Law School Admission
To be considered for admission to the Law School, each applicant (1) must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; (2) must have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.20, as calculated by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC); (3) must have attained a reportable score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT); (4) must follow all instructions in The University of Texas School of Law Application; and (5) must submit all mandatory attachments described in the application. An applicant who meets the minimum requirements is not assured of admission, because the number of qualified applicants usually exceeds the number of new students the school may admit each year.
The Law School provides full-file review to all complete applications. No admission decision is based on numerical criteria alone. In addition to the LSAT score and cumulative undergraduate grade point average, the Admissions Committee reviews each application in its entirety. Among the criteria considered are the following:
- Rigor of the undergraduate course of study as reflected by the applicant’s college transcripts
- Graduate study
- Demonstrated commitment to public service
- Work experience
- Leadership experience
- Extracurricular or community activities
- History of overcoming economic or other disadvantage
- Race and ethnicity
- Personal experiences with discrimination
- Overcoming disability
- Disadvantaged socioeconomic background
- Geographic diversity (particularly underrepresented regions of Texas)
- Diversity of experience and background
- Maturity
- Ability to communicate well, exceptional writing skills
- Foreign language proficiency
- Honors and awards
- Service in the Armed Forces
- Publications
- Any other personal characteristics or experiences that would contribute to the diversity and overall enrichment of the Law School
The goals of the admission process for the School of Law are:
- To identify those students with the greatest probability of success in law school, considering proven predictors (LSAT score, grade point average, the applicant’s undergraduate school and major) and giving appropriate weight to all other factors in the applicant’s file;
- To identify students who exhibit a demonstrated commitment to public service, leadership, and other qualities valuable to the legal profession;
- To identify students whose background, experience, and other qualities are likely to be of value in the classroom and in the Law School;
- To provide a service to the state of Texas by educating its citizens from underrepresented regions of the state and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.
The application process is described in the links on the right. Additional information about admission to the Law School as a new student, a transfer student, or a transient student is detailed in the Law School catalog, The University of Texas School of Law Bulletin, and on the Law School’s Web site .