five (5) pre-addressed mailing labels;
An application fee of $35 (check or money order made payable to UDC-DCSL) or an authorized fee waiver. The application fee is waived for on-line applicants who apply via LSAC's UDC-DCSL EApp through January 15. The application fee is non-refundable.

Questions may be directed to the UDC-DCSL Office of Admission at (202) 274-7341 or sspruell@udc.edu.