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Application Process and Time Line

The Application

A law school application consists of six parts:

Approximately 25 law schools also require completion of a dean’s certification form.

Questionnaire

Applicants are encouraged to apply electronically through lsac.org. To get started, click on the Online Services tab. A demo is also available for new users. Paper applicants should type the questionnaire. A typewriter is available in the CAPS library.

Resume

The CAPS office provides students and alumni with advice about creating effective resumes.

LSAT

Transcripts

Review an unofficial transcript well before the application deadline to check for inaccuracies. If an error is discovered, contact the Office of the University Registrar at (773) 702-7891, although alumni transcripts are immutable. Send all official undergraduate transcripts to the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) six weeks prior to submission of the application. Official transcripts may be ordered through the Registrar.

Personal Statement and Supplemental Essays

Since law schools generally do not interview applicants, the personal statement serves as the introduction to the candidate. It provides an opportunity for applicants to express themselves in candid language and, like an interview, sets a tone for the rest of the application.

One method to approach the personal statement is to start with the question. Choose one application and read the personal statement question. Read between the lines – what are they really asking? Then, consider your audience. Imagine that you are sitting on an admissions committee. What would you want to know about a candidate? What subject would catch your attention when you have 20 applications remaining to read at nine o’clock at night?

Note: a personal statement is different from a “statement of purpose” essay that many graduate programs require of applicants. Statements of purpose justify the application by focusing on how the applicant intends to use the degree. Law schools are less interested in why an applicant wants to be a lawyer, and are more interested in the motivation, values, and experiences that collectively make the applicant an interesting person of the type a committee member would like to have in class, or as a colleague.

If given a choice, answer all supplemental and optional questions. Inconsistencies in the application (grades, gaps) or issues requiring explanation should be addressed in an addendum, not in the personal statement.

Plan on spending at least one month to write the personal statement. I am available to read early personal statement drafts.

Letters of Recommendation

Law schools generally ask for two or three letters of recommendation, although the LSDAS Letter of Recommendation Service stores up to four letters for five years. Assuming that each of your letters is strong, send the maximum number allowed by each institution. This list is available on the LOR Service home page.
The most useful faculty letters compare applicants to their peers and address writing abilities, analytical skills, and intellectual development. The field of study or rank of the author have no bearing on the letter, in fact, the most important thing about letters is that they are written by someone who knows the candidate well. Law schools accept non-academic letters (these are more common for alumni), but it is best to have at least one academic letter.

Ask for a letter when you are still fresh in the mind of the writer. Letters may be stored with the LSDAS, and also through interfolio.com. Interfolio can serve as a place to store a general letter of recommendation if you are unsure whether you will apply to law or graduate school in the future. An advantage is that letters saved on Interfolio can be retrieved and updated by recommender later on. If you use Interfolio, read the instructions with care, and also the FAQs about law school letters. That said, students who are certain they will apply to law school, and current year applicants are strongly encouraged to manage their letters through the LSDAS Letter of Recommendation Service.

In the rare case that a letter is sent through the mail directly to an individual law school, use the waiver for that law school. Otherwise, use the waiver available through the LSDAS LOR Web page. Always waive your rights to read a letter of recommendation. If you have reservations about what a recommender might say about you, discuss it (diplomatically) with that person. If you still have doubts, don't give that person a waiver or ask for a letter.

Give recommenders at least four weeks notice before the letters are due, and plan on having all letters submitted to the LSDAS six weeks before submission of the application. Finally, remember that faculty are often away from Chicago between June and September and that requests made over the summer may have to wait until October.

A Law School Dean’s Suggestions to Faculty for Reference Letters

On References and Letters of Recommendation

Timetable

Five Steps to Law School