Applicants are required to submit a personal statement. We recommend that you use the personal statement to present to the Admissions Committee information and perspectives regarding your background, experience, special circumstances, and interests that you believe will help the Committee understand your unique story. In addition, the statement should address why you are interested in obtaining a law degree and, more specifically, in attending the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. The personal statement should be no longer than 750 words, double-spaced.

You are invited to complete one (and only one) of the optional essay prompts below. In responding to a prompt, please keep in mind that what you contributed to or took away from any experience is far more important to us than the experience itself. Your optional essay should be no longer than 250 words, double-spaced, and must be typed and not hand-written. Please title your document with the option you select. Upload any submission as an attachment to the application form.

Option 1: Members of the Maryland Carey Law community make a difference in the world in ways big and small. We encourage our students and alumni to make their corner of the world a bit brighter through leadership and innovation. Describe one of your most important accomplishments and explain why it is important to you. Discuss how you demonstrated leadership, helped innovate, and/or drove change as part of that accomplishment.

Option 2: The Law School values determination and resilience and recognizes that these traits are critical to success not just in law school, but also in the legal profession. Describe a significant challenge, disappointment, or setback that you faced. Discuss how you approached this experience and what you learned from it.

Option 3: To succeed at the Law School and in the legal profession, you must be able to have respectful discussions across differences and, where appropriate, be open to changing your mind. Describe a time when you changed your mind on an important topic after discussing it with a person with whom you disagreed or after learning additional information. Discuss what you learned from this experience.

Option 4: Maryland Carey Law has a strong sense of community and a longstanding tradition of public engagement. Our students and graduates are committed in rich and varied ways to public service and community engagement. Describe a community that has been particularly meaningful to you. Discuss what you gain from being a part of this community and what you contribute to this community.

Please upload any additional documents that you would like to include in your application.

Submit a résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your education, employment, skills, honors, awards and accomplishments.

Responding to Character and Fitness Questions in the Application Please carefully read and respond to all the questions in the application that relate to your Character and Fitness for Admission to the Bar. The failure to provide honest and accurate answers to the questions posed below is very serious, and such failure is often more significant than the act or event requiring disclosure. The questions we ask in this section track the questions that will be asked by many state bar admission authorities.

FAILURE TO DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER MAY RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY THE SCHOOL OF LAW AND COULD DELAY OR EVEN PREVENT YOUR ADMISSION TO THE BAR.

For any affirmative answer, please electronically attach a statement marked ?Character and Fitness.? Your answer should include the date and location (city, town and state) of each incident, a description of the incident, and a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding each event, including the resolution of the incident. The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law reserves the right to request additional information from you, including further explanation concerning the incidents in question, court records, documents, or any other relevant information.

Applicants have a continuing duty throughout the application, admission, and enrollment process to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes in the information provided in the application to ensure that it remains complete and accurate. Failure to provide truthful and complete answers, or failure to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes to your answers, may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action by the School of Law, and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission to the bar.

Upload attachment(s) when completing the application form.

1. Have you ever been terminated, suspended, laid off, discharged or permitted to resign in lieu of termination from any employment? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

2. Have you ever been discharged from the military under conditions other than honorable? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

3. Excluding incidents which may have occurred as a juvenile, have you ever been charged, disciplined, placed on probation, suspended, expelled, or asked to withdraw because of a disciplinary or academic violation of any kind by any school, college, or university, whether formally or informally? This includes, but is not limited to, any instances in which you were charged but the charges were ultimately dropped or where you simply received a written warning. (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

4. Excluding incidents which may have occurred as a juvenile, have you ever been charged with a violation of any honor code, ethical code, code of conduct, or code or rules governing academic and/or personal behavior while a student at any school, college, or university? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

5. With regard to the two questions immediately preceding this one, is there any situation involving a disciplinary or academic violation on your part that is currently pending? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

6. Has it ever been determined that you filed false honor code charges or false complaints against fellow students, faculty or staff, or other members of your school, college or university community? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

Excluding offenses committed as a juvenile, for purposes of the next two questions, you should include offenses that resulted in purged, sealed, obliterated, dismissed, expunged, or destroyed records, regardless of whether you have been told that you need not disclose any such event. This includes traffic offenses of all kinds, with the exception of the occasional parking ticket. This information will also be requested by state bar authorities in many states. If you are not sure about the nature or the ultimate disposition of a particular charge, you are advised to make full disclosure because a subsequent finding that you failed to disclose relevant information could have disqualifying consequences. The failure to disclose an act or event is often more significant, and can lead to more serious consequences, than the act or event itself. Failure to provide truthful answers, or failure to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes to your answers, may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action by the School of Law, and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission to the bar.

7. Excluding offenses committed as a juvenile, have you ever been arrested or charged, formally or informally, and without regard to the result, with a violation of any law? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

8. Are any charges pending or expected to be brought against you for the violation of any law? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

9. Are you in default on any financial obligation for any student loans or to any college or university? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

10. Has your driver's license ever been suspended or revoked? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

11. Are you currently deferring enrollment at a law school that requires a commitment not to apply elsewhere? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant details.)

12. Have you ever attended a law school? If you answered yes, please upload a statement explaining why you are no longer attending.

ELIGIBILITY To be eligible to apply for admission to the Juris Doctor program at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or expect to graduate during the current academic year. Maryland Carey Law will not review applications from students who are not in good standing or who have been dismissed from a law school within the past five years. To be considered, applicants must also complete all required components of the application included in the first-year JD application checklist below.

APPLICATION DEADLINE The application priority deadline is March 1, 2027. However, so long as enrollment considerations allow, we may continue to receive completed applications until August 1, 2027.

APPLICATION FEES AND DEPOSITS The application fee is $70 and must be paid online by credit card through LSAC. All fees and deposits are non-refundable.

REVIEW PROCESS The Admissions Committee at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law makes admission decisions on a rolling basis. The Committee evaluates the academic potential of applicants through a thorough assessment of each applicant's academic record, professional and educational experiences, and accomplishments. The Admissions Committee may request to interview candidates. Those interviews are done only at the request of the Admissions Committee and will be considered in the review process. In addition, the Committee identifies candidates who will enhance the professional development of their peers and will contribute positively to the law school community as a whole.

BINDING EARLY DECISION PROGRAMS Binding programs can offer unique advantages for prospective students. Maryland Carey Law is excited to offer two different binding programs: the Carey Law Scholars Binding Program and the Binding Early Decision Program. Applicants applying to a binding program may select only one binding program.

Before committing to one of our binding programs, applicants must carefully review the program details and requirements on our website and must agree to be bound by the acceptance.

Carey Law Scholars Binding Program

The Carey Law Scholars Binding Program provides successful applicants with a scholarship that covers 50% of your first-year tuition. The scholarship will then be renewable in the same monetary amount provided you remain in good standing. Applicants will also receive an expedited decision. This program is highly competitive and is designed for applicants who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and who are certain that Maryland Carey Law is their first choice.

Binding Early Decision Program

Applicants who are certain that the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is their first-choice law school may apply under our Binding Early Decision Program. This program allows applicants to express their sincere interest in attending Maryland Carey Law as their priority institution. In consideration of the applicant's clear expression of interest, the law school will give the highest priority to the review of applications submitted under this program. Merit scholarships are not available to students admitted through the Early Decision Program. Applicants for whom merit scholarships are a consideration should not apply to this program but should instead apply through the regular admissions process. This program is available to all applicants but may be ideal for those applicants who qualify for in-state tuition.

If questions arise about either of these programs, applicants should contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@law.umaryland.edu.

3+3 DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM This program is designed for students enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), who will have completed 90 credit hours (at least 30 credits at UMCP, including all University of Maryland general education requirements) by the time they would enroll in law school. These students are eligible to receive the Bachelor's degree from UMCP after completion of 30 credits, or one year, at Maryland Carey Law. Students admitted under this program are eligible to receive the JD degree after successful completion of all graduation requirements at Maryland Carey Law. Learn more about the 3+3 Dual Degree Program ».

FIRST-YEAR JD APPLICATION CHECKLIST
A completed application for a first-year JD applicant consists of the following:

The application form, submitted online through LSAC. The non-refundable $70 application fee, submitted online by credit card through LSAC. A valid score from either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), or the JD-Next exam. Test scores are valid for five years only and must be valid through October of the applicant's entering year. Applicants planning on submitting JD-Next or GRE scores must email the admissions office at admissions@law.umaryland.edu. All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts: Applicants must request official undergraduate and graduate transcripts and have them submitted directly to LSAC. Two letters of recommendation: Applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation, but no more than four, through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Recommenders should include instructors under whom you have studied or with whom you have worked closely during college or graduate study. If you have not had recent contact with such individuals, you may submit letters of recommendation from employers. Please do not submit letters of recommendation from personal friends, family friends or relatives, as they will not be given weight in the admissions process. Credential Assembly Service: All applicants are required to register and submit the appropriate materials through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS), including their LSAT score(s) (if applicable), all official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and all other required components of the application. Personal Statement: Applicants are required to submit a personal statement. We recommend that you use the personal statement to present to the Admissions Committee information and perspectives regarding your background, experience, special circumstances and interests that you believe will help the Committee understand your unique story. In addition, the statement should address why you are interested in obtaining a law degree and, more specifically, why you are interested in attending the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. The personal statement should be no longer than 750 words, double-spaced, and must be typed and not hand-written. Upload your personal statement as an attachment to the application form. Résumé: Submit a résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your education, employment, skills, honors, awards, and accomplishments. Upload your résumé as an attachment to the application form. Optional Additional Essay: Applicants are invited to complete one of the optional essay prompts provided. In responding to a prompt, please keep in mind that what you contributed to or took away from any experience is far more important to us than the experience itself. The optional essay should be no longer than 250 words, double-spaced, and must be typed and not hand-written. Upload the statement as an attachment to the application form. Admissions Interview: The Admissions Committee at Maryland Carey Law may request to interview applicants as part of the application review process and prior to issuing a decision. Interview requests are made at the sole discretion of the Admissions Committee and candidates are not able to request interviews. Free Application for Federal Student Aid: The University of Maryland, Baltimore requires submission of the FAFSA for every student expecting to receive any form of financial aid, including those receiving merit-based aid only. Please submit your FAFSA form as soon as possible after it becomes available. Please review the University's financial aid website for deadlines and other relevant information here: https://www.umaryland.edu/fin/process/applying/. Submit this form online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa, and enter the code for the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus: 002104. ATTACHMENTS Please upload attachments through the "Attachments" tab. Attachments should include your personal statement, résumé or curriculum vitae, optional essay (if applicable), information about a prior law school that you have attended, information in explanation of any character and fitness issue, and any other information relevant to your application.

APPLICATION FOR IN-STATE CLASSIFICATION Application for In-State Classification: The Office of the Registrar for the University of Maryland, Baltimore makes all residency determinations. Applicants seeking In-State residency status, including residents of Maryland, must complete the online Application for In-State Classification at https://www.umaryland.edu/registrar/residency/application/.

If you are a resident of the District of Columbia, you may also qualify for in-state classification through the DC Residency In-State Tuition Exemption. More information and an overview of that application process can be found at https://www.umaryland.edu/registrar/residency/dc-residency-in-state-tuition-exemption/.

Some non-Maryland or non-District of Columbia residents may be able to qualify for in-state classification. More information about the in-state classification process and criteria can be found here: https://www.umaryland.edu/registrar/residency/. The application for the Fall semester opens in January.

All applicants are considered non-residents/out-of-state residents for tuition purposes until the Application for In-State Classification has been submitted and approved.

IMPORTANT: ALL incoming students are deemed NON-RESIDENTS/OUT-OF-STATE for tuition purposes. Those seeking to obtain In-State classification for tuition purposes MUST complete an Application for In-State Classification in the first term for consideration (Contact residency@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7480 with questions).

DISCLOSURE POLICY: CHARACTER AND FITNESS FOR BAR ADMISSION Just as lawyers are held to high ethical standards, so are University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law students. One ethical duty is to fully and accurately disclose the information sought in our application. The failure to provide honest and accurate information in the application is a very serious matter and may result in a delay, rescission or denial of admission to the School of Law and/or a denial of admission to the bar. Applicants have a continuing duty throughout the application, admission and enrollment process to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes in the information provided in the application to ensure that it remains complete and accurate.

Failure to provide truthful and complete answers, or failure to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes to your answers, may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action by the School of Law, and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission to the bar.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every US 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.

Responding to Character and Fitness Questions in the Application

Please carefully read and respond to the 12 questions in the application that relate to your Character and Fitness for Admission to the Bar. The failure to provide honest and accurate answers to the questions on the application is very serious, often more significant than the act or event requiring disclosure. The questions we ask in this section track the questions that will be asked by many state bar admission authorities.

FAILURE TO DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER MAY RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY THE SCHOOL OF LAW AND COULD DELAY OR EVEN PREVENT YOUR ADMISSION TO THE BAR.

For any affirmative answer, please electronically attach a statement marked "Character and Fitness." Your answer should include the date and location (city, town and state) of each incident, a description of the incident, and a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding each event, including the resolution of each incident. The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law reserves the right to request additional information from you, including further explanation concerning the incidents in question, court records, documents, or any other relevant information.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCY EXAMS Because facility with written and spoken English is necessary to successfully participate in our academic experience, applicants for whom English is a second language or not their primary language and who have not completed the entirety of their undergraduate education in an English-speaking institution must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Request that scores be sent directly to LSAC: LSAC has arranged with the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to receive your TOEFL Score. Please provide LSAC institution code (8395) when requesting that your score be sent to LSAC. LSAC has also arranged with IELTS to receive scores. LSAC will only accept scores from IELTS electronically. You must request that your score be forwarded to LSAC for electronic download.

Note: TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years.

Request for Waiver of TOEFL/IELTS: If you believe that you are proficient in English and that the English Language Competency Exam requirement should be waived in your case, please submit a statement describing your English language instruction and proficiency. Upload any such statement as an attachment when completing the application form.

APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES The School's admissions policies fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws and regulations.

SIGNATURE AND DATE Please type your name, and date the application. By signing this application and transmitting it electronically, you certify that the information in this application is complete, accurate and honestly presented. You also certify that any information submitted on your behalf is authentic, including letters of recommendation, academic transcripts and certifications. You also certify that the content and words in your personal statement and additional essays are your own and that no person or artificial intelligence tool, such as ChatGPT, assisted in the drafting or creation of these materials with the exception of basic proofreading. You understand and agree that any inaccurate, misleading or omitted information will be cause for an investigation of misconduct in the admissions process, rescission of any offer of admission, or cause for disciplinary action, dismissal or revocation of your degree if discovered at a later date. You further agree to abide by the rules, policies, and regulations of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law if you are admitted as a student.

CONTACT US If you have questions about this application or about the admissions process, please contact the Office of Admissions at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law at (410) 706-3492 or admissions@law.umaryland.edu. Be sure to notify the Office of Admissions promptly of any change in your address as well as any new facts that may change the responses to any part of your application.

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Office of Admissions 500 West Baltimore Street, Suite 130 Baltimore, Maryland 21201 (410) 706-3492 (phone) admissions@law.umaryland.edu

Non-Discrimination Policy The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, marital status, protected veteran's status, or age. The University is required by federal regulatory agencies to supply admissions and enrollment information by racial, ethnic and gender categories. Provision of the information is voluntary and will not be used to determine eligibility for admission.

UMB Notice of Non-Discrimination »

If you have ever attended or enrolled in a law school in the past, please submit a statement providing the name of the school and indicating your purpose for attending (i.e., seeking a degree or auditing a course). If enrolled in a degree program, please explain the reason for leaving your law school.

If you believe that you are proficient in English and that the English Language Competency Exam requirement should be waived in your case, please submit a statement describing your English language instruction and proficiency.