Please attach a Personal Statement that provides information about you that will assist the Admissions Committee in evaluating your candidacy, qualifications, and interest in pursuing a legal career. Although there is not a specific topic that you must address, you may include the influences in your life have led you to seek admission to law school and information about why you are applying to Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. If you have overcome unusual or challenging life circumstances including hardship, disadvantage, discrimination, or disability; or have special circumstances that you would like the admission committee to consider, you are encouraged to describe those circumstances in your personal statement or as an addendum to your application. For guidance on Personal Statements, you may wish to view this video.

Our law school?s mission is: ?Learn Law. Live Justice. We Are Your Law School for Life.? Our vision is ?to be the leading student-centered public law school, committed to both excellence and opportunity, with an ethos of social justice and a national voice.?

In keeping with our commitment to both excellence and opportunity, we recognize that traditional academic indicators such as LSAT and GPA do not always reflect an applicant?s full potential. If you would like to share additional information about your relevant educational and professional experiences or unique qualifications that demonstrate your ability to succeed in law school, please include a separate statement.

The flexibility of our part-time online program offers a great opportunity for working professionals and others with outside obligations to obtain a J.D. through a fully-accredited program. In the CSU|LAW program, all courses use an online learning management system that requires you to spend at least 30 hours per week in class and completing online modules and doing outside readings. Classes are a mix of required live (synchronous) and on-your-own (asynchronous) sessions. Every course has required assignments that must be submitted by deadlines throughout the semester. Please describe your plan for setting aside the time and effort required to actively engage in the rigorous study of law.

Please attach a current resume or CV.

Your answers to these questions are extremely important, not only in determining admission to Cleveland State University College of Law, but also to your eventual application to practice law. To be permitted to practice law, all applicants to the Bar must pass a character and fitness screening by Bar examining authorities in addition to passing the Bar exam itself. The screening is thorough and is designed to determine whether the applicant's past conduct justifies the trust of clients, courts, other lawyers, and the public. As part of this screening, you will be required to answer a Character and Fitness Questionnaire that asks about past incidents involving the law and other authorities. Any discrepancy between your law school application and the Character and Fitness Questionnaire or any independent examination of your record may result in an extensive investigation and potentially serious consequences both at the law school and at the Bar application stage. Therefore, you are urged to exercise the utmost candor and thoroughness in answering these questions.

Multiple incidents that individually may seem minor can be problematic when viewed cumulatively. Consequently, the Admissions Committee takes all violations of the law seriously and you are encouraged to provide a thorough and thoughtful explanation of anything you disclose. Failure to provide truthful and complete answers may result in revocation of an offer of admission, disciplinary action and/or dismissal by the law school, a charge under the Cleveland State University College of Law Honor Code, and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission.

If you are unsure whether to answer "Yes" to any question, we strongly recommend answering "Yes" and fully disclosing all incidents. Failure to answer these questions truthfully and with candor may result in the revocation of an offer of admission to CSU College of Law or a charge under the Cleveland State University College of Law Honor Code that may affect your admission to the Bar as much as or more than the act or event itself. If you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, you must provide a complete explanation of the circumstances (see Attachments section). Include in the explanations(s) the date and year, location, circumstances of the violation, and the fine and/or sanction. Official documentation in lieu of your written explanation of the circumstances is unacceptable.

1. Have you ever received a discharge other than honorable from military or other service?

2. Probation/Suspension/Warning/Sanction/Dismissal: Have you been placed on probation, warned, suspended, sanctioned, or dismissed by any college or university for any academic or non-academic reason?

3. Character and Fitness: Are there any criminal charges pending against you, or have you ever been cited, arrested, charged, or convicted for violation of any law, including traffic offenses? All matters must be reported, even if they were expunged, sealed, deferred, or subject to a diversion program.

4. 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.

Thank you for your interest in Cleveland State University College of Law! The CSU|LAW Office of Admission is dedicated to identifying and enrolling future lawyer-leaders who possess the intellectual rigor, ethical foundation, and commitment to justice necessary to excel in the legal profession and serve society. The admissions committee seek candidates who demonstrate academic prowess, show a commitment to advocacy, and promote fairness and justice through the law. Through a careful and equitable review process, we evaluate each applicant as a whole person, considering academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, personal character, and unique experiences and backgrounds. We recognize that while academic potential is important, a well-rounded admission process serves the public and the legal profession better.

