Admission Requirements

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 an 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, and recommendations from those in a position to judge an applicant's potential for the study and practice of law. For applicants accepted for 2001 registration, the average undergraduate grade point average was 3.32 and the median LSAT score was 151.

The Law School will consider only completed application files. Applicants should complete their files by April 1 of the spring prior to anticipated registration. Applicants whose files are not completed until after that date may be rejected solely because of the number of applicants already accepted.

All applicants must submit a $35 nonrefundable application fee with the application. For applications submitted after April 1, applicants must submit an additional nonrefundable late fee of $45.

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 only after April 1 are reviewed in the context of the number already admitted.

The School of Law is a participating law school in the Law School Admission Service and a member of the Law School Admission Council. All applicants are required to register with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). In order to register, students should write directly to Law Services, Box 2400, Newtown, Pennsylvania 18940-0998 and request an INFORMATION BOOK, which will provide forms and instruction for registration.

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. Forms and instructions for test registration are contained in the INFORMATION BOOK, available free from Law Services at the address given above.

Students wishing to enter the School of Law should request instructions, application forms, and current admission information from the Office of the Dean, School of Law, University of North Dakota, PO Box 9003, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9003. First year students must begin their course of study at the beginning of the academic year.

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 $100, less any amount incurred over the summer, 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 preceding enrollment.

The School of Law encourages applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

Students who have begun the study of law in other accredited law schools may be admitted to advanced standing provided that they have fulfilled the requirements for admission to the University of North Dakota School of Law. Ordinarily, no transfer credit will be allowed for more than two semesters of work completed elsewhere. Nor will transfer credit be given for any courses in which an unsatisfactory or failing grade has been received. Course grades from other accredited law schools will be accepted at face value. Moreover, admission may be conditioned upon meeting such additional requirements as the faculty may prescribe. No student will be admitted as a transfer student who is ineligible to continue as a student at the law school from which the student is seeking to transfer.

Students registered in other colleges or schools of the University of North Dakota who desire to enroll in one or more courses in the School of Law may do so with the permission of the Dean of the School of Law and the instructor of the particular course. Law school credit is not given to these students.

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.