Quinnipiac University School of Law is interested in learning more about you as an individual and therefore requires a personal statement indicating your reasons for pursuing a legal education. A carefully crafted, well-written, and concise statement is what we are looking for as we seek to learn more about you and assess your writing ability. This essay should reflect solely your own work and not exceed 750 words.

As we work to educate the whole lawyer, we find that a student body containing diverse experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints often yields pedagogical benefits for all participants. We welcome statements from applicants detailing any aspects of their background that would enrich the classroom, law school community, and legal profession in this way. The sources of these diverse experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints may include cultural, linguistic, or economic background; sexual orientation; geography; gender identity or expression; age; military service; unique life experiences; obstacles applicants may have overcome, including economic, social, educational, or physical; and/or discrimination that applicants may have experienced. You are welcome to submit a separate statement addressing these issues to the extent they apply to you. This statement should not exceed 500 words.

Information provided in the optional essay may be used to determine eligibility for a Distinguished Scholar Award. For further information about the Distinguished Scholar Award, click here.

If your education was interrupted for any reason, please explain the circumstances.

A candidate may provide additional information to the Admissions Committee if they feel it is necessary. Please be concise.

Please submit a current résumé of up to two pages detailing your employment and educational history, listing any honors achieved and all extracurricular, community or volunteer activities (including roles and responsibilities). The resume should include dates of employment/activities in a month/year format and, if less than full time, the hours per week devoted to the position/activity.

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, a written explanation is required. Your file will remain incomplete until you submit the required addendum. Because of the high ethical standards 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, or failure to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes to your answers, may result in revocation of admission and/or degree, cancellation of matriculation, or disciplinary action by the School of Law, or denial of permission to practice law by the state(s) in which you seek admission to the bar. Many state bar associations require a copy of your law school application when you apply for the bar. Differing responses between the admissions and bar applications can lead the bar examiners to do a more extensive character and fitness investigation. We strongly urge you to err on the side of disclosure if you are unsure as to whether a disclosure is necessary. Please note that advice from attorneys not familiar with law school application or bar admission disclosure requirements may be incomplete or inaccurate and reliance on such advice will not excuse a failure to disclose. 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.

An affirmative answer to any of these questions will not automatically preclude you from admission.

You are under a continuing obligation to notify the Office of Admissions of any changes to your answers to the questions below from the time of application submission until the time you matriculate. Once you begin your 1L year, you are under a continuing obligation to notify the Associate Dean of Academics of any changes in your answers to these questions.

1. Please initial here to indicate that you have read and understand the above paragraphs.

2. Have you ever been expelled, dropped, suspended, warned, placed on scholastic or disciplinary probation, or been the subject of or party to any disciplinary proceeding from any college, university, or graduate/professional school that you have attended? Is such an action pending or expected charges to be brought against you? *Please note: if you are unsure of the answer to this question, contact the school, college, university, or graduate/professional school directly.

3. Have you ever, as a juvenile or an adult, been arrested; charged with and/or convicted of any crime, offense, or violation (other than minor non-alcohol related traffic violations); or currently have charges pending against you? Have you ever been the respondent in a criminal protective order, civil protective order, or a family violence temporary restraining order? Please note: Some bar associations require people to disclose pardoned or expunged offenses.

4. Have you ever been suspended, disqualified, or disciplined as a member of any profession?

5. Have you ever been discharged or terminated by an employer? Have you ever resigned or been requested to resign in lieu of impending or anticipated disciplinary action by an employer?

6. Have you ever been a defendant in any civil proceeding in which allegations of fraud, misrepresentation, or other improper conduct were made against you?

A written explanation is required if you previously attended any law school. Please describe the circumstances upon which you left your previous law school.

Failure to submit required documents will result in delayed processing.

Thank you for your interest in Quinnipiac University School of Law. Please carefully read all the instructions before submitting your application. If instructions are not followed, it can lead to delays in processing your application and potentially impact your decision. The Admissions Committee will not review your application until all materials have been received. If you have any questions while completing this application, please call the Office of Admissions at (203) 582-3400 or email us at law@qu.edu.

Deadlines

Quinnipiac University School of Law operates under a rolling admissions system. Applications will be accepted up until August 1st, but we suggest submitting your application by early March for priority fall admission and scholarship consideration.

For those wishing to be considered for the Dean's Fellows Scholarship (full tuition), a complete application (including all required attachments, a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score and an LSAT writing sample) must be submitted by February 1st.

Application Requirements

All applicants are required to take the LSAT and submit an LSAT writing sample. Your score must be no more than five years old at the time the application is submitted. If you have taken the LSAT more than once, the Admissions Committee will use your highest score in making your admissions decision and for ABA reporting requirements.

The following documents must be sent to the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) at LSAC:

Undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities; and Two Letters of Recommendation. Letters of Recommendation from professors are preferred. For applicants who have been out of school for a significant amount of time, professional letters are acceptable. The following documents must be attached to this application:

A personal statement indicating your reasons for pursuing a legal education. A carefully crafted, well-written, and concise statement is what we are looking for as we seek to learn more about you and assess your writing ability. This essay should reflect solely your own work and must not exceed 750 words; A current résumé of up to two pages detailing your employment and educational history, listing any honors achieved and all extracurricular, community or volunteer activities (including roles and responsibilities). The résumé should include dates of employment/activities in a month/year format and, if less than full time, the hours per week devoted to the position/activity; and Written explanations for certain affirmative answers (where indicated). PLEASE BE SURE TO LABEL EACH ATTACHMENT AT THE TOP OF THE DOCUMENT.

The following documents are optional:

Optional Essay: As we work to educate the whole lawyer, we find that a student body containing diverse experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints often yields pedagogical benefits for all participants. We welcome statements from applicants detailing any aspects of their background that would enrich the classroom, law school community, and legal profession in this way. The sources of these diverse experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints may include cultural, linguistic, or economic background; sexual orientation; geography; gender identity or expression; age; military service; unique life experiences; obstacles applicants may have overcome, including economic, social, educational, or physical; and/or discrimination that applicants may have experienced. You are welcome to submit a separate statement addressing these attributes to the extent they apply to you. This statement should not exceed 500 words. Dean's Fellow - Optional essay explaining how you would contribute to our community as a Dean's Fellow. All applicants will be automatically considered for the Dean's Fellows scholarship as well as any of our other merit scholarships. To be considered for Dean's Fellows, a complete application including an LSAT score and an LSAT writing sample must be submitted by February 1st. Gap in Education - If your education was interrupted for any reason other than normal summer breaks, please explain the circumstances. Brief Addenda - If you feel further explanation is required for parts of your application, please attach a short addendum. Please note that 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.

Quinnipiac University has a strong commitment to the principles and practices of diversity throughout the university community. Quinnipiac does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, or disability status in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic programs or other university-administered programs.

The time required to review each application varies. Decisions will be made as quickly as possible but some decisions may take longer than the normal 4-8 week review period. We appreciate your patience during this process.