A personal statement is an important and required part of your application. This statement should be limited to no more than three double-spaced pages typed in 12-point font. There is no specific prompt for you to write on. This statement should enable the reviewer to know you, your interests, and/or challenges that you may have experienced that have led you to this stage in your life.

This section is optional.

An applicant who believes that their background or life experience may have adversely affected them and their past educational performance, should provide detailed information about their background or life experience in this separate adversity statement. You may describe any challenges, disadvantages, traumatic events, forms of social exclusion, or any other kinds of adversity that you have experienced, and how these life experiences may have adversely affected you and your past educational performance. If so, please discuss how you overcame these adverse experiences and/or how they have shaped the person you are.

This section is optional.

An applicant who believes that their application contains any perceived weakness(es) (such as a low undergraduate GPA or a low admission test score) should provide a statement to further explain the perceived weakness(es) in their application.

Submit a résumé outlining your employment history, organizational memberships, volunteer experiences, and other pertinent information related to your work or volunteer history.

Applicants are required to answer the following questions fully and honestly. Applicants have a continuing duty prior to and after matriculation to inform California Western of any and all changes to their answers to these questions. Failure to make such disclosure(s) may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action by California Western, or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which the applicant seeks admission.

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.

1. Have you ever been found guilty of an honor code violation (or its equivalent) at any institution of higher learning?

2. Provide a full explanation that specifies the surrounding circumstances, applicable dates, and repercussions of each honor code violation. Attach additional documentation ONLY IF your explanation exceeds the character limits allotted. (maximum characters 5000)

3. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been apprehended, cited, arrested, taken into custody for, charged with, indicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty or no contest (nolo contendere) to the commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except for minor traffic violations unrelated to the use of intoxicants, or been the subject of juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceedings, or is any such action pending or expected to be brought against you? Answer affirmatively even if the applicable offense has been dismissed or expunged.

4. Provide a full explanation that specifies the surrounding circumstances, applicable dates, and the sentencing, if any, be it incarceration, probation, community service, community control, restitution, fine, revocation or suspension of driving privileges, or suspension of sentence altogether. Attach additional documentation ONLY IF your explanation exceeds the character limits allotted. (maximum characters 5000)

5. Have you ever been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil lawsuit?

6. Provide a full explanation that specifies the surrounding circumstances, whether you were the plaintiff or defendant, applicable dates, and the outcome of each lawsuit. Attach additional documentation ONLY IF your explanation exceeds the character limits allotted. (maximum characters 5000)

7. Have you ever been informally or formally dropped, suspended, warned, placed on disciplinary probation, expelled, or requested to resign or allowed to resign in lieu of discipline by any educational institution, or otherwise subjected to any academic or non-academic discipline by any such institution or requested or advised by any such institution to discontinue your studies therein?

8. Provide a full explanation that specifies the surrounding circumstances, applicable dates, and repercussions of every disciplinary action taken against you. Attach additional documentation ONLY IF your explanation exceeds the character limits allotted. (maximum characters 5000)

9. Has any governmental or administrative agency (including any branch of the armed forces), or employer ever taken disciplinary action against you?

10. Provide a full explanation that specifies the surrounding circumstances, applicable dates, and repercussions of every disciplinary action taken against you. Attach additional documentation ONLY IF your explanation exceeds the character limits allotted. (maximum characters 5000)