The personal statement is an opportunity for the Admissions Committee to get to know you beyond your academic record and for you to showcase your ability to communicate effectively.

In your personal statement you should address your motivations for pursuing a legal education, in particular attending the University of New Mexico School of Law, and your legal career goals. Statements are on average between two to three double-spaced pages.

Applicants may choose to provide a statement sharing any lived experiences which shaped their character and unique ability to contribute to the University of New Mexico School of Law community and to the legal profession.

The lived experiences statement should be one (1) or two (2) pages, double-spaced, using standard font and margins. The lived experiences statement should be free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

Applicants may choose to provide a brief addendum explaining aspects of their academic performance necessary for the Admissions Committee to understand when reviewing the applicant?s file. An academic addendum should be no more than one (1) page, double-spaced, using standard fonts and margins, unless extraordinary circumstances merit a longer explanation.

1. Have you, or do you plan to apply to other law schools?

2. What factors influenced your decision to apply to the University of New Mexico School of Law? (maximum characters 4000)

Please provide a current resume or curriculum vitae.

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.

Applicants who answer "yes" to any of the questions in this section must submit an addendum to fully explain the circumstances, including relevant dates, final dispositions, and other appropriate details. Addenda should be in the applicant's own words. Court documents should not be submitted in place of the applicant's own narrative statement of events.

Many jurisdictions, including New Mexico, require a copy of your law school application be submitted as part of your bar application. Failure to answer this section of the application truthfully and completely could impact your eligibility for bar admission. If, at any time after submitting your application, circumstances arise that change your answer to any of these questions, you must contact the Office of Admissions for instructions on how to amend your application.

1. Have you ever been subject to discipline, formal or informal, by a college or university? This includes action regarding both academic conduct and other non-academic conduct. This includes matters for which you were found not responsible, as well as matters that have been dismissed or otherwise set aside.

2. Have you ever been cited for, charged with, or convicted of a criminal offense? This includes juvenile offenses, as well as matters that have been dismissed, subject to diversion or deferred prosecution, expunged, or otherwise set aside. Do not include speeding tickets or other minor traffic offenses, unless accompanied by allegations of operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

3. Have you ever been a named party in any civil (non-criminal) cases?

4. Have you ever been subject to discipline, formal or informal, by a government, military, administrative, or professional licensing agency? This includes matters for which you were found not responsible, as well as matters that have been dismissed, subject to deferred action, expunged, or otherwise set aside.

5. Have you ever been subject to discipline, formal or informal, by an employer? This includes, but is not limited to, suspension for any period of time, termination, or resignation in lieu of termination.

6. Have you ever defaulted on a debt, filed a petition for bankruptcy, or failed to make timely payment of any tax obligation? Do you currently have any debt more than 120 days past due?

7. I have answered these questions truthfully and completely.

8. I understand that I am required to report any circumstances arising after submission of my application which would change my answer to any of these questions. Should such circumstances arise, I will immediately contact the Office of Admissions for instructions on amending my application.

9. I understand that my failure to report truthfully and completely any circumstances related to these questions could result in withdrawal of my application from consideration for admission, revocation of any offer of admission prior to matriculation, or suspension or expulsion from the University of New Mexico after matriculation. I further understand that my failure to report truthfully and completely any circumstances related to these questions could impact my eligibility for bar admission.

DEADLINES

All required materials must be received on or before the listed dates to meet each deadline listed below.

February 1 - Priority Deadline for Admission & Merit-Based Scholarships* April 1 - Regular Decision Deadline July 15 - Late Decision Deadline (Application Closes)

*Submission of a completed application prior to the priority deadline does not guarantee an offer of admission or scholarship.

SCHOLARSHIP CONSIDERATION

ACADEMIC MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS Admitted applicants are automatically considered for academic merit scholarships. Those who submit a completed application on or before February 1 will be given priority consideration for merit scholarship opportunities and will receive a scholarship offer (if any) within one (1) business day of receiving an offer of admission. Priority consideration does not guarantee an offer of admission or scholarship.

Those who submit a completed application after February 1 will be considered for merit scholarships only as funding remains available. While timing varies each year, candidates who apply after April 1 are typically not awarded merit scholarships.

APPLICATION COMPONENTS

Your application will not be reviewed for admission or scholarships until all required materials are received.

The Admissions Committee will begin meeting in October and will issue decisions on a rolling basis. Those who submit a completed application on or before February 1 will be given priority consideration for admission and will typically receive a decision within two (2) weeks from the date their file is assigned for review. No decisions will be issued during university closures or on university holidays.

