What is the USC personal statement prompt?

You are required to submit a personal statement. Your statement should be between 2-3 pages, double-spaced, and 12-point font. Of the qualitative or "soft" factors of the application, the personal statement is of critical importance to the admissions committee. This is your primary opportunity to discuss who you are beyond the quantifiable components of your application. While there is no prompt, and we encourage you to approach the personal statement with an open mind, we are particularly interested in how your background (academic and otherwise) has led to your decision to study law. Please note, the personal statement is not the place to repeat items on your resume.

How many letters of recommendation does USC require?

USC requires 2 to 3 letters of recommendation.

What is the USC Background and Experience Statement prompt?

This essay is optional. The USC Gould student body is an exceptional group of individuals working collaboratively, empathetically, and with cultural competency, to best serve the various communities they will represent as lawyers. USC Gould aims to generate lawyers that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to leadership, public service, and serving those in need. Please describe how your contributions to the USC Gould student body may be unique by highlighting anything related to your life experiences or personal background that will help us get to know you better. Some examples of this include, but are not limited to the following: - How your upbringing, culture, or other aspects of your life experience have influenced your goals and/or leadership development; - How your experience with discrimination, economic disadvantage, family or personal adversity, or other hardships demonstrates your ability to lead, or serve the public or those in need; - How living in a foreign country, rural or isolated community, or speaking a language other than English at home has better equipped you to attend and flourish in law school; - Any unusual career goals, employment history, or educational background (including graduate study); - Demonstrate unusual courage, determination, or inspiration that stems from overcoming hardship, including violence, illness, or natural disaster; - Any unusual extracurricular achievement (including school or community service). This optional statement must be uploaded in the Attachments section of the application and should be limited to 1-2 pages, double-spaced, and 12-point font.

What is the USC Other prompt?

This essay is optional. If you feel you need more space to explain other special circumstances regarding your application, please attach your explanation here.

Does USC require a character and fitness disclosure?

Yes. USC requires applicants to disclose information about academic disciplinary actions, criminal history, and other character and fitness matters as part of the application.

University of Southern California Gould School of Law

(USC)

Order by rank

Starred

The University of Akron School of Law
131

The University of Alabama School of Law
40

Albany Law School
120

University of Alberta
–

American University Washington College of Law
108

Appalachian School of Law
175+

The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
70

Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
44

Ave Maria School of Law
164

University of Baltimore School of Law
136

Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
175+

Baylor University School of Law
34

Belmont University College of Law
85

University of California, Berkeley
16

Boston College Law School
20

Boston University School of Law
24

The University of British Columbia
–

Brooklyn Law School
105

Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School
24

University of Calgary
–

California Western School of Law
175+

Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
131

Capital University Law School
175+

Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
59

Case Western Reserve University School of Law
100

The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law
70

Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law
112

Charleston School of Law
171

Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law
105

University of Cincinnati College of Law
82

Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
136

University of Colorado Law School
54

Columbia Law School
9

Cornell Law School
13

Creighton University School of Law
144

CUNY School of Law
171

Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law
–

University of Dayton School of Law
112

University of Denver Sturm College of Law
91

DePaul University College of Law
131

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
142

Drake University Law School
91

Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
82

Duke University Law School
7

Duquesne University School of Law
85

Elon University School of Law
144

Emory University School of Law
40

Florida International University College of Law
77

Florida A&M University College of Law
175+

Fordham University School of Law
42

Florida State University College of Law
34

George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
32

Georgetown Law School
18

The George Washington University Law School
26

University of Georgia School of Law
26

Gonzaga University School of Law
144

Georgia State University College of Law
77

Harvard Law School
6

University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law
91

Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law
117

University of Houston Law Center
54

Howard University School of Law
117

University of Idaho College of Law
148

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
167

University of Illinois College of Law
46

Indiana University Maurer School of Law
49

Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law
175+

University of Iowa College of Law
32

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
124

Atlanta's John Marshall Law School
175+

Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
164

The University of Kansas School of Law
46

University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law
70

Lakehead University
–

University of La Verne College of Law
–

Lewis & Clark Law School
112

Liberty University School of Law
144

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law
175+

University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law
124

Loyola University Chicago School of Law
77

Loyola Marymount University Loyola Law School
70

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
135

Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
85

University of Maine School of Law
91

University of Manitoba
–

Marquette University Law School
59

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
62

McGill University
–

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
140

Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law
108

University of Miami School of Law
70

University of Michigan Law School
9

Michigan State University College of Law
108

University of Minnesota Law School
22

The University of Mississippi School of Law
124

Mississippi College School of Law
161

University of Missouri School of Law
59

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
100

Mitchell Hamline School of Law
152

University of Montana Alexander Blewett III School of Law
90

Nashville School of Law
–

North Carolina Central University School of Law
175+

University of Nebraska College of Law
62

University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law
91

University of New Brunswick
–

New England Law | Boston
168

University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law
136

New York Law School
112

Northern Illinois University College of Law
161

Northeastern University School of Law
77

Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law
131

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
9

University of Notre Dame Law School
20

Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law
175+

New York University School of Law
7

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
30

University of Oklahoma College of Law
62

Oklahoma City University School of Law
156

Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law
175+

University of Oregon School of Law
91

University of Ottawa
–

Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law
142

University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
152

Penn State Dickinson Law
62

Penn State Law
62

Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law
46

University of Pittsburgh School of Law
77

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law
175+

University of Puerto Rico School of Law
175+

Queen’s University
–

Quinnipiac University School of Law
136

Regent University School of Law
91

University of Richmond School of Law
62

Roger Williams University School of Law
171

Rutgers Law School
100

Samford University Cumberland School of Law
122

Santa Clara University School of Law
150

University of Saskatchewan (USask)
–

Seattle University School of Law
128

Seton Hall University School of Law
70

Southern Illinois University School of Law
175+

Saint Louis University School of Law
91

University of South Carolina School of Law
62

University of South Dakota School of Law
122

Southern University Law Center
175+

Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
42

South Texas College of Law Houston
138

Southwestern Law School
154

Stanford Law School
1

Stetson University College of Law
91

St. John's University School of Law
62

St. Mary's University School of Law
150

St. Thomas University School of Law
168

University of St. Thomas School of Law
105

Suffolk University Law School
128

University at Buffalo School of Law
82

Syracuse University College of Law
100

Temple University Beasley School of Law
49

University of Tennessee College of Law
57

Texas A&M University School of Law
22

Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law
175+

Texas Tech University School of Law
85

Thomas Jefferson School of Law
–

Thompson Rivers University
–

The University of Toledo College of Law
149

University of Toronto
–

Toronto Metropolitan University
–

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center
164

Tulane University Law School
70

The University of Tulsa College of Law
120

University of Arkansas School of Law
100

University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law
140

University of California, Davis School of Law
52

University of Chicago Law School
2

University of California, Irvine School of Law
34

University of California, Los Angeles
13

UC Law San Francisco
85

University of Connecticut School of Law
58

University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law
175+

University of Florida Levin College of Law
34

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School of Law
171

University of North Carolina School of Law
18

University of North Dakota School of Law
156

The University of New Mexico School of Law
117

University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law
159

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
4

University of Southern California Gould School of Law
26

University of San Diego School of Law
54

University of San Francisco School of Law
156

The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
44

University of Texas at Austin School of Law
16

University of Virginia School of Law
4

University of Washington School of Law
52

Vanderbilt University Law School
12

Vermont Law School
154

University of Victoria
–

Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
49

Wake Forest University School of Law
30

Washburn University School of Law
108

Washington and Lee University School of Law
34

Washington University School of Law
13

Wayne State University Law School
62

Western University
–

Western Michigan University Cooley Law School
175+

Western New England University School of Law
159

Western State College of Law at Westcliff University
175+

Widener University Delaware Law School
154

Widener University Commonwealth Law School
175+

Willamette University College of Law
168

William & Mary Law School
34

University of Wisconsin Law School
26

West Virginia University College of Law
124

University of Wyoming College of Law
112

Yale Law School
2

York University
–

Application requirements

Application fee

$80.00

Recommendations

2 to 3

Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle

How to get into University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Level up your application with 7Sage Admissions

7Sage's team of admissions officers and professional writers track which application strategies overperform. Learn how to submit the perfect application, nail an interview, or get off the waitlist.

Book a free consultation