The College of Law promotes equal educational opportunity for persons of every race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, and military status.

Applicants demonstrating academic excellence and writing proficiency - but whose LSAT or other test scores are at or below CSU|LAW's published 25th percentile score - may be admitted through the Legal Career Opportunities Program (LCOP). Students admitted to CSU College of Law through the LCOP program are required to attend a summer program beginning in August.

IMPORTANT NOTES: Submitting your application before or after you have taken the test: You may submit your application before or after you take the LSAT or other test. Your application file will not become complete and available for review until we have received both the CAS Report - which contains your LSAT score(s), at least two (of the allowed 3) letters of recommendation, and your transcripts - and your e-application. If you submit your e-application, it will not be eligible for review until the CAS Report is complete. If you take the LSAT before you submit your application, your CAS Report will be sent to the law school only after your e-application has been submitted. If you are applying with a GRE or JD-Next score instead of an LSAT score, you are still required to submit a CAS Report. The application does not correct for capitalization, punctuation and abbreviations. Provide your responses as you would like the reviewer to see them. Prior law school applicants: If you previously attended another law school, you must submit a transcript and a Letter of Good Standing from that law school. If you left the law school not in good academic standing, please provide a written explanation to further discuss your situation and relevant experiences that indicate a likelihood for success in law school if admitted a second time. All applicants must submit a test score. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. See paragraph 9 below under APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS All applicants (full-time day, part-time day and part-time online) are required to complete the following:

1. Successfully complete a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university prior to the start of law school classes. You may apply before you have completed your bachelor's degree, provided that your bachelor's degree is conferred before you enroll in the law school. The only exception to this is for applications submitting an application under an approved 3+3 program, described more fully below. The list of 3+3 program partners can be found here.
2. Complete, certify, and submit an electronic application (eapp) for admission.

PLEASE NOTE: The eapp will not correct capitalization and punctuation errors. Take care to capitalize and use punctuation for your responses as you would want them to appear on your application when it is reviewed. Applications will be accepted through June 1, 2026. 3. Provide a minimum of two (and a maximum of three) Letters of Recommendation. Letters must be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. If you are currently or were recently enrolled at a college or university, it is strongly recommended that at least one of your Letters of Recommendation be from a faculty member.

4. Provide an original Personal Statement that is your own work and represents your best writing. There is no specific topic that should be addressed; this is an opportunity for you to share with the Admissions Committee the information about you that you believe will assist the Committee in its decision. The Statement could include, among other things, what influences in your life have led you to seek admission to law school and to CSU College of Law specifically.

5. Optional Statement. Our law school's mission is: "Learn Law. Live Justice. We Are Your Law School for Life." Our vision is "to be the leading student-centered public law school, committed to both excellence and opportunity, with an ethos of social justice and a national voice." In keeping with our commitment to both excellence and opportunity, we recognize that traditional academic indicators such as LSAT and GPA do not always reflect an applicant's full potential. If you would like to share additional information about your relevant educational and professional experiences or unique qualifications that demonstrate your ability to succeed in law school, please include a separate statement.

6. Required for Part-Time Online JD program applicants: The flexibility of our part-time online JD program offers a great opportunity for working professionals and others with outside obligations to obtain a J.D. through a fully-accredited program. In the CSU|LAW program, all courses use an online learning management system that requires you to spend at least 30 hours per week completing online modules and doing outside readings. Classes are a mix of required live (synchronous) and on-your-own (asynchronous) sessions. Every course has required assignments that must be submitted by deadlines throughout the semester.

Please describe your plan for setting aside the time and effort required to actively engage in the rigorous study of law.

7. Resume. You must attach a resume to your electronic application.

8. Character and Fitness. You are required to disclose and submit a statement of all relevant facts pertaining to any and all probations, suspensions, warnings, sanctions, and dismissals by any college or university for academic or non-academic reasons; criminal charges pending against you; convictions or granted deferred adjudications or diversions for any offense, felony or misdemeanor, including traffic offenses.