Those who submit or complete their application after February 1 will be considered for admission based on the number of seats available at the time of application and may experience longer waits for a decision.

Those who submit or complete their application after April 1 will be considered for admission only if seats remain available at the time of application and may experience longer waits for a decision.

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION

Applicants must submit an electronic application available on LSAC.org. There is a $50 nonrefundable application fee.

Application materials and fees submitted directly to the Office of Admissions will not be accepted.

Personal Statement There is no required topic for the personal statement.

The personal statement should be two (2) or three (3) pages, double-spaced, using standard font and margins. The personal statement should be free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors and should demonstrate the applicant's capacity for high-quality written work.

Résumé A résumé should be well-organized and provide a concise overview of the applicant's academic, work, military, and volunteer histories. Applicants may also include honors, scholarships, extracurricular activities, publications, foreign language proficiencies, and other significant information.

Academic Addendum (optional) Applicants may choose to provide a brief addendum explaining aspects of their academic performance necessary for the Admissions Committee to understand when reviewing the applicant's file. An academic addendum should be no more than one (1) page, double-spaced, using standard fonts and margins, unless extraordinary circumstances merit a longer explanation.

Lived Experiences Statement (optional) Applicants may choose to provide a statement sharing any lived experiences which shaped their character and unique ability to contribute to the University of New Mexico School of Law community and to the legal profession.

The lived experiences statement should be one (1) or two (2) pages, double-spaced, using standard font and margins. The lived experiences statement should be free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

Character & Fitness: 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.

Applicants who answer 'yes' to any of the questions in the Character & Fitness section of the Electronic Application must submit an addendum to fully explain the circumstances, including relevant dates, final dispositions, and other appropriate details. Addenda should be in the applicant's own words. Court documents should not be submitted in place of the applicant's own narrative statement of events.

Many jurisdictions, including New Mexico, require a copy of your law school application be submitted as part of your bar application. Failure to answer the Character & Fitness section of the application truthfully and completely could impact your eligibility for bar admission. Applicants to the University of New Mexico School of Law have a continuing obligation to disclose. If, after submitting your application, circumstances arise that change your answer to any of the Character & Fitness questions from 'no' to 'yes', you must contact the Office of Admissions and provide a written explanation.

CREDENTIAL ASSEMBLY SERVICE REPORT

Transcripts You must submit, through the Credential Assembly Service, official transcripts from all undergraduate and post-undergraduate institutions where you have been enrolled, even if you did not earn a degree from the institution or the credits from that institution transferred to another institution.

Transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admissions will not be accepted.

LSAT Score Applicants must have at least one (1) reportable LSAT score. A reportable score is one from a testing date within the past five (5) testing years and not canceled by the candidate. Self-reports of scores viewed prior to cancellation will not be taken into consideration. Applicants may submit the electronic application prior to the release of their LSAT score; however, the application will not be complete until the score has been released to the school.

If an applicant has at least one (1) reportable LSAT score, but plans to retake the LSAT in the future, the applicant must indicate the future test date in the Electronic Application. The file will be held for held for release of a future test score only if the applicant answers 'yes' to Section 5. LSAT, Question 1d. Do you want the admissions committee to hold your file and review after release of your future LSAT score? It is the applicant's responsibility to notify the Office of Admissions as soon as possible if this answer changes after submission of their application, but before a decision is received. Decisions of the Admissions Committee are final and not subject to appeal. If an applicant is denied, the Admissions Committee will not re-review an application in the same admissions cycle, even after release of a future test score. Denied applicants would need to reapply in the following admissions cycle.

The University of New Mexico School of Law does not accept standardized tests other than the LSAT and will not waive the requirement of a reportable LSAT score under any circumstances. Self-reports of other standardized test scores will not be taken into consideration.

Letters of Recommendation Applicants must submit via the Credential Assembly Service two (2) letters of recommendation, though applicants may choose to submit up to three (3) letters. The Admissions Committee expects letters to be academic or professional in nature and strongly prefers letters of recommendation written within one (1) year of the date of application.

Applicants who are currently enrolled in an academic program, or who graduated in recent years, should have at least one academic letter of recommendation from a professor with personal knowledge of the applicant's academic work. Professional letters of recommendation should come from an employer with personal knowledge of the applicant's workday experience, preferably from a direct supervisor. Letters from a professional mentor for whom the applicant has not worked directly are not persuasive. Personal letters of recommendation, such as those from family members or personal acquaintances, are strongly discouraged.

Letters of recommendation sent directly to the Office of Admissions will not be accepted.

CONTACT US For more information, please contact us at admissions@law.unm.edu or (505) 277.0958.