A personal statement is required and should be two pages, double-spaced. Through this statement, applicants have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the Admissions Committee and articulate significant achievements, professional goals, and reasons for pursuing a law degree. It is also helpful to the Admissions Committee to discuss your specific interest in the University of Minnesota Law School (you may attach a supplemental statement for this, if you prefer). Strong writing skills are paramount to being a successful attorney. Therefore, the personal statement (as well as any other essays included in the application) may be used to evaluate writing skills, judgment, passions, and analytical abilities.

The personal statement and all other supplemental statements should be your own work and not produced by artificial intelligence.

Please tell us about a significant challenge you may have faced in school, work, or life experience that would help you succeed in law school. How did you address the challenge and what did you learn from the experience? 200 word limit. You may attach a supplemental statement in lieu of answering here. (maximum characters 1500)

Applicants may attach additional statements to highlight how your views, life experiences, and skills would contribute to this program and to your success in this program and/or ways that you have contributed to a culture of inclusivity and non-discrimination in your institutions or organizations; explain absences or breaks in academic history; or present other matters that may be of importance to the Admissions Committee. Each additional statement should be no more than one-page, double spaced.

1. If you were referred to the University of Minnesota Law School by a specific person (e.g., a pre-law advisor, law school alumnus, Admissions representative, etc.), please list their name, title, and affiliation with the Law School, if applicable. (maximum characters 200)
2. Please tell us the most important factors in choosing to apply to the University of Minnesota Law School (e.g., specific course offerings, reputation/rankings, recommendations from friends/colleagues/alumni/pre-law advisor).required (maximum characters 250)

Résumé: Please attach a detailed résumé containing the following: a. Work history during college and since college graduation.

b. Extracurricular activities and community service, including the extent of your involvement.

c. Other relevant information, including academic honors and prizes, hobbies, and other special interests, abilities, or accomplishments.

When applying for a license to practice law, prospective attorneys must submit full and complete disclosures of past criminal or academic misconduct to state bar authorities, even if they did not result in formal sanction or conviction, or if records have been lost, sealed, or expunged. Bar authorities will also request a copy of this law school application and will compare it to disclosures made on the bar application; failure to fully and consistently disclose may impact bar authority?s character and fitness assessment. Applicants to the University of Minnesota are also subject to a continuing obligation to report any criminal or academic misconduct, whether it took place before or after submission of this application. Applicants must fully disclose all past legal or academic misconduct, even if it occurred when you were a minor or if records have been expunged. If you are unsure, err on the side of full disclosure.

If you answer Yes in either section below, attach a narrative Supplemental Statement which provides details for all incidents being disclosed (see Attachments).

1. Have you ever in your entire life been charged with, or arrested for, the violation of any law? This includes moving violations (traffic tickets), misdemeanors, felonies, and administrative charges. You must disclose the requested information even if the charges were dismissed or you were acquitted, the conviction was stayed or vacated, the record was sealed or expunged (such as a juvenile record), or you were told at the time that you would not need to disclose in the future.
2. Have you ever been investigated, warned, placed on probation, disciplined, dropped, suspended, or expelled from a post-secondary college, university, graduate school, professional school, or law school for academic or non-academic reasons?

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA LAW SCHOOL J.D. REGULAR and EARLY DECISION APPLICATION PROCESS

Eligible candidates for admission to the J.D. program must have completed their bachelor's degree, or be in the final year of a bachelor's degree program. The bachelor's degree must be awarded by an accredited U.S. college or university or be an equivalent degree from a recognized non-U.S. institution.

Admission and scholarship decisions are made on a rolling basis, so applying earlier in the cycle is to an applicant's advantage. The Admissions Committee begins reviewing applications in late November. Typically, it may take up to 8 weeks for decisions to be made in accordance with the following timeline:

Regular JD applicants will begin to receive decisions in early January. Early Decision applicants will begin to receive decisions in late November. In order to enroll a highly qualified, diverse class each year, the Admissions Committee conducts a holistic review of each applicant's materials and considers factors such as student engagement and activities, professional experience, writing ability, college attended and major, graduate-level studies, community service, and references.

In addition to a bar examination, character and fitness is a determining qualification for bar admission. Applicants should review the requirements for any jurisdiction where they intend to seek admission; bar admission agency addresses for each state are available through the National Conference for Bar Examiners. Applicants should also carefully review the Law School's Character & Fitness Disclosure Policy, which requires them to fully disclose criminal or academic misconduct matters, whether they occurred before or after submission of the application.

J.D. ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Application: All applicants are required to submit their application electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Application Fee: $75. Applicants must pay the non-refundable application fee online through LSAC using a credit card. LSAT: Information concerning the LSAT may be obtained from LSAC. A valid score must be no more than five years old at the time of application. The Admissions Committee considers the highest score. Credential Assembly Service: All applicants, including international applicants, must register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), and send all undergraduate and graduate transcripts there. One Letter of Recommendation: One letter is required and must be submitted through the CAS. We will accept no more than two letters of recommendation. The recommendation should be written by a professor or employer who is able to address your academic or professional performance. Résumé Personal Statement: All applicants are required to submit a personal statement (two pages, double-spaced), which articulates significant achievements, professional goals, and reasons for pursuing a law degree. It is also helpful to the Admissions Committee to discuss specific interest in the University of Minnesota Law School (you may attach a supplemental statement for this, if you prefer). Supplemental Statements: Applicants may also submit one or more supplemental statements (one page, double-spaced) to highlight how your views, life experiences, and skills would contribute to this program and to your success in this program and/or ways that you have contributed to a culture of inclusivity and non-discrimination in your institutions or organizations; explain absences or breaks in academic history; or present other matters that may be of importance to the Admissions Committee. Optional Video Interview: Applicants are encouraged to participate in our pre-recorded interview process, which provides an additional opportunity for you to introduce yourself to the Committee. Interview details will be sent via email within 7 days after your application has been submitted. Please watch your inbox for this important email. Application Deadlines December 31: Early Decision June 1: Regular Decision

Early Decision Program

Candidates who have determined that the University of Minnesota Law School is their first choice may submit an application to the Early Decision Program. This program is binding; therefore, applicants admitted through the program commit themselves to matriculating at Minnesota Law, must withdraw all applications at other law schools, and may not initiate new applications after being admitted to the Law School. Early Decision applicants receive the same scholarship consideration as Regular Decision candidates, and if not admitted through Early Decision may be considered for Regular Decision, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

Review of Early Decision applications will commence in mid-November. Applicants will receive a decision within two weeks of the application being complete after that date. The final deadline is December 31 for Admissions to receive a complete application, and all decisions will be made on or before January 15.

International Applicants

Candidates receiving their undergraduate degree from institutions outside the United States must submit their transcripts to the CAS for evaluation. A valid TOEFL or IELTS score (no more than two years old) must also be submitted to the CAS; however, this requirement is waived if an undergraduate or graduate degree has been earned in the United States.

The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

As required by Title IX, the University prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the University?s Title IX Coordinator. The Notice of Nondiscrimination is located here (http://z.umn.edu/title-ix-nondiscrimination-notice). Information about the University?s policies and processes for responding to sex discrimination can be found on Equal Opportunity & Title IX?s website: eot.umn.edu.

The University of Minnesota Law School Office of Admissions 229 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55455 jdadmissions@umn.edu