If you are unsure whether to answer "Yes" to any question, we strongly recommend answering "Yes" and fully disclosing all incidents.

Multiple incidents that individually may seem minor can be problematic when viewed cumulatively. Consequently, the Admissions Committee takes all violations of the law seriously and you are encouraged to provide a thorough and thoughtful explanation of anything you disclose. Failure to provide truthful and complete answers may result in revocation of an offer of admission, disciplinary action and/or dismissal by the law school, a charge under the Cleveland State University College of Law Honor Code, and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission.

All matters must be reported, even if they were expunged or the records sealed under the laws of any state.

To be permitted to practice law, all applicants to the bar must pass a character and fitness screening by Bar examining authorities in addition to passing the bar exam itself. The screening is thorough and is designed to determine whether the applicant's past conduct justifies the trust of clients, courts, other lawyers, and the public. As part of this screening, you will be required to answer a Character and Fitness Questionnaire that asks about past incidents involving the law and other authorities. Any discrepancy between your law school application and the Character and Fitness Questionnaire or any independent examination of your record may result in an extensive investigation and potentially serious consequences both at the law school and at the Bar application stage. Therefore, you are urged to exercise the utmost candor and thoroughness in answering these questions.

9. Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than April of the year you intend to enroll in law school. When more than one score is reported, CSU College of Law will consider the highest score, but will receive all prior scores. CSU College of Law will also accept applications from applicants who have taken the GRE or JD-Next. For more guidance on submitting an application with a GRE or JD-Next score in lieu of an LSAT score, read this information.

If you are submitting a GRE score, you must complete the steps that are necessary with ETS to have your GRE score report released to CSU|LAW and register for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). If you have previously taken the LSAT, your LSAT score(s) will be released to us with your CAS Report and will be considered along with your GRE score.

We also consider applicants who submit a JD-Next score. If you are submitting a JD-Next score, you must complete the steps that are necessary to have your JD-Next score report released to CSU|LAW and also register for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). If you have previously taken the LSAT, your LSAT score(s) will be released to us with your CAS Report and will be considered along with your JD-Next score.

10. Register for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). This service will be the clearinghouse for your LSAT score(s), academic transcripts, and Letters of Recommendation. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) will transmit your CAS Report automatically once your application is received by the CSU College of Law.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINES: Applicants who are not applying through our Early Decision process are strongly encouraged to apply early in the admissions cycle, preferably by January 1. As files are reviewed and offers of admission made during the admissions process, the number of remaining spots in the class will be reduced and selectivity for the remaining spots may become more competitive. We will continue to make offers until the class is full, which may occur prior to the application deadline of July 1. For this reason, we encourage applicants to apply as early as they are able to. Scholarship funds may not be available later in the admissions process. Priority scholarship consideration will be given to applicants who apply prior to March 1st. Review of completed applications submitted for Regular Admissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will begin in November, after the completion of the Early Decision I and Early Decision II admissions cycles. For guidance on compiling your application materials and the submission process, please visit our website.

Please note these important application submission deadlines. November 15 Deadline for Early Decision I applications (see below) January 1 Deadline for Early Decision II applications (see below) July 1 Deadline for Regular Admissions

APPLICATION OPTIONS: Early Decision Applications If CSU College of Law is your first choice of law school and you would wish to make a binding commitment to attend if admitted, then you may want to apply as an Early Decision applicant.

In addition to completing the application process, Early Decision applicants must complete and submit an Early Decision Agreement, which can be found in the Forms tab or on our website here, and submit it as part of their eapp.

Early Decision applicants agree: That they will not apply for early decision consideration at another law school; That if admitted to CSU|LAW under Early Decision, they will withdraw their applications from all other law schools; That they will not initiate any additional law school applications once notified of Early Decision admission to CSU|LAW; That if admitted under Early Decision, they will not be eligible for deferral unless exceptional circumstances are demonstrated. Early Decision applicants may be: admitted; admitted via the Legal Careers Opportunity Program (LCOP); denied; or held for consideration through the regular rolling admissions process. Applicants who have not been admitted under Early Decision are not bound by this Early Decision agreement.

