First-year, Transfer, and Visiting applicants must register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) before an application will be considered as completed and reviewed by the Admission Committee.
Applicants with Foreign Credentials – Applicants whose bachelor’s degrees were earned in colleges or universities outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service.
All transcripts must be submitted through CAS. UDC Law does not accept transcripts from applicants. The LSAC school code for UDC Law is 5245.
What Type of Applicant Are You?
- Be sure to apply under the appropriate application “type” as indicated below.
- ALL APPLICANTS: PLEASE submit a COMPLETE package of ALL required documents. If you do not submit a COMPLETE package, the processing of your application will be delayed.
Fall application priority deadline: February 15th (If you apply by the priority deadline, your application fee will be waived)
Fall application deadline: May 1st
UDC David A. Clarke School of Law’s Juris Doctor (JD) Program enrolls first-year students for the fall semester only. UDC Law offers a traditional three-year, full-time JD program and a four-year, part-time, evening JD program. The application process and requirements are the same for both programs.
You should apply to UDC Law as a First-Year JD Applicant only if the following conditions apply:
- You are seeking a JD degree
- You have graduated or will graduate from an accredited college or university. (undergraduate degrees must be conferred by August 1st)
First-Year applicants are required to submit all the following for admission:
- Completed online application for First-Year JD students found on LSAC.
- Non-refundable $40.00 application fee
- LSAT Score
- Letters of Recommendation
- If you are still in school or have recently graduated, we strongly suggest an academic recommendation. If you have been out of school for a significant time, you may submit professional recommendations instead.
- Personal Statement
- Your personal statement assists the Admission Committee in getting to know and understand you as a person. Your personal statement should also detail your interest in UDC Law and explain how attending our institution will allow you to realize your dreams and aspirations.
- Justice Essay
- This essay allows you to provide the Admission Committee with insight on what issue(s) are important to you and how you have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing social justice.
- Resume/CV
- Optional Addendum
- A brief explanation regarding poor grades, gaps in education, low LSAT scores, or character and fitness concerns.
- Character and Fitness
- All applicants are required to answer character and fitness questions on the application. Should you answer “yes” to any of the character and fitness questions on the application, you will need to attach a detailed addendum.
- You have completed at least one year of study and are in good academic standing at an accredited law school. UDC Law may accept up to 45 credits to be transferred.
- You are currently enrolled.
- You have a cumulative law school GPA of 2.800 or higher
- Completed online application for Transfer students found on LSAC.
- Non-refundable $50.00 application fee
- Interest Statement – An interest statement assists the Admission Committee in getting to know and understand you as a person. You should discuss aspects of your background, experience, achievements, or interests that you believe are important for us to know. Your interest statement should also detail your interest in UDC Law and explain why you are requesting to transfer.
- Justice Essay – This essay allows you to provide the Admission Committee with insight on what issue(s) are important to you and how you have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing social justice.
- Statement of Academic Standing
- Letters of Recommendation
- Description of Courses – Provide a detailed description of each course you wish to transfer to UDC Law. This must be included in the “Attachments” section of the online application.
- Optional Addendum– A brief explanation regarding poor grades, gaps in education, low LSAT scores, or character and fitness concerns.
- Character and Fitness– All applicants are required to answer character and fitness questions on the application. Should you answer “yes” to any of the character and fitness questions on the application, you will need to attach a detailed addendum.
- Proof of Residency– If claiming DC or DC Metro residency for tuition purposes, you must submit required forms and supporting documents to lawadmission@udc.edu.
Summer application opens February 1st
Summer application deadline: April 30th
You should apply to UDC Law as a Visiting Applicant if you are a current law student in good academic standing at an ABA-accredited institution, to complete courses at UDC Law that will transfer back to your degree-granting institution.
Requirements
- Completed online application for Visiting students found on LSAC.
- Non-refundable $50.00 application fee
- Permission Letter/Course Approval – The permission letter must include:
- approval from your institution to complete courses at UDC Law
- verify the academic term for which you are approved
- which courses offered at UDC Law that will be approved by your institution to meet degree requirements. Learn more about our courses of study.
- Statement of Academic Standing
- Character and Fitness– All applicants are required to answer character and fitness questions on the application. Should you answer “yes” to any of the character and fitness questions on the application, you will need to attach a detailed addendum.
Fall application deadline: June 30th
Spring application deadline: November 30th
Summer application deadline: April 30th
You should apply to UDC Law as a Non-Degree Applicant only if the following conditions apply:
- You are not seeking a degree from UDC Law
- You are not seeking financial aid from UDC Law
- You are a graduate of a foreign or state-accredited law school
- You are currently practicing law and seeking to satisfy the requirements before sitting for the District of Columbia Bar Exam.
New Applicants
- Submit a Non-Degree Application for Admission (.pdf) to lawadmission@udc.edu
- Non-refundable application fee $60.00, payable to the University of the District of Columbia.
- Course Availability – Each semester, UDC Law offers specific courses for Non-Degree applicants. Approval to enroll in the approved courses is on a space-available basis. There is no guarantee of enrollment. Please check our Summer 2023 course availability.
- Proof of Residency– If claiming DC or DC Metro residency for tuition purposes, you must submit required forms and supporting documents to lawadmission@udc.edu.
- Character and Fitness– All applicants are required to answer character and fitness questions on the application. It is your responsibility to answer these questions fully and completely. Should you answer “yes” to the character and fitness question on the application, you will need to provide a detailed explanation.
Returning Applicants
- Submit a Non-Degree Application for Admission (.pdf) to lawadmission@udc.edu.
- Non-refundable application fee $60.00, payable to the University of the District of Columbia.
- Request an official UDC Law school transcript from the Office of the Registrar, lawregistrar@udc.edu. We do not accept official transcripts from students.
- Character and Fitness– All applicants are required to answer character and fitness questions on the application. It is your responsibility to answer these questions fully and completely. Should you answer “yes” to the character and fitness question on the application, you will need to provide a detailed explanation.
Additional Information
Graduates of foreign and state-accredited law schools, including those seeking to satisfy the requirement for additional study at an ABA-approved law school before sitting for the District of Columbia Bar Exam, may apply for admission as non-degree students. (See Rule46. Admission to the Bar.) Rule 46(c)(4) provides that an applicant who graduated from a non-ABA approved law school shall be permitted to take the D.C. bar examination only after successfully completing at least 26 credit hours of study in an ABA-approved law school. All 26 credit hours must be earned in courses which are substantially concentrated on a single subject tested on the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE).
Non-Degree students are permitted to enroll in no more than ten (10) credits in the fall and spring semesters and no more than six (6) credits in the summer semester.
Students taking non-degree courses are not eligible to be issued a Form I-20 under an F-1 visa status.