J.D. Admissions Requirements
St. Thomas Law Application for Admissions
Application
To apply for Admission to St Thomas Law complete an Application for Admission through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). The application must be accompanied by a $40.00 nonrefundable application fee. Fee waivers are available to qualified candidate by contacting admitme@stu.edu.
St. Thomas Law reviews applications on a rolling basis, beginning in September each year. Applicants for fall entry are encouraged to apply by March 1. The priority deadline for applications is May 1. Applicants who wish to begin their studies in January, must submit their application and supporting documents no later than December 10. The application review process begins as soon as the application is released in September and continues through July. The deadline for submission of a completed application is July 1st. The deadline for students transferring in the fall is July 1st. The deadline for students transferring in the spring is December 10. St. Thomas Law only accepts applications submitted via LSAC.
Visit LSAC.org and create an account with LSAC. Follow the links to retrieve our application from the list of all ABA accredited law schools. You may attach supplemental documents to your LSAC application. If you need to submit additional electronic documentation after submitting your application, you may do so by e-mailing them to admitme@stu.edu. For questions or problems with your account please contact LSAC via e-mail at LSACinfo@LSAC.org or call 215-968-1001.
LSAT
Applicants seeking admission to St. Thomas Law must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Please contact LSAC at Law School Admission Council, Box 2000, Newtown, PA 18940-0998, telephone number 215.968.1001 or visit their website LSAC.org to obtain a registration packet. Applicants must take the exam no later than June of the year for which she is seeking admission. Applications will not be reviewed until the Writing section of the LSAT is received.
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 St. Thomas Law. Students who matriculate at St. Thomas Law must submit by October 15th final, official undergraduate, graduate, and professional school transcripts.
Personal Statement
Applicants are required to submit a personal statement of no more than four pages, double spaced. The statement is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and should include: (1) what you think have been your significant personal experiences thus far, beyond what may be reflected in your academic transcripts and on your resume; and (2) your personal and career ambitions. In four pages or less, the Admissions Committee should be able to tell why you want to go to law school and why you have decided to apply to St. Thomas Law.
Letters of Recommendation
One letter of recommendation is required but applicants may provide additional letters of recommendation. Please do not include more than four letters of recommendation. Seek out references from professors, work colleagues, or supervisors who have personal knowledge of your academic or work performance and can speak to your potential to succeed in law school. A signature is required on all letters of recommendation submitted, preferably on letterhead. Please note that the LSAC Recommender Service is included in your CAS registration. Letters submitted on your behalf are included with your LSAC Report. To use this service, follow the directions outlined on LSAC’s website.
Interviews
Interviews are not required for admission consideration and will not be factored into the Admissions Committee’s final decision regarding your application. St. Thomas Law encourages you to visit our community. Individual appointments and group informational sessions are scheduled throughout the year. To schedule a visit, please contact us via email at admitme@stu.edu or you may call us at (305) 623-2310.
International Candidates
Foreign transcripts must be submitted to the Credential Assembly Service of the Law School Admission Council for transcript authentication and evaluation. For the Credential Assembly Service of the Law School Admission Council visit http://www.lsac.org/jd/applying-to-law-school/cas.
Candidates for whom English is not the first language must take the Test of English as a Foreign language. Information on the TOEFL may be found at www.ets.org/toefl. Scores must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions. Candidates who receive a 150 LSAT score or better may request a waiver of the TOEFL examination from the Office of Admissions.
JD for foreign lawyers: JD with advanced standing
St. Thomas 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 JD 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 JD for prior legal studies in another country.
Students who attended one of the St. Thomas Law LL.M. programs may receive credit towards the JD for coursework completed as part of the LL.M. program. No more than 30 total credits will be transferred. The total amount of credit towards the JD is assessed on an individual basis.
Additional information on foreign lawyers requesting advanced standing is available on our Foreign Attorney’s Information Page.
Transfer Students
Students may apply for transfer to St. Thomas Law if they are in good standing at their current institutions. Transfer credit will not be awarded for correspondence courses.
Seat Deposit
In order to secure a seat in the incoming class, admitted students must pay a $500.00 non-refundable seat deposit fee by the date indicated in the offer of admission. The seat deposit is applied toward a new student’s fall tuition. Failure to pay the seat deposit by the deadline could result in forfeiture of the applicant’s seat in the fall class.
Non-Discrimination Policy
St. Thomas University College of Law is an equal opportunity institution of higher education. The College of Law conforms to all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination and is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of sex, gender (including identity and expression), sexual orientation, marital status, age, race, color, disability, religious affiliation, national origin, ancestry, or social condition in its educational programs, admission policies, employment policies, financial aid or other school administered programs and activities. The Assistant Dean for Student Affairs is designated as the person to handle inquiries regarding this policy and can be contacted at (305) 623-2358.
Students who intend to practice law should be aware that admission to the bar in all states involves character, fitness and other qualifications. Before applying for admission to law school, applicants are advised to investigate the requirements for admission to the practice of law in any jurisdiction in which they intend to practice. Some state bars may require registration at the time of entry into law school. An applicant’s ability to be admitted to the practice of law, even after successful completion of legal studies and graduation from law school, may be severely limited if the applicant has had any legal issue. Students are encouraged to determine the requirements for the state(s) in which they intend to practice by consulting the website of the National Conference of Bar Examiners at http://www.ncbex.org/.