Early Decision options: Early Decision I Application Deadline: November 15 Decision Notification: December 15 Deposit Due: December 29

Early Decision II Application Deadline: January 1 Decision Notification: January 31 Deposit Due: February 14

Dual Degree Applications In addition to applying for the J.D. program, applicants have the option of applying to a master's degree program at Cleveland State University through one of our dual degree program options, which means that they can obtain a J.D. and a second graduate degree, typically reducing by two semesters the length of time that normally would be required if obtaining those degrees separately.

Applicants to a dual degree program must apply separately to - and be admitted by - both the law school and the school that will grant the second degree. This means that applicants must meet the application and admission requirements of each school. PLEASE NOTE: If you indicate a dual degree program interest and you are admitted to the law school, this does not affect your application status in the master's degree program or admit you to both programs. Your selection of the JD only or a dual degree program option will not affect the decision on your application to the law school. Click here for information about our Dual Degree program options. To obtain admission information about Cleveland State University's graduate programs, contact the CSU Office of Graduate Admission at 216.687.5499 or visit them online here. Full-Time and Part-Time Program Options You may apply as a full-time day, part-time day, or part-time online program student. Applicants to the part-time online program are required to attach a supplemental statement describing their plan for setting aside the time required to fully participate as a student in our part-time online program. Learn more about the part-time online program HERE.

Note regarding the part-time online program: The flexibility of our part-time online program offers a great opportunity for working professionals and others with outside obligations to obtain a J.D. through a fully-accredited program. In the CSU|LAW program, all courses use an online learning management system that requires you to spend at least 30 hours per week in class and completing online modules and doing outside readings. Classes are a mix of required live (synchronous) and on-your-own (asynchronous) sessions. Every course has required assignments that must be submitted by deadlines throughout the semester. Please describe your plan for setting aside the time and effort required to actively engage in the rigorous study of law.

In addition to remote coursework, students in the part-time online program will attend six in-person Residencies over the course of their enrollment at CSU|LAW. These experiences - held over long weekends - will be opportunities for students to meet their fellow classmates and faculty, network with leading judges and attorneys, and develop critical lawyering skills. Students enrolled in our part-time online program will have access to all of the services and opportunities available to all students.

3+3 Bachelor's/Law Accelerated Degree Program Cleveland State University College of Law partners with several select colleges and universities to offer students the opportunity to earn their law degrees through an officially-sanctioned 3+3 Bachelors/Law program. Students who are accepted through a 3+3 partnership will complete their final undergraduate year as a first-year law student. This first year of law school will serve as their final undergraduate year. Most students complete the 3+3 program in 6 years rather than the 7 years typically required to complete both degrees: 3 years of undergraduate coursework + 3 years of law school full-time.

If you are a college junior at a CSU College of Law 3+3 partner institution and have been approved by your undergraduate institution to apply through our joint 3+3 program, please indicate this in the Applicant Type question.

Information about our 3+3 program can be found HERE.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS Foreign transcripts must be submitted through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) offered through the Law School Admission Council. If you completed any postsecondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. (Exception: If you completed the foreign work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript.) This service is included in the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) registration fee. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your law school report.

To use the Credential Assembly Service, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts. Questions about the Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001 or LSAC.org.

FINANCIAL AID Applicants for financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Complete the FAFSA application online and the results will be submitted to the University electronically.

The Federal school code for Cleveland State University College of Law is 003032. You do not need to wait until you are accepted to complete your FAFSA. You may submit your FAFSA as early as October 1 in the year preceding your enrollment in the law school.

Cleveland State University declares...

That it will educate students by means of free, open and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth;

That its duty is to equip students with the opportunity to develop the intellectual skills they need to reach their own, informed conclusions;

Its commitment to not requiring, favoring, disfavoring or prohibiting speech or lawful assembly;

It is committed to create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth, and tolerates the differences in opinion that naturally occur in a public higher education community; and,

That its duty is to treat all faculty, staff and students as individuals, to hold them to equal standards and to provide them equality of opportunity, without regard to those individuals' race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

-- Ohio Revised Code 3345.0216