Admissions Requirements for the Juris Doctor (JD)

Application Procedures
Read the following instructions carefully before completing the application. To apply for admission you must provide the following documents before the application deadline. Applications for admission will not be processed more than one year in advance of the date for which entrance is sought.

(1) Application for Admission: A completed Application for Admission must be accompanied by a $20.00 nonrefundable application fee. The application must be completed in full and signed. Completed applications will be considered on a rolling basis beginning mid September/early October. The deadline for submission of a completed application is June 30. Applications received or completed after this date will be considered as class space permits.

How to apply:

--Visit LSAC.org and create an account.

--Follow the links to retrieve our application from the list of all ABA accredited law schools.

--Supplemental documents may be attached to your LSAC application. If you need to submit additional electronic documentation after submitting your application, you may do so by emailing them to lawadmit@fiu.edu

--For questions or problems with your account please contact LSAC via e-mail at LSACinfo@LSAC.org or call 215.968.1001.

(2) Test Scores: All Applicants seeking admission to FIU Law must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or GRE.

--Admissions Test Scores (LSAT) – Applicants can choose to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). FIU Law will not accept LSAT scores earned prior to June 2020. Students must sit for the LSAT no later than June to be considered for admission in August of the same year.

--Admissions Test Scores (GRE): Applicants sitting for the GRE, should select Florida International University College of Law as a recipient of the GRE results using the ETS school code: 4431. Applicants may submit either the LSAT or GRE as part of their application, but not both tests. If an applicant has an existing reportable LSAT score, a GRE score will not be considered in lieu of the existing LSAT. GRE scores may be utilized only when a reportable LSAT does not exist. To register for the GRE, visit their website here. Determine if you qualify for the GRE Fee Reduction Program. If you have any questions about utilizing a fee waiver, please contact GRE Institutional Services at GRE_Fee_Reducation@ets.org or 1-609-771-7092.

If you have already taken a GRE General Test, make sure there is a reportable GRE General Test score in your ETS account and order an Additional Score Report be sent to us. When registering, you may have already designated our College of Law as a recipient and a score report may automatically be sent to us. Students must sit for the GRE no later than June to be considered for admission in August of the same year.

NOTE: The Admissions Committee will consider your highest GRE score, but will see all your reportable scores (Including the GRE and LSAT).

--Optional Test Score (JD Next): Applicants are encouraged to supplement their LSAT or GRE score with their JD-Next course completion. FIU Law will consider successful completion of the JD-Next course as part of the law school’s holistic decision-making process. If you plan to include the JD-Next scores as a part of your application, please email us at lawadmit@fiu.edu to hold your application until the scores are received. You can learn more about JD-Next here: https://www.aspenpublishing.com/programs/jd-next

(3) Official Transcripts: Official transcript from each undergraduate, graduate and professional school you attended must be sent directly to LSAC. All candidates must have been awarded a baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year institution prior to enrollment at FIU Law. Prior to matriculation, admitted students must request that their undergraduate, graduate and professional schools submit a final official transcript to FIU Law’s Director of Admissions and to LSAC.

(4) Academic Honors, Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience: Applicants have the option of submitting a resume/curriculum vitae. Your resume/curriculum vitae should include examples of professional, academic, civic and extracurricular accomplishments (e.g. employment history, honors and awards, community service, extracurricular activities, foreign language proficiencies, military service, etc.).

(5) Recommendations: Applicants must submit one letter of recommendation, and may submit an additional letter if they desire. We recommend that current college students or recent graduates submit an academic recommendation. Letters of recommendation should attest to the applicant’s character and preparedness for law school. FIU Law prefers that all letters of recommendation be submitted through LSAC.

(6) Personal Statement: The Admissions Committee requires a personal statement. In no more than three typed, double-spaced pages, please discuss your reasons for pursuing a legal education and your goals or future plans upon graduation. You may discuss any obstacles that you have overcome (for example, English is not your native language, discrimination, economic or family hardship, severe medical condition, etc.).

(7) Interviews: Interviews are not required for admission consideration and will not be factored into the Admissions Committee’s final decision regarding your application. However, FIU Law encourages you to visit our community. Individual appointments and group informational sessions are scheduled throughout the year. To schedule a visit, please complete the campus visit reservation form.

(8) Transfer Students: Students attending an ABA accredited law school may apply for transfer to FIU Law if they are in good standing at their current institutions and their academic rank (if applicable) is in the upper-third of their first-year class. Transfer credit will not be awarded for correspondence courses or for work not done in residence at an ABA accredited law school.

(9) International Candidates: Foreign transcripts must be submitted to the Credential Assembly Service of the Law School Admission Council for transcript authentication and evaluation.

Candidates for whom English is not their first language must take the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL). Information on the TOEFL may be found at www.ets.org/toefl.Scores must be sent directly to the FIU College of law Office of Admissions. Candidates who receive a 159 LSAT score or better may request a waiver of the TOEFL examination from the Office of Admissions.

Note: No transfer credit will be granted for previously completed coursework.

(10) J.D. for Foreign Lawyers: J.D. with Advanced Standing (JDAS): FIU Law offers the possibility of advanced standing for students who already hold a first degree in law from a country outside the United States. The J.D. with advanced standing program permits students to obtain credit for legal studies they have done elsewhere in the world. Students may receive up to 30 hours of credit towards the J.D. for prior legal studies in another country. Students may also receive credit towards the J.D. for coursework done while completing a graduate degree in law, such as an LL.M. here in the United States at an ABA accredited law school. The total amount of credit towards the J.D. is assessed on an individual basis.

(11) Residency Classification: This form (available here) must be completed in full if you claim Florida residency for tuition purposes. If you have any questions about the form or its contents please contact the Office of Admissions at 305.348.8006. Please NOTE: residency status will be updated ONLY if the applicant is admitted.

Committee Decision-Making Process

FIU Law’s Admissions Committee seeks to enroll a group of students who have demonstrated academic and personal achievement. FIU Law wishes to advance the intellectual growth of its students as well as their development of skills and values useful to the ethical, professional, and effective practice of law.

A prospective student’s academic record (undergrad GPA and LSAT or GRE score) weighs heavily in the evaluative process. In addition to these academic markers, the Admissions Committee also considers other factors, including leadership ability, commitment to public service, command of global issues, work history, military service, and any history of criminality or academic misconduct. Evidence of obstacles that an applicant may have overcome (English is not the applicant’s native language, discrimination, economic or family hardship, severe medical condition) are also considered. The Admissions Committee encourages each applicant to answer all questions candidly and with specificity.

Qualifications for Admission to the Bar

At FIU Law, every effort is made to admit students of high moral character. FIU Law reserves the right to question an applicant concerning the applicant’s prior record and conduct, insofar as it may be relevant to the character of the applicant.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

You are strongly encouraged to fully disclose – to both FIU Law and to the state bar for which you are applying – any incident(s) which may have a bearing on your eligibility for admission into the College of Law or a state bar respectively. The failure to disclose any incident that may reasonably be deemed to reflect on an applicant’s character and fitness to practice law may be viewed by both the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and FIU Law as a serious omission. Such omissions may be treated as a lack of candor on the part of the applicant, and may result in your application being rejected by FIU Law, or exclusions from the Florida Bar and other state bars.

LAWDAY:JD - Juris Doctor (Day)

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