Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Law School. The personal statement must be submitted electronically with your electronic application. Your statement should be approximately two pages in length.

This section is optional.

At Stanford Law School, we value the ability to communicate constructively across differences - even when the stakes are high or the differences significant. Please discuss a time when you encountered a viewpoint that contrasted with your own and explain how you responded. Would you do anything different if the same thing happened today? Your essay should be approximately one-to-two pages in length.

This section is optional.

If you think these optional short essays could help us get a better sense of who you are, we encourage you to consider submitting your responses to no more than two of the following questions. Note that there is a 100- to 250-word limit for each question.

• If you could sit and chat with anyone, living or from any time in history, who would you chat with? What's one question you'd ask? Why?
• You're given the opportunity to teach a one-day class to your fellow students at Stanford Law School. Based on your particular skills and talents, what would you teach?
• The library in the town where you grew up has been destroyed. Choose three books to contribute to rebuilding the library's collection.
• Music has a way of setting tone and mood for any occasion. With this in mind, pick three songs or musical works to be playing in the background as the Admissions Committee reviews your materials.

This section is optional.

If you wish to provide additional and relevant information that is not explained in the required application materials, please attach a brief statement.

Please attach a résumé describing your academic, extracurricular, and professional activities. The résumé must be submitted electronically with your electronic application. Please do not include a photo.

*If your answer to any of these questions below is "Yes," please attach an explanatory statement with your electronic application. Prior to matriculation, you will be required to submit documentation from each school attended attesting to your good standing.

1. Have you ever at any college or university been in other than good standing because of academic deficiencies, been sanctioned for misconduct, or been the subject of disciplinary proceedings?

2. Have you ever been convicted of, or is any charge now pending against you for any crime other than a traffic violation?

3. Have you ever been subject to discipline by a professional organization?

Please review the application procedures and requirements on the Stanford Law School website before completing this form.

Below you will find detailed instructions specific to the Stanford Law School application.

1. BIOGRAPHICAL: Complete the Biographical section.

2. BIOGRAPHICAL (Continued): Complete the Biographical (Continued) section.

3. CONTACT INFORMATION: Complete the Contact Information section.

4. DEMOGRAPHICS: Complete the Demographics section. Stanford is required by federal guidelines to report certain information about race and ethnicity. We acknowledge that the categories listed below may not allow you to fully describe your ethnic/racial background. Responding to these questions is optional. Your response to these questions will not be displayed to the Admissions Committee.

5. DEMOGRAPHICS (Continued): Complete the Demographics (Continued) section if you wish to do so.

6. MILITARY SERVICE: Complete the Military Service section if you wish to do so.

7. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Complete the Background Information section if you wish to do so.

8. PREVIOUS APPLICATION: Indicate if you have previously applied to Stanford Law School within the past three application cycles, and select the entry year(s) for which you applied.

9. EDUCATION: List all high schools, colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools, and any study abroad program(s) you have attended. An affirmative answer to Question 2 also requires a letter of good standing from your law school to be sent directly to the Office of Admissions (admissions@law.stanford.edu). List academic honors, awards, or other recognitions you have received in the order in which you received them.

10. EMPLOYMENT: Question 1: List employment while in college, summer employment while in college, and full- or part-time work since graduating from college. Question 3: Please list any significant extracurricular, community, or other activities.

Please utilize the required résumé to provide detailed information regarding your employment history and extracurricular activities.

11. STANDARDIZED TESTING: List in chronological order all the dates which you have taken, or intend to take, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and/or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Note that scores for tests taken prior to June 2020 will not be considered valid. Applicants for Fall 2026 admissions must take the LSAT by the January 2026 test administration and the GRE by February 1, 2026.

12. OTHER STANFORD PROGRAMS: Indicate if you are applying for a joint degree program and/or the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. For details regarding each joint degree program, please visit our website. Note that the programs with Johns Hopkins and Princeton are external to Stanford and are therefore considered cooperative rather than traditional joint degree programs. For details regarding the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, please visit their website.

13. CHARACTER & FITNESS: Complete the Character & Fitness section. If any questions are answered in the affirmative, you must attach an explanatory statement to your application.

14. NOTICES & CERTIFICATION: Review the Notices & Certification section. Answer whether you wish to opt in or out of our outreach efforts, and confirm you understand and agree that acceptance is conditional upon meeting all requirements, terms, and conditions of the application process, including any further requirements, terms, or conditions expressed at the time of acceptance.