Law School Resource
Guide for Undocumented
Students: Getting to Law
School
Revised Date: June 2024
Table of Contents
Introducon 4
About This Resource Guide 4
OverviewoftheApplicaonProcess 5
FrequentlyAskedQuesons 5
DecidingWhetherToAendLawSchool 6
ApplicaonComponents 8
Applicaon Checklist 9
LSAT 9
How is the LSAT considered for law school admissions? 9
How is the LSAT scored? 10
What LSAT score do I need? 10
Should I retake the LSAT/GRE if I did not get the score I wanted? 10
Where can I learn more about the LSAT? 11
How can I study for the LSAT? 11
GRE 13
How is the GRE considered for law school admissions? 13
How is the GRE General Test scored? 13
What is the GRE General Test Structure? 14
Where can I learn more about the General GRE Test? 14
How can I study for the GRE? 14
GPAandUndergraduateMajor 15
How is GPA considered for law school admissions? 16
What GPA do I need? 16
How does LSAC determine my law school GPA? 16
PersonalandAdversityStatements 16
Personal Statement vs. Adversity Statement 17
Worksheet: Wring Your Personal and Adversity Statements for Law School 17
Addional Quesons 20
Resume,WorkandExtracurricularAcvies 20
How important is a well-wrien resume? 21
Return to Table of Contents 3
How important are extracurricular acvies for admissions? 21
Addional Quesons 22
Tips for Wring an Eecve Law School Resume 22
LeersofRecommendaon 23
Sending Recommendaon Leers 24
Addional Tips 24
Addional Resources 24
CredenalAssemblyService(CAS)andApplicaonFees 24
How does CAS work? 24
How can I get law school applicaon fees waived? 24
CharacterandFitnessStatements 26
Possible Immigraon Disclosures 26
OponalGPA/LSATAddendum 27
FinancialAidandScholarships 27
Merit-Based Scholarships 27
Condional Scholarships 28
Negoang Scholarships 28
Need-Based Scholarships/Grants 29
Loans 29
External or Private Scholarships 30
Other Ways of Financing Legal Educaon 30
ChoosingWhichLawSchoolstoApplyTo(AndAend) 31
Immigraon-Specic and Employment Consideraons 32
Pre-LawProgramsOpentoIndividualsRegardlessofImmigraonStatus 33
Pre-Law Resources 33
Acknowledgments 34
AboutUs 34
Return to Table of Contents 4
Introduction
As state policies have made higher educaon more accessible and aordable for undocumented students,
many have gone on to pursue graduate and professional degrees. One such opon is a law degree, also
known as the Juris Doctor (J.D.), which typically takes three years to complete.
Aer graduang from law school, graduates must be licensed to pracce law in a certain state. Because
some states impose immigraon restricons on being admied to the bar and because you cannot be legally
employed without work authorizaon, there are some limitaons on what you can do with a law degree as an
undocumented person.
Nonetheless, a law degree can open up opportunies in the legal eld and beyond. Depending on what state
you reside in, you can work as an independent contractor, start your own law pracce, or seek employment
abroad. Deferred Acon for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients or immigrants with temporary work
authorizaon can work at private law rms, non-prot organizaons, and government sectors in any state
that allows those without cizenship or permanent residency to pracce law.
About This Resource Guide
There is very lile informaon about the law school applicaon process for undocumented students. This
resource guide sheds light on the applicaon and nancial aid process, focusing on immigraon-specic
consideraons. Whenever possible, we have included external resources so you can connue learning more
about the law school applicaon process. Use this resource guide to supplement other valuable resources you
may already have access to. We hope this guide helps you in your journey towards becoming a lawyer.
This resource guide is the product of the shared experiences and knowledge of many immigrant and rst-
generaon students, many of whom are undocumented and DACAmented. Thank you to everyone who has
helped bring this resource to life.
PathwaystoaJ.D.orBarAdmission
1 This is the average cost of a full-me J.D. program based on an arcle published by U.S. News & World Report that was
updated in March 2022 to reect ranks and data from the 2023 U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings. The full report can be
found here.
2 This range is based on a list of the 2023-2024 best part-me JD programs compiled by U.S. News & World Report. The full list
can be found here.
3 Four states have laws that allow people to be admied to the bar without having to aend law school rst. Those states are
California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Each of these states has its own rules and requirements for admission. Read the
breakdown of each state’s requirements and their associated costs here. here.
TypeofProgram Cost Timeittakestocomplete
Full-me $53,034
1
3 years
Part-me $10,958 - $67,792
2
3 ½ - 4 years
Apprenceship Depends on the state
3
Depends on the state
3
Return to Table of Contents 5
Overview of the Application Process
Law school applicaons generally open in the Fall of each year. Depending on the school, applicaons
close as early as February and as late as July. Applicaons are processed on a rolling basis, which generally
means that the earlier you apply, the earlier your applicaon gets reviewed (although this is not always the
case; somemes admissions commiees will hold on to your applicaon unl they get a beer sense of the
applicaon pool for that year).
All accredited law school applicaons are processed through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), which
also administers the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
Because applicaons are generally reviewed on a rolling basis, decisions are released throughout the
applicaon period. If you have been accepted to a law school, you can reserve your spot by pung down a
deposit by a given deadline, usually in May or June. If you have been waitlisted, you can remain on the waitlist
while maintaining a reserved spot at another school. It is important to note that if you stay on a waitlist, it is
possible to be admied from the waitlist as late as the week that classes start for the Fall!
