Applying to Law School

• Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or GRE
• LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS)/Law School Report
• Official Transcript(s)
• Applications for individual schools (free electronic individual school applications are available from LSAC) 
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Resume (can be up to two pages)
• Diversity Statements (optional)
• Addendums (if needed)
• Other Materials: Citations; Dean’s Certification (required by some schools), Additional Essays

The LSAC website includes information about LSAT and Credential Assembly Service fees. Information about fee waivers for the LSAT and CAS is also available online. You must apply for a waiver through the LSAC website, and LSAC recommends that you submit your fee waiver application at least six weeks prior to the regular registration deadline for a particular LSAT. If you also require a fee waiver for an application fee, contact the school’s admissions office to determine if they participate in the fee waiver program, and how they want you to submit your application. Get an early start during spring or summer, well before you plan to apply.  Procedures for requesting application fee waivers are described in the individual law school catalogs.

The test is offered nine times in any testing year. Only the June, September, and November tests are “Disclosed Tests” for which test takers receive a breakdown of their scores. All other tests offered are “Undisclosed Tests,” and test takers only receive their raw scores. Our office advises that you take a “Disclosed Test” for your first time. Visit the LSAC website for a list of current dates and deadlines.

Most schools accept scores from tests taken within the past five years, although some law schools may require more recent test scores. We advise that you take the test no later than October in the year in which you are applying. Taking the test in June gives you the added advantage of knowing your score before the application process begins. It also leaves you time to repeat the test in the fall if you are unhappy with your score.

All scores are reported to law schools, and while most schools tend to look at the highest score, some schools review all scores. We highly recommend you do not take the test if you aren’t adequately prepared. The range of possible scores on the LSAT is 120-180.  We recommend using the official LSAC materials to prepare for the LSAT. Test-taking strategies and a sample LSAT are in the LSAT and LSDAS Information Book.  Additional preparation materials may be ordered online from the Law School Admission Council; commercial test preparation courses are available. Keep in mind these courses have a fee, so take a sample test before you consider enrolling.

LSAT Information:

• The LSAT is completely digital: https://www.lsac.org/lsat/taking-lsat/about-digital-lsat
• The Writing Section of the LSAT is not offered at the time of the test. Applicants must complete the writing section on their own time within 1 year of the testing date. Applicants will need to download software on their computer and must have a camera and microphone equipped to showcase their surroundings. LSAT tests are not complete until the Writing section has been submitted to LSAC. For more information about the Writing Section, visit: https://www.lsac.org/lsat/taking-lsat/about-lsat-writing 

If you’re pursuing graduate school, but aren’t committed to law school, taking the GRE could be a more flexible option. Some law schools accept both the LSAT and the GRE. This is the most up to date list of schools that accept the GRE. Schools that accept both view them as equally challenging. Neither test is more prestigious than the other. If you’re certain that the only graduate program you are applying to is law school, it is recommended to take the LSAT. Pick one test or the other – do not take both.

LSAC provides free electronic applications to all applicants after they register for the LSAC CAS.  Applicants can complete applications online for all of the ABA-accredited schools using their LSAC account. Applications are usually available from law schools near the end of summer. If you want to begin your applications before fall term, consult the school catalogs and sample applications from the previous year. Get a head start on the essay or personal statement section.  Note the application and financial aid deadlines so that you can organize your timeline. Law schools utilize a rolling admission method. Aim to have your applications submitted in December, well ahead of the stated deadlines.

Law schools require applicants to subscribe to the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). The CAS prepares and provides a report for each law school to which you apply. The report contains an undergraduate academic summary, including copies of all undergraduate, graduate, and law school/professional school transcript(s); LSAT score(s); your writing sample copy; and copies of letters of recommendation. This information, along with your application and personal statement is used to make a decision. Register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) online at www.lsac.org. Right now, each time you submit a CAS, there is a $45 fee.  CAS subscriptions are valid for five years.  If you took the GRE, these scores are not administered by LSAC. Please send your scores directly to each law school. 

Complete the Transcript Request Form available online through your LSAC account. Also complete the Dartmouth College Registrar Transcript Request Form. Submit both forms to the Registrar. Questions about Dartmouth transcripts should be directed to the Registrar’s Office (registrar@dartmouth.edu).  Transcripts must be ordered at least one week in advance of the required mailing date. You must order transcripts from every academic institution that you have attended. Although credit for coursework completed elsewhere is recorded on your Dartmouth transcript, grades are not. This means transcripts from all institutions you attended must be sent to LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service. It takes LSAC approximately two weeks to process a transcript from the time it is received.  

LSAC forwards citations to law schools along with your Dartmouth transcript. You do not need to send your citations to the law schools separately. Please contact the Registrar’s Office with any questions about citations.

Before requesting letters of recommendation, consult the law school applications for specific instructions. Most schools require at least two academic recommendations and typically accept no more than four.  Applicants usually request letters from professors with whom they have a strong relationship. In addition, letters from previous work supervisors are often helpful, because they provide a different perspective on an applicant. Letters of recommendations are a major factor in the admissions decision. Make sure you choose people who have had an opportunity to observe your academic strengths and your personal qualities. 

Contact your professors early. Make an appointment with each of your recommenders to discuss your course work, interests, as well as your plans for law school. Ideally, provide your recommenders  with the following: resume, transcript, personal statement draft (if written), a statement on why you are choosing to go to law school, a summary of what you learned from your experience with the writer, and a copy of a paper you wrote for their class.  

Discuss a reasonable deadline for the recommender to finish your letter. Professors can be busy and sometimes take leave. You may need to remind the writer. Make your request at least one month before you need the letter. Aim to have your file complete by November 1st.

All letters of recommendation must be sent to LSAC, unless a law school to which you are applying states otherwise.  

Review the Center for Career Design’s guide on How to Ask for a Reference/Letter of Recommendation.

Most applications include an open-ended question about your accomplishments and career goals.  Even if it is not required, it is wise to provide one. The essay is your opportunity to present your personal attributes, accomplishments, passions, and interests to the admissions committee, since interviews are not part of the process.  A good essay might be the deciding factor in an admissions decision; an unconvincing or unremarkable essay can adversely affect your chances.  

The most effective essays are well organized, clear, concise, and directly respond to the prompt. Your essay will demonstrate your writing abilities in a way the previews how you will perform in law school where writing is one of the most critical skills.

The most effective essays convey a personal dimension. They describe an individual distinguished by intellectual motivation and accomplishment, social concerns and contributions, and personal values. You may want to develop the essay around an experience, an accomplishment, or an interest. It may help to imagine yourself in an interview situation with the admissions officer. What do you want the admissions officers to know about you? Since the essay is evidence of your writing ability, be careful about grammar and spelling. Limit yourself to two to three typed pages, double-spaced. Review the Personal Statement handout in the Appendix of this Guide for Additional Information.

Submit your applications in December or earlier, well ahead of the deadlines. Some admissions officers begin to read applications in December and schools with rolling admissions begin to announce their decisions in January or February.  When fall term grades have been released, send an updated transcript to LSAC. This information will be incorporated into your file and updated transcript reports will be sent to the law schools.

The Dean’s Certification includes your dates of attendance at Dartmouth, major, minor, graduation date, SAT score, and current or final GPA. The primary purpose of a Dean’s Certification is to obtain information about academic and disciplinary misconduct (or lack thereof). The Dean’s Certification will include any major disciplinary sanctions ( Conduct: Suspension or Separation; Academic: Probation, Suspension, or Separation). It is not College policy to report the specifics of the proceedings.  

The Center for Career Design cannot speak for each law school, however, if you have experienced a major disciplinary sanction, please make an appointment with a Career & Life Design Coach to discuss its impact. Check each individual law school for their Dean Certification requirements.  

At Dartmouth, one of the deans in the Undergraduate Deans Office attests to the applicant’s academic and personal record as part of the Dean’s Certification. To obtain a Dean’s Certification, you must print and complete the Dean’s Certification request form from the law school website and submit the form to the Undergraduate Deans Office in person (125 Carson in Baker Berry Library) or mail (6064 Carson Hall Level 1 Suite 125, Hanover, NH 03755). The Dean’s Office will send your Dean’s Certification to the law school. LSAC does not process dean’s certifications. If you have any questions on this topic, please contact the Dean’s office. Expect 2-3 weeks for your Dean’s Certification to be processed.

Most law schools begin to announce decisions in January and February. By the beginning of April, you should know your status at most schools. If you find yourself on hold or on a waitlist at a school, discuss your options with a Career & Life Design Coach.

• “Hold” status implies that your application has been reviewed, and that the school has not made a decision. This may be because a school wants to see a larger percentage of the applicant pool before making a decision.  
• “Wait list” status implies that the law school believes that you are qualified to be a member of the entering class, but that there were many other candidates who were even more qualified. Often, students are admitted off the list in late Spring and Summer. 

If you are notified that your decision will be placed on hold, or that you will be placed on a wait list, acknowledge the notification. Send any relevant new information, including: an updated transcript, a brief account of your current academic work (especially if you are writing a thesis), any new honors/awards, and any new responsibilities at your job if you are working.  

Most financial aid is administered through individual law schools, and most awards are based on financial need. Although most financial aid packets have a large loan component, some merit scholarships are offered.  

Read individual law school websites for financial aid policies, instructions, and scholarship options. Contact the financial aid office at the law school if you need further information. Many schools have loan repayment assistance programs (LRAP) for graduates who choose to enter low paying or public-interest law firms.

If you wish to be considered for federal aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, available from the law school’s financial aid office and online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. The new form is usually available in January and should be completed as soon as possible. Individual institutions will require additional financial aid forms to be completed.