Ave Maria > Requirements

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 (http://www.ncbex.org/).

Applicants should take care to respond fully and accurately to each question on the law school application. Applicants should be aware that, in conducting character and fitness investigations, bar authorities frequently request copies of candidate's applications for admission to law school to determine whether they have supplied erroneous, misleading or incomplete information in the admission process. If discrepancies are found, bar authorities may conclude that such discrepancies demonstrate a lack of honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, or reliability so as to call into question the applicant's fitness for admission to the Bar.

If the answer to any of the questions regarding character and fitness is affirmative, a full written explanation must be provided and should include dates, circumstances and outcomes surrounding the incident(s). Please supplement the application whenever necessary to ensure that the answers are current and accurate. Additionally, if the answer to the question regarding prior matriculation is affirmative, a full written explanation must be provided. In addition to an addendum, applicants are required to provide an official transcript and an official letter of standing to Ave Maria School of Law. Transcripts and letter of standing from the previous law school must be sent directly to LSAC or Ave Maria School of Law by previous institution.

1. Have you ever been dropped, suspended, placed on academic or disciplinary probation, expelled, advised or required to withdraw, or otherwise been subject to discipline by any college, university, graduate or professional (including law) school?

If yes, please explain fully, including dates. You may copy and paste your response from another document. (maximum characters 3000)
Have you ever been charged with, arrested for, pleaded guilty to, or been convicted of any crime other than a minor traffic violation? Details on parking tickets may be excluded but moving violations, including speeding tickets, must be fully disclosed. Please disclose this information even if the charges were dismissed or you were acquitted, the conviction was stayed or vacated, the record was sealed or expunged, or if you were advised not to disclose this information.
If yes, please explain fully, including dates. You may copy and paste your response from another document. (maximum characters 3000)
Are there any criminal charges pending against you?
If yes, please explain fully, including dates. You may copy and paste your response from another document. (maximum characters 3000)
Have you ever had a professional license which has been subject to disciplinary action, probation, suspension, or revocation? Professional license includes a license to practice law in another jurisdiction or any other type of professional license that was issued in any jurisdiction. Also include documentation to support a reinstatement of any license that has been subject to disciplinary action.
If yes, please explain fully, including dates. You may copy and paste your response from another document. (maximum characters 4000)
Have you ever been delinquent or in default of any financial obligations, including student loans? One of the top four areas of concern for most bar examiners is financial responsibility. In many instances, having the debt is not the concern, but being irresponsible about managing and repaying that debt is what is more troubling.
If yes,explain those instances and provide evidence of renewed financial responsibility. Such evidence can include proof of timely, consecutive payments to a creditor over a notable period of time of at least six months. (maximum characters 4000)

If your answer to any of the Character and Fitness questions was affirmative, a full written explanation must be provided. Such explanations should include dates, charges, contact information for the arresting agency and court, sentencing information, or other outcomes. Additionally, please supplement the application whenever necessary to ensure that the answers are current and accurate.

Each jurisdiction establishes bar registration and admission standards for individuals who wish to practice within the jurisdiction. One important aspect of admission to practice is an evaluation of an applicant’s character and fitness to practice law.

Applicants should take care to respond fully and accurately to each question on the law school application. Applicants should be aware that, in conducting character and fitness investigations, bar authorities frequently request copies of candidate’s applications for admission to law school to determine whether they have supplied erroneous, misleading, or incomplete information in the admission process. If discrepancies are found, bar authorities may conclude that such discrepancies demonstrate a lack of honesty, trustworthiness, diligence or reliability so as to call into question the applicant’s fitness for admission to the Bar.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the Board of Bar Examiners of the state(s) in which they intend to practice in order to secure information regarding the qualifications for admission to the practice of law in that jurisdiction, including what constitutes proof of sufficient character and fitness.

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

Ave Maria School of Law is accepting applications for new students interested in being considered for the following semesters:

Spring 2026
Summer 2026 - Orientation mid-May (Dates TBD)
Fall 2026 - Orientation mid-August (Dates TBD)

The Admissions Committee at Ave Maria School of Law encourages all prospective applicants to submit their application at the earliest possible date after August 1st. Applying early in the admissions cycle will ensure that the committee is able to provide full consideration for acceptance and merit-based scholarships. Merit-based scholarship funds are limited and there is no guarantee that scholarships will be granted to applicants accepted after the April 1, 2026 deposit deadline.

The Admissions Committee evaluates applications for admission on a "rolling admissions" basis beginning in early November. Admissions evaluations will continue through late spring, as determined by availability of space in the entering class. The Admissions Committee typically renders an admission decision within four to six weeks of the date that the application form and all supporting materials are received by the Admissions Office.

Please note you only have to apply for one term. If you wish to change terms please contact us to do so at admissions@avemarialaw.edu.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION

To be considered for admission to Ave Maria School of Law, an applicant must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university prior to enrolling at the School of Law. There is no single major or undergraduate field of study that is either required or recommended of an applicant for admission.

Applicants for admission must register for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). The LSAT is administered multiple times annually in locations throughout the United States and at various test centers around the world. Ave Maria School of Law recognizes LSAT scores that have been taken within the last five years. When an applicant for admission has taken the LSAT more than one time, the Admissions Committee typically chooses to rely upon the highest score when evaluating the application. [A candidate may register for the LSAT and CAS online at www.LSAC.org or by requesting and completing registration materials from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) at (215) 968-1001.]

A. Letters of Recommendation

One recent (dated within the last two years) letter of recommendation written by an individual who is unrelated to the applicant and able to offer substantive comments on the applicant's potential for success in law school is required. Letters from supervisors or others in a non-academic setting may be substituted for letters written by faculty members if such letters cannot be obtained as a result of the length of time that has passed since the applicant was enrolled in college classes. Optionally, an additional letter of recommendation from a pastor, clergy, or spiritual advisor is welcome. A maximum of three letters of recommendation may be submitted through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service.

B. Personal Statement

A well-written personal statement is an especially valuable component of the application for admission. The personal statement may address any number of topics but generally should allow the Admissions Committee to gain further insights into the applicant's background, motivation for entering the legal profession, personal and professional goals, and the applicant's interest in Ave Maria School of Law. The applicant is encouraged to discuss aspects of our distinctive mission she/he finds particularly meaningful. Our mission is available on our website at www.avemarialaw.edu. In addition, if an applicant wishes to be considered for a specific scholarship (listed on our website), that should be included in the personal statement or a separate statement, along with any factors or experiences in support of the request. The length of the personal statement should not exceed two double-spaced typed pages using a 12-point font.

To enhance their application, candidates may also choose to submit a 1-2 paragraph diversity statement or a statement describing their commitment to the Catholic faith.

Additionally, candidates who answer "yes" to either of the Character and Fitness questions, should submit an addendum explaining the specific circumstances along with any supporting documents.

C. Resume

Applicants are required to include a professional resume detailing their education, employment, skills, honors, awards and accomplishments. Pleases use the Attachments section of the application to upload the resume.

D. Application Fee

The application fee is waived for all applicants who apply using the online application system. Ave Maria School of Law does not accept paper applications or CAS Reports fee waiver requests.

E. College Transcript

An official copy of the applicant's undergraduate transcript must be sent to LSAC. As part of the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS), LSAC will summarize the transcript and provide Ave Maria with a copy as part of the Credential Assembly Service report, which includes the LSAT score(s) and a copy of the LSAT writing sample. A final official transcript will be required upon enrollment.

ADMISSION AS A TRANSFER STUDENT

Ave Maria School of Law will consider for transfer admission a student who has earned academic credit at another law school approved by the American Bar Association and is in good academic standing. Ordinarily, the Law School will admit only those students who have achieved solid academic performance in the first year of their legal studies by ranking in the top half of their class. Ave Maria School of Law will accept a maximum of 32 semester hours of credits earned at another law school. Acceptance of credits offered by a student permitted to transfer to Ave Maria from another law school is at the discretion of the Admissions Committee in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Credit will not be given for courses in which a student receives a grade of less than a "C" or its equivalent.

A student at another law school who wishes to transfer to Ave Maria must submit the following documentation to the Admissions Office no later than July 31st: A completed application form; a Credential Assembly Service report provided by the Law School Admission Council; a one-page personal statement addressing the reason(s) for seeking transfer admission; one letter of recommendation, one of which must be from a faculty member of the applicant's current law school; an official transcript from the applicant's current law school; and a letter of good standing and indication of applicant's class rank at the current law school.

Scholarship assistance for transfer students will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

ADMISSION AS A VISITING STUDENT

A law student enrolled and in good standing at another ABA-accredited law school may enroll in courses at Ave Maria School of Law for up to one academic year. Visiting students earn academic credit at Ave Maria (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and, with the approval of their home institution, apply these credits toward graduation requirements of the home institution. It is important to note that enrollment as a visiting student is not an appropriate mechanism for eventually seeking to transfer to Ave Maria.

Potential visiting students are required to submit the following in order to be considered for admission: a completed application form; a brief statement addressing the reason(s) for seeking enrollment as a visiting student; a letter from the dean's office of the home school granting approval for the student to enroll at Ave Maria School of Law as a visiting student; and an official law school transcript. The application deadline for submission of these materials is July 31st for the fall semester and December 1st for the spring semester. Visiting students are not eligible to receive scholarship assistance; however, visiting students are able to receive federal and private loan assistance.

Application requirements