Most law schools oer merit-based scholarships, which are awarded primarily on the merits of your
applicaon, LSAT or GRE scores, and undergraduate academic record, as well as other factors such as
community involvement, leadership acvies, and personal background. It is also possible to receive need-
based aid, although this process varies by school.
Decidewhetherto
attendlawschool
(Page 7)
StudyforLSAT
and/orGRE
(Page 10 & Page 16)
Reachoutto
Recommenders
(Page 30)
PrepareApplication
Documents
(Page 9)
Applications
Open(Fall)
SubmitApplications
SchoolsMake
Admissions
Decisions
(onarollingbasis)
Negotiate
FinancialAid
(Page 36)
MakeDecision
&Submit
Deposit(Feb-
July)
Frequently Asked Questions
Areundocumented/DACAmentedstudentsconsideredinternationalapplicants?
Yes, you will be considered an applicant from the country where you hold cizenship.
Return to Table of Contents 6
Dolawschoolsperceivelackoflegalstatusasanegativefactor?
There is scarce informaon about how being undocumented aects admissions prospects. The best we can
do is look at data on whether or not and how being considered an internaonal student aects admissions
prospects.
Some schools accept very few internaonal students. These schools might be hesitant because internaonal
students may have a more dicult me nding employment post-graduaon, which reects negavely on the
school's employment prospects. Schools, especially those that have a relavely small student body, might not
be willing to take that risk.
Another possible factor might be that schools are hesitant to accept internaonal students who do not
have a reportable GPA, as this would make it dicult for them to compare such applicants to students with
reportable GPAs. Thus, as undocumented students, having an undergraduate GPA (UGPA) from a U.S. school
overrides some of the qualms schools might have about internaonal applicants who do not have a reportable
GPA.
Learnmore: What Aects Your Chances of Geng Into Law School? by 7Sage
CanIorshouldIdisclosemyimmigrationstatusinlawschoolapplications?
Law schools generally do not require applicants to explicitly disclose their immigraon status, unless
specically required to disclose any pending immigraon cases as part of a character or tness statement.
However, the vast majority of law schools ask applicants for their country of cizenship, the country/state
where they are currently residing, and, if applicable, their visa status. Therefore, to avoid any confusion, it
might make sense for you to disclose your immigraon status. You can do so in a meaningful way by, for
example, menoning it in your personal or any other essays or materials. You can discuss how your status has
shaped your life experiences, perspecves, or even your decision to pursue a legal career.
Note: As of June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a pair of decisions that overturned race-conscious
admissions policies, forcing law schools to overhaul how they ask about diversity in their applicaons.
Some law schools no longer include the diversity statement as an applicaon component starng with the
2024 applicaon cycle. As a result, according to U.S. News, some law schools have introduced an identy
statement, a statement of challenge or adversity, or other variaons.
Dolawschoolsperceivelackoflegalstatusasapositivefactor(i.e.addingtotheschooldiversity)?
Your status can be a posive factor. How you frame your immigraon narrave can be powerful, especially
in your personal statement. However, lack of legal status in itself is likely not a boost in admissions, but it is a
unique and unusual life circumstance that can be discussed in a compelling way.
Deciding Whether To Attend Law School
A law degree can open up many rewarding and lucrave opportunies in the private sector, policy and
government, non-prot organizaons, and more. However, it is also a me-consuming and emoonally and
nancially taxing endeavor. Addionally, as with any other eld, if you do not have work authorizaon, your
employment opons will be restricted. Before embarking on this journey, make sure you are fully condent in
your decision to pursue law school.
Here are some quesons to consider:
Return to Table of Contents 7
WhatarethebaradmissionrequirementsforthestatewhereI’dliketowork?
Each state has varying policies on allowing undocumented and DACAmented individuals to pracce
law. In California, for example, all 56 professional and occupaonal licenses, including law, are open to
undocumented immigrants as long as they meet all other requirements. Illinois and Nevada have similar laws,
while other states restrict eligibility only to DACA recipients or immigrants with work authorizaon.
Click here for more informaon on bar eligibility requirements by state.
Whatcareeroptionsareavailabletome?
Without work authorizaon, you cannot be employed by a law rm or organizaon. However, with exibility,
creavity, networking, and an entrepreneurial mindset, you can create opportunies for yourself as a lawyer,
including by working as an independent contractor, starng your own law rm, joining or starng a workers’
cooperave with other lawyers, or parcipang in paid fellowships, among other opons.
You can learn more about entrepreneurship opportunies on Immigrants Rising’s Entrepreneurship page.
Islawschoolworththefinancialinvestment?
Law school can be very expensive, and many law students graduate with signicant debt. In fact, the
average law student graduates with around $130,000 of debt. However, it is possible to receive substanal
scholarship awards — all the way to full tuion — if your LSAT or GRE score and GPA are compeve for the
schools you are applying to.
If you do have to take out loans, make sure to thoroughly explore your opons, as undocumented students
are ineligible for federal loans. Although private loans are available to some undocumented people, some
lenders require you to have DACA, a valid student visa (since undocumented students are considered
internaonal students), or U.S. cizen or lawful permanent resident cosigners. Private loans also have
signicantly higher interest rates than federal loans.
See more informaon about nancial aid and loans in the Financial Aid and Scholarships secon.
AretherealternativestolawschoolthatIshouldconsider?
There are other graduate or professional degrees you can pursue instead of a law degree to reach your
professional goals. You may be interested in a career in elds related to the law (such as public policy,
academia, or business) that suit your career objecves but do not require you to be a licensed aorney. As
most law schools are beginning to accept the GRE as a standardized test for admissions, this can oer the
exibility to apply to other graduