Admissions

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Admission Information

General Admission Requirements and Procedures

Applicants seeking admission to the law school’s Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) program must have received a baccalaureate or equivalent degree from an approved college or university. At least 90 credit hours of the applicant’s undergraduate work must be in academic rather than skills-training courses.

Applicants who have not earned a baccalaureate degree may be admitted under exceptional circumstances as candidates for the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree. Ordinarily, to be considered for admittance to the LL.B. program, an applicant:

must be at least 30 years of age,
have completed at least three-fourths of the credit hours required for a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.3 or higher,
have not been enrolled in an academic program for at least five years,
and have scored at least in the 75th percentile on the LSAT.

All applicants must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and must register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). LSAT and CAS registration information is available from the Law School Admissions Council at http://www.lsac.org/jd/apply/cas.asp, or Box 2000, Newtown, Pennsylvania 18940-0998. Registration for the CAS requires that the applicant’s undergraduate and graduate transcripts be forwarded to the Law School Admissions Council in Newtown, Pennsylvania rather than to the law school. The LSAT is given four times each year. Specific dates and locations are available from the Admissions Office or from the Law School Admissions Council. Applicants are strongly advised to take the LSAT no later than December of the year preceding the year in which they seek admission.

All applicants for admission must submit a non-refundable application fee of $50 (international students, $60) and a completed Law School Application no later than March 1 of the year in which they seek admission. Because admissions decisions are made as early as November, applications received close to or after March 1 may be at a disadvantage because a substantial number of seats in the entering class will have been filled before the applicant’s CAS report is received.

Complete the online application available through CAS at https://os.lsac.org/release/startup.aspx?appl=1325A1. CAS registrants can access the electronic application at no additional charge beyond the CAS fee and the law school’s application fee.

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, mental or physical handicap, age, gender, or sexual orientation in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This policy covers, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, educational services, programs, and activities.

» More info about the Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) Program

Early Decision Program

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law offers an Early Decision program. This program is designed for J.D. program applicants who, after careful consideration and research, have decided that Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law is their first choice. This is a binding program. Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law will review early decision applicants’ files and give them a decision earlier than is typical, in return for early decision applicants’ agreements to matriculate into the school’s incoming class if they are admitted during the early decision process.

Files must be complete by November 15 and must include the application, letters of recommendation, personal statement, signed Early Decision Agreement, and CAS report. The LSAT must be taken no later than the October administration. Failure to meet the November 15 completion deadline will result in the application being considered in the regular decision process. The early decision applicants’ files are evaluated with the same admissions criteria as those for applicants who are evaluated under the regular decision process.

Early decision applicants will be notified of a decision no later than the end of December. Applicants may be admitted, denied, or held for later review. Early decision applicants whose files are held for later review will no longer be bound by the Early Decision Agreement. Early decision applicants who are accepted during the early decision process, under the binding agreement, must withdraw all other law school applications, pay the required seat deposit, and commit to attending Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in the fall.

Admissions Selection Process

The law school has many more applicants than spaces for students in its entering class. The faculty Admissions Committee selects those applicants invited to attend. The goal of the admissions process is to select applicants with strong academic records and with varied backgrounds who will collectively provide the most stimulating educational experience for their fellow students and ultimately best represent all segments of our society in the practice of law.

The Admissions Committee looks first at an applicant’s undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and LSAT score, and index. The index is based on a formula derived annually from a study comparing the UGPA and LSAT scores of current students with their subsequent law school performances and is used to predict an applicant’s success in law school.

Most admissions decisions, however, are based on a combination of factors, including the quality and strength of the applicant’s undergraduate program, worthwhile community and extracurricular activities, employment during and after college, graduate work, a written personal statement, and letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee recognizes that motivation and a willingness to work are also significant factors contributing to the applicant’s success in law school and in the legal profession. Although these factors are difficult to assess, letters of recommendation from persons in a position to make candid evaluations of the applicant’s motivation and drive may be helpful.

Applicants are encouraged to include in writing any additional relevant information they wish the Admissions Committee to consider in making its decision. Some applicants show motivation by demonstrating a specific purpose for seeking a law degree or by showing through past actions a devotion to community causes that could be served more effectively by a lawyer. Some applicants show that their UGPA does not reflect their academic ability because they were employed during college or were engaged in worthwhile extracurricular activities that took time away from college studies. Others who have excelled in some relevant field of endeavor show that their postgraduate achievement better represents their abilities than does their undergraduate performance.

Applicants who have been disadvantaged because of economic, educational, racial, or cultural circumstances are advised to bring this to the attention of the Admissions Committee in a separate statement.

Each year, the Admissions Committee selects approximately 30 students from the entire pool of applicants for admission through a special summer program. Applicants selected for summer admission include those who the Admissions Committee determines can benefit from a rigorous, individualized summer course. No special application procedure exists for the summer program. However, to be considered, prospective students must submit an application no later than February 1 of the year in which they seek admission to the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law. All applicants who are not regularly admitted are considered for summer admission.

International Applicants Seeking J.D. Degree

Foreign transcripts are required to be submitted through the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service. This service is included in the CAS subscription fee. If you completed postsecondary work outside the U.S. (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your CAS report. To use the JD CAS, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts. Questions about this service can be directed to LSAC at 215-968-1001, LSACINFO@LSAC.org or visit the web site: http://www.lsac.org/jd/apply/cas.asp for additional information

Upon admission, international applicants are also required to complete the Indiana University Graduate Application. You may also contact the Office of International Affairs at: intlaff@iupui.edu. TOEFL scores should preferably be sent to LSAC to be included in your CAS report, but may be sent directly to law school (code 1325). The International Application should be sent directly to: Office of International Affairs, 902 W. New York St., ES 2126, Indianapolis, IN 46202. The Office of International Affairs is responsible for all travel documents and immigration concerns.

Transfer Students-Admission with Advanced Standing

» See: http://indylaw.indiana.edu/admissions/transfer.htm

Visiting Students

» See: http://indylaw.indiana.edu/admissions/visit.htm