JD & Transfer Admission
Prepare to Change Lives at UIC Law Heading link
As a prospective JD student, you get all the support you need when applying to law school from UIC Law’s Office of Admissions. In addition to providing detailed information about the law school and application process, our admission staff are available for scheduled appointments, guided tours, and to provide information about the City of Chicago.
For more information on the JD application process, please contact the Office of Admissions at law-admissions@uic.edu or (800) 537-4280.
Bar Examination Information Heading link
Students who earn a Juris Doctor degree from UIC Law are eligible to apply to sit for the bar examination in any U.S. jurisdiction.
Note: In addition to a bar examination, there are the 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.
The American Bar Association requires that law schools inform each applicant that state bar requirements deal with the character and fitness of an applicant at the time he or she seeks certification to register for the bar. It further permits the law school to seek information on character and fitness to ensure that appropriate law school qualifications are met.
Please review the rules and requirements for any and all states in which you intend to practice.
Application Preparation Guidance Heading link
Use the links below to guide your application process.
Your Application
After selecting on the appropriate enrollment option, a completed application must be submitted.
Fall Admission Priority Deadline: March 1
Spring Admission Priority Deadline: November 15
Completed applications must include:
- Electronic Application Form (Paper application forms are not accepted.)
- LSAT/GRE Score
- Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation
- Personal Statement
- Resume
- Application Fee: Your application fee has been waived.
Additionally, transfer applicants should review the Transfer Information tab for further requirements.
UIC Law operates on a rolling admission policy. The Office of Admissions continues to review applications until the entering class is full. Applications submitted after the deadline will only be considered if space is available.
Apply to UIC Law with Your LSAT Score
Applicants to the JD program can visit the Law School Admission Council’s (LSAC) website for instructions on registering to take the LSAT. Although applicants can submit their application to the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law before taking the LSAT, files will not be reviewed until UIC Law receives a LSAT score from the LSAC. We encourage applicants for the fall entering class to take the February test (or an earlier administration) and applicants for the spring entering class to take the October LSAT (or an earlier administration). We will, however, consider scores from later administrations if space is available in the entering class. Please note that applicants may submit an application and request that we hold review of their file until a subsequent LSAT administration.
If you are registered for a future LSAT date, the Office of Admission will wait to review your application until receipt of the latest test score. In the event an applicant has multiple tests, only the highest score will be considered. LSAT scores are valid for five years.
For LSAT information, registration, and test dates and locations, visit LSAC’s website.
Apply to UIC Law with Your GRE Score
University of Illinois Chicago School of Law will also accept the GRE test scores. Applicants who apply with a GRE score must also register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Other than the GRE score, the applicant’s other materials—including the application, transcripts, letters of recommendation, personal statement, resume, and supplemental statements—must be submitted to the CAS for assembly and submission. If the applicant has taken the LSAT, that score will also be a part of the CAS.
While applicants need only take either the LSAT or the GRE, UIC Law requires all test results from the past five years. For example, if an applicant has taken both exams twice within the last five years, then UIC Law requires all four test results. Applicants may not choose which results they will share. If an applicant has taken the LSAT, UIC Law considers the LSAT to be the primary admission test, regardless of whether the applicant has submitted a GRE score.
If you are planning to submit your GRE scores, please review UIC Law’s Statement on Acceptance and Use of the GRE for JD Admission.
Transcripts & Letters of Recommendation
Applicants must submit undergraduate transcripts and letters of recommendation through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Files must include at least a letter of recommendation, but applicants are encouraged to submit 2–3 letters. We will accept up to four.
The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) will send your CAS to the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law once it is complete. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their CAS report is complete and that they have paid the fee required by the LSAC.
Personal Statements
Personal Statements should be clear and concise, and 2-4 double-spaced pages in length.
While a writing topic is not specified, applicants are encouraged to include examples of leadership, community involvement, talents, and achievements. The Personal Statement is an opportunity to offer the Admission Committee personal details to supplement LSAT scores, transcripts, and credentials.
Summer College to Assess Legal Education Skills (SCALES) Program
If you do not gain admission through our traditional process, you may qualify for admission into our SCALES program. SCALES provides prospective students who have promising records of achievement an opportunity to demonstrate the requisite skills and potential to succeed in our JD program and the practice of law. Candidates who successfully complete SCALES are offered admission into the JD program.
Transfers
Admission of transfer applicants is always discretionary. Only students in good academic standing and who have completed 24-30 semester hours from an ABA-approved law school will be considered for admission.
Transfer applications are accepted year-round and do not need to follow the regular JD application deadline. We understand transfer applicants may need to wait until their current semester grades are posted to apply.
Generally, a 2.75 GPA is necessary to qualify for admission. In addition to the application and personal statement, all transfer applicants must provide a copy of the law school report (CAS), as well as a complete official transcript and letter of good standing from the Law School previously attended. Students who wish to transfer to the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law must complete an LSAC application online. There is no application fee.