Creighton University School of Law
Application requirements
The Admissions Committee requires submission of a personal statement to assist the Committee in evaluating your application. You may wish to call attention to factors in your background that may be indicative of your potential success as a law student and a member of the bar, such as your motivation to study law, work experience, special interests, honors, community involvement, or personal hardships. Your personal statement should be no more than two pages and be double spaced.
This section is optional.
Applicants are welcome to submit an Optional Addendum if they wish to provide the Admissions Committee with additional information regarding a particular part of their application. This addendum is not required of applicants. It can provide an opportunity for applicants to further describe a piece of their application that they feel requires additional explanation. For example, the Optional Addendum can be used to discuss why reported grades and test scores may not fully indicate their ability to succeed in the study of law. It can also be used to explain any gaps in education, or other topics the applicant wishes to share with the Admissions Committee.
This program is available for outstanding applicants who want to develop leadership skills through discussion, debate, and experiences in the classroom, on campus, and in the community. The Dean's Fellows Program is a non-binding, selective program designed for incoming law students who have strong academic credentials and are able to demonstrate their commitment to serving others. Among other benefits, Dean's Fellows are eligible for a $1,000 foreign-study stipend and a $250 research and professional development grant, provided they maintain good standing, attend program-related meetings and events, and serve as an ambassador to prospective law students. To apply, applicants should have a strong academic record (both LSAT and GPA) and demonstrated commitment to serving others in their education, community, and/or career goals.
Select applicants will be requested to submit a 250-word essay on servant leadership and offered an interview (either in person, phone, or by Zoom) for the program. Interviews will be conducted between January and March 1. If you are selected to become a Fellow, you must accept by April 1. An applicant that is not qualified for the Dean's Fellows Program will move into the regular admissions process. Applicants are permitted to apply to both the Creighton Scholars program and the Dean's Fellows program but will only be admitted into one program.
The priority deadline to apply to the Dean's Fellows Program is February 15.
The Admissions Committee requires submission of a current résumé to assist the Committee in evaluating your application. We do not require a specific format for the résumé. Applicants are welcome to submit a standard résumé they have used when applying for work or internship experiences.
American Bar Association
Standard 504. Qualifications for Admission to the Bar
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 at www.ncbex.org.
Because of the high ethical standard to which lawyers are held, the failure to disclose an act or event such as the ones described below is often more significant, and leads to more serious consequences, than the act or event itself. Failure to provide truthful answers, failure to disclose answers, or failure to inform the Admissions Office of any changes to your answers, may result in the revocation of admission (without refund of tuition) prior to law school, during law school, or even after graduation, or disciplinary action by the Law School, or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission. You have a continuing duty to update any changes to your application from the time you apply and throughout your time as a Creighton Law student.
1. Have you ever been charged, arrested or cited (as an adult or a juvenile) for any crime other than a minor traffic violation? You must include all offenses involving alcohol. Disclosure is required regardless of the disposition, whether the record was sealed or expunged, or whether you were told you did not need to disclose such events.
*Please Note: If you answer yes to any of the following character and fitness questions, you must submit an attachment including all relevant information (where appropriate), including but not limited to:
- Dates
- Name of the charge
- Level of offense (e.g., first-degree misdemeanor, fourth-degree felony)
- City and state
- Final disposition
- A description of the facts and circumstances surrounding the event and its resolution
- Whether you have completed all requirements of sentencing.
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Have you ever been a party to a civil lawsuit or an administrative proceeding, including but not limited to bankruptcy, marital dissolutions, or lawsuits involving debt collection?
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Have you ever been warned, suspended, expelled, placed on probation, or otherwise disciplined by any professional or social organization?
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Have you ever been warned, suspended, or disciplined, placed on academic or disciplinary probation, dropped, expelled, or requested or advised to resign from any post-secondary school, college, university, professional school, or law school?
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Were you ever the subject of a complaint, probable cause hearing, or other initial inquiry for any academic or non-academic reasons at any post-secondary school, college, university, professional school, or law school?
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Have you ever been dismissed, discharged, or requested to resign, by an employer?
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Have you ever defaulted or are you currently in default on a financial obligation?
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Have you had any gaps in your education or employment?
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Are or were you a first-generation college/university student? A first-generation college/university student is defined as a student whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor's degree at a four-year college/university.
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Will you be a first-generation law student? A first-generation law student is defined as a student whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed a JD degree or equivalent at a US, Canadian, or other international law school.
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Since starting college, have you ever participated in a pre-law program designed for individuals underrepresented in the field of law (such as a pipeline program)?
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When enrolled in college, were you a Pell Grant recipient in any semester?