Admissions

To be eligible for admission to our Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) program, applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants must also take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and register with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) through the Law School Admissions Council (www.lsac.org).

No particular areas of undergraduate study are required or recommended. Rather, applicants should select a major that interests them because students are more likely to earn better grades in such a program. We recommend that applicants take courses in which writing is required, to help develop their writing skills.

Under exceptional circumstances, applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree may be admitted as candidates for the Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree. Applicants may be considered for admission to the LL.B. program if they meet all of the following criteria:

• The applicant is least 30 years old.
• The applicant has completed at least three-fourths of the credit hours required for a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.3 or higher.
• The applicant has not been enrolled in an academic program for at least five years.
• The applicant scored in the 75th percentile or higher on the LSAT.

The LSAT is given four times each year. Specific dates and locations are available on the Law School Admission Council's Website: http://www.lsac.org/. We strongly advise applicants to take the LSAT in the summer of the year preceding the year in which they plan to apply for admission, and not later than that December. If you wish to apply through our Early Decision Program, you must take the LSAT no later than October.

Applicants may register for the LSAT and LSDAS as well as obtain forms online at the Law School Admission Council's Website: http://www.lsac.org/. LSAT and LSDAS registration information may also be picked up at the reception desk, Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis, 530 West New York Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-3225.

An LSAT score is valid for three years for purposes of applying to Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis.

The preferred way is to apply by using the LSDAS electronic application service available through the Law School Admission Council at http://www.lsac.org/. Applicants may also download and print an application form or request a mailed application packet.

A nonrefundable application fee of $50.00 ($60.00 for International Students) must be paid when you submit your application. If you submit your application electronically through LSAC, you may either pay your application fee with a credit card and submit an electronic signature or mail your application fee and certification letter to the law school. If you pay the application fee by check, please make it payable to Indiana University. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to accept checks or money orders drawn from financial institutions outside of the U.S. Foreign students are encouraged to pay the application fee with a credit card when submitting the application electronically through LSDAS.

Applicants are also required to register with LSDAS to have their LSAT score reported to us. Applicants may register online at the Law School Admission Council's Website: http://www.lsac.org.

We begin accepting applications on September 1. Applications must be complete with LSDAS report by March 1to be assured of consideration for regular admission. (February 1if applying for the special summer program). Because admissions decisions are made as early as January, applications received close to or after March 1 may be at a disadvantage, as a substantial number of seats in the entering class will have been filled before the applicant's report is received. Applicants who wish to apply through the Early Decision Program must have their applications complete by November 30.

There is no special application procedure for the summer program. Applicants who are not regularly admitted are considered for summer admission. However, applicants must submit their Law School application form by February 1to be considered for this program. Students selected for summer admission include applicants the Admissions Committee determines can benefit from a rigorous, individualized summer course. We highly advise applicants who are interested in the summer class to take the LSAT no later than December.

All entering students are automatically considered for scholarships. No separate application is necessary. To be eligible for federal loan assistance, applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is available online effective January 1st and should be submitted prior to March 10th. The University’s federal school code is 001813 and should be included under “school choices”.

International applicants should use the online application through LSAC at www.lsac.org. Foreign transcripts are required to be submitted through the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service. This service is included in the LSDAS subscription fee. If you completed postsecondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. Questions about this service can be directed to LSAC at 215-968-1001, LSACINFO@LSAC.org or visit the website at http://www.lsac.org for additional information. International applicants are also required to complete the Indiana University International Application which can be found at http://www.iupui.edu/~oia. TOEFL scores must be sent to IU School of Law -Indianapolis (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 international application fee is $60.00. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to accept checks or money orders drawn from financial institutions outside of the U.S. Foreign students are encouraged to pay the application fee with a credit card when submitting the application electronically through LSDAS.

Full-time students can graduate in three years by taking an average of 15 credit hours per semester. Part-time students usually graduate in four years by taking 9 - 10 credit hours each semester and 3 - 5 credit hours during summer.

Full-time students can graduate in 2 1/2 years by taking 15 - 16 credit hours each semester and 7 - 8 credit hours during the summer. Part-time students can also accelerate by taking more credit hours each term, but not in excess of 11 credit hours per semester if employed full-time.

We do not allow students to start in January. The Admissions Committee selects 30 - 40 students each year from the entire pool of applicants for admission through a special summer program. These are the only students who can start in the summer.

Classes for part-time students are scheduled in the evening, Monday through Friday, from approximately 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays).

Part-time students are required to take 10 credit hours each semester during their first year (two hours of class each evening, Monday through Friday), as well as a 3-credit hour summer class, which meets four evenings each week, Monday through Thursday, from mid May to mid July. Students can take fewer credit hours after their first year, but must complete the 90 credit hours required for graduation within a period of 84 months.

As a general rule, students study about three hours for every hour of class. Thus, part-time students attending class for two hours each evening can count on approximately six hours of study time for each evening's class.

First year students must stay in either full-time day classes or part-time evening classes for the entire first year. Part-time students also have two required basic level courses left to complete after their first year. Otherwise, students may switch between full-time and part-time status after the first year.

We offer six joint degrees:

• JD/MBA (Master of Business Administration)
• JD/MPA (Master of Public Affairs)
• JD/MHA (Master of Science in Health Administration)
• JD/MPH (Master of Public Health)
• JD/MPh (Master of Arts in Philosophy)
• JD/MLS (Master of Library Science)

It normally takes four years of full-time study to obtain joint degrees. Students usually spend the first year in law school and then take law courses and graduate courses in the other discipline concurrently for the remainder of the program.

Applicants must apply to both the Law School and the school offering the other degree. Applicants will need to take both the LSAT and the GRE or GMAT. Please visit http://indylaw.indiana.edu/courses/jointdeg.htm for further information.

The Admissions Committee looks first at an applicant's undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and LSAT score, but considers other factors.

We use your best score.

Most admissions decisions 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, and letters of recommendation (particularly those from faculty). 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 an applicant’s motivation and drive may be helpful.

Applicants are encouraged to include in writing any additional relevant information you 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 real 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.

Early Decision Program applicants are notified of a decision by the end of December. All other applications are reviewed starting in January and all decisions will be made by the end of April.

Most correspondence between the Office of Admissions and applicants is done via email and mail. It is essential that applicants keep their address, email address and telephone numbers up to date with the Office of Admissions to avoid missing important correspondence.

If you make seat deposits at more than one law school, you should contact the schools you decide not to attend as soon as possible so they can release the seat to another applicant.

You must attach a statement of explanation, giving full details, including the facts and the disposition. This explanation must also include details of incidents that have been expunged from your record. If you were advised by counsel to not disclose information on an employment application, it must be disclosed on your law school application. Please be advised that you will have a continuing obligation to maintain the accuracy of these statements throughout the admissions cycle. If you are offered admission, your obligation will continue after your admission and during your enrollment as a student of our school.

A condition for admission to the Bar is proof of good moral character. Prior to being certified to sit for the Bar, Bar Examiners may review the information that is contained in your application during their character and fitness investigation. You are advised to check with the board of examiners or Supreme Court in the state(s) in which you intend to practice law to determine whether any incidents you may have had will preclude your admission to the Bar.

An applicant who would have been eligible for admission as a beginning student and who has compiled a superior record at an approved law school may be admitted with advanced standing. The amount of transfer credit accepted (up to 31 credit hours) depends upon the quality of the applicant's record and similarity of the course work completed at the other school to the program at the School of Law - Indianapolis. For more information, see the instructions for Admission with Advanced Standing.

We offer a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree with the following tracks: American Law for Foreign Lawyers; International & Comparative Law; Health Law, Policy & Bioethics; Intellectual Property Law; and International Human Rights Law. This degree allows foreign law graduates to take the bar examination in some American jurisdictions. For more information regarding the LL.M. degree, please visit the LL.M. Program Website at http://indylaw.indiana.edu/llm.

Application forms, as well as additional information about these programs, are available at http://indylaw.indiana.edu/llm/.