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.

If you answered "yes" to the Background and Experience Statement question, please include your statement as an attachment. Please limit your statement to 1-2 pages, double-spaced, and 12-point font.

If you answered "Yes" to the academic action question (Conduct Information #1) and you need more space than provided for your explanation, please include your explanation here.

If you answered "Yes" to the conviction statement question (Conduct Information #2) and you need more space than provided for your explanation, please include your explanation here.

If you answered "Yes" to the charges pending question (Conduct Information #3) and you need more space than provided for your explanation, please include your explanation here.

If you answered "Yes" to the prior law school matriculation question (Conduct Information #4) and you need more space than provided for your explanation, please include your explanation here. Additionally, if your matriculation was at a U.S. law school, you are required to submit a letter of standing from your previous law school explaining the circumstances of your prior matriculation. This should be sent directly to USC Gould School of Law Office of Admissions. If any grades were issued, you must also submit a transcript. The transcript may be sent via LSAC with your CAS report.

If your matriculation was at a foreign law school, you are not required to submit a letter of standing, however your transcript is required as part of your CAS report.

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

Submit your statement here for application to the Frank Rothman Scholars Program. This application is a requirement to be considered for the program and should be different than your Personal Statement. Finalists will be selected for an initial round of interviews and notified in late February. Frank Rothman Scholars Program

This scholarship honors the late Frank Rothman '51, a highly respected alum of USC Gould. Becoming a Rothman Scholar offers the following benefits:

Full-tuition scholarship guaranteed for 3 years (estimated at $250,000+)

$6,000 stipend each year for 3 years

This Scholarship is optional. The additional required statement should be between one and two pages and address the following statement:

Frank Rothman was renowned for his commitment to the law, his entrepreneurial spirit, and his creative approach to litigation. As he often said, "no one ever pays you to say no', find the yes' ". The Rothman Scholar program seeks to honor his legacy by finding and selecting a candidate who embodies Frank Rothman's values in their own unique ways.

We have read your application materials, personal statement and letters of recommendation; we know that you are an exceptional student. Take this opportunity to tell us what makes you truly singular. What traits, experiences, or ambitions of yours reflect the values and spirit of Frank Rothman? Which of your unique qualities will set you apart from your peers and set you up for success? Use this opportunity to tell us something new and interesting. The deadline to apply for the Frank Rothman Scholarship is January 1, 2026. Please note, this is prior to our application priority deadline. The application for the Frank Rothman Scholarship must be submitted with your admissions application.

You are required to submit a resume. Please indicate hours per week for each activity where applicable. Please limit your resume to no more than two pages.

Conduct Information 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.

If you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, you are required to submit an explanatory statement below. If you need additional space, please submit your explanatory statement via the Attachments section of the electronic application and indicate that in the box below.

1. Have you ever been dropped, suspended, warned, placed on academic or disciplinary probation, disciplined, expelled, or requested or advised to resign from any post-secondary school, college, university, professional school, or law school?
2. Have you ever been convicted of the violation of a misdemeanor or felony, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a violation of a misdemeanor or felony, whether or not the charges were dismissed, the court entered a judgement of conviction, or the court imposed a sentence?
3. Are there any charges pending against you?
4. Have you ever been or are you currently registered at another law school either foreign or domestic? (This includes LLM Programs or non-JD Certificate and Master's Degree Programs taken at another law school.)

If your community college provided you with a certificate of completion of the Cal Law program and you?d like to share a copy with the Admissions Committee, please upload it here as a PDF. This is optional.

Admission to USC Gould School of Law Admissions Policy Statement

The primary goal of the admissions process is to enroll students who demonstrate outstanding academic and professional promise and whose background and experience will enhance the student body and enrich the educational environment of the USC Gould School of Law. USC Gould's admissions process is guided by the view that a student body that reflects the broad richness of our society provides a superior educational environment for all students.

Submitting Original Work We expect that the written portions of the application reflect your own experiences, ideas, and perspectives. While you may use tools (including artificial intelligence) for editing or guidance, the final content should authentically reflect you.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, you must have received or plan to receive a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university before enrolling at USC Gould. We base our admission decisions on academic record, LSAT and/or GRE score, personal statement, resume, letters of recommendation, and other information in your application file.

Admissions Decisions and Timelines

Each year USC Gould receives a significant number of applications to fill the entering class. Applications that are complete by February 1, 2027, receive priority review. However, we will accept applications submitted through April 1, 2027. All additional application materials must be complete by April 15, 2027, or they will be administratively withdrawn. No exceptions to this policy will be granted.

All applications are evaluated. Decision notifications typically begin mid-December and continue on a rolling basis throughout the admissions cycle. All decisions are final, and no appeals process exists. Candidates who are placed on a waiting list are encouraged to submit letters of continued interest. In addition, they may update their file with new information, which they believe may support their candidacy.

Application Components

Application Fee

The non-refundable application fee is $80. If you are experiencing hardship and would like to seek a fee waiver, you may reach out to admissions@law.usc.edu to make this request. We expect requests to be processed in 5-7 business days. An LSAC account number will be required to process your request. Requests will not be granted after January 30, 2027. If you have already paid the application fee, no refunds of fees paid will be processed.

Required Documents

Standardized Test Requirement (LSAT and/or GRE)

USC Gould accepts both the LSAT and GRE as fulfillment of the standardized testing requirement for regular decision applicants.

LSAT Only

The February 2027 test administration is the last test we will consider for admission in Fall 2027. No exceptions will be made. One LSAT Writing Sample is required to complete your application. Your CAS Report will not generate without the LSAT Writing Sample completed. If taking a future LSAT, your file will not be completed until that test administration date passes and your score has been posted. All valid scores from the past five years will be reported. We do not average test scores and generally will focus on the higher LSAT score. GRE Only

March 1, 2027 is the last GRE test date we will accept. No exceptions will be made. You must include all valid GRE test scores within the last five years; you cannot choose which test results to report. Please use the ETS school code for USC Gould School of Law, which is 4030. Please be sure to assign your scores on the ETS website to the USC Gould School of Law Office of Admissions. If your scores are assigned incorrectly to the USC Graduate Office of Admissions, they will not be forwarded to us. LSAT and GRE

If you decide to apply using both your LSAT score and your GRE score, please note that we will complete your file if you have a valid LSAT score available.

If you have taken both the LSAT and the GRE, and wish to apply with both, you must make your GRE score available on the ETS website. If you choose to apply with both your LSAT and your GRE score, and do not make your GRE score available on the ETS website, your file will go ahead and be completed. If there is a significant discrepancy (four or more points) in your scores, we encourage you to address this variance in the Additional Questions section of the application.

Transcripts

We will not accept unofficial transcripts or transcripts sent directly to us. All transcripts must be sent through LSAC.

Personal Statement

This is your primary opportunity to discuss who you are beyond the quantifiable components of your application. We are particularly interested in how your background (academic and otherwise) has led to your decision to study law.

The personal statement should be 2-3 pages, double-spaced, and 12-point font. The statement must be electronically attached.

Resume

You are required to submit a resume to illustrate your chronological work history. Indicate hours per week for each activity where applicable. Please limit your resume to no more than two pages.

Letters of Recommendation

We require two letters of recommendation (a maximum of three are allowed) to complete your application. The most influential letters of recommendation focus on your academic potential. They are written by people who know you well and will evaluate your academic performance. If you have been out of college for a number of years, then a letter from an employer would be appropriate. We encourage employers to discuss the candidate's written and oral communication skills, leadership skills, and potential for the study of law.

Optional Document

Background and Experience Statement

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.

Foreign-Educated Applicants

USC Gould requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service (CAS). If you completed any postsecondary work outside the United States (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service (unless your foreign education was through a study abroad, consortium or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript). A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your CAS report. Foreign-educated applicants are not required to take the TOEFL exam. However, if you have taken the TOEFL exam, you may report your score as an addendum on the application. Non-resident applicants are considered for merit-based scholarships but are not eligible for federal financial aid. Requirements for Enrollment

If you are admitted to USC Gould, you are required to pay two non-refundable $500.00 tuition deposits by specified deadlines (typically May 1 and June 15). The enrollment instructions included with your admission packet will provide deadlines and instructions.

Prior to enrollment in August, you must submit your official transcript, verifying your receipt of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university to the USC Gould Admissions and Financial Aid Office.

Acceptance Deferral Policy

USC Gould may grant deferrals for one year. Deferrals are granted on a case-by-case basis and generally only where circumstances not present at the time of application submission have since arisen. You are encouraged to seek a deferral as early as possible in the spring/summer. The possibility of being granted a deferral is greatly diminished after July 1st. Candidates must agree to submit the required tuition seat deposit(s), withdraw all applications from other law schools (including waiting lists), and agree not to submit new applications during the next admission cycle.

Bar Admission Character Considerations

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.

For admission to USC Gould, applicants are required to fully disclose responses to the following questions:

Have you ever been dropped, suspended, warned, placed on academic or disciplinary probation, disciplined, expelled, or requested or advised to resign from any post-secondary school, college, university, professional school, or law school? Have you ever been convicted of the violation of a misdemeanor or felony, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a violation of a misdemeanor or felony, whether or not the charges were dismissed, the court entered a judgment of conviction, or the court imposed a sentence? Are any charges pending against you? Have you ever been or are you currently registered at another law school either foreign or domestic? A full written explanation must accompany the application if you answer yes to any of the questions. You will be prompted to include your statement within the application, or you may include your statement via the Attachments section.

Ongoing Duty to Disclose

All candidates for admission have an ongoing duty to disclose material changes to their application especially as they relate to conduct matters (criminal or disciplinary) to the Dean of Admissions before enrollment. Candidates agree that providing inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete information on the admission application, omitting information, or any additional changed information provided can lead to the rescission of any offer of admission and/or scholarship, or for discipline, dismissal, or revocation of the degree if discovered at a later date. Additionally, such a violation during the admission process may lead to a referral to LSAC for a finding of misconduct in the admission process.

Our Nondiscrimination Policy

USC Gould School of Law is firmly committed to a policy against discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, religion, political beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or age. The full non-discrimination policy is available at Notice of Non-Discrimination ? Office of Civil Rights Compliance.

Questions?

If you have questions about the admissions process, please call the Office of Admissions at 213.740.2523 or send an e-mail to admissions@law.usc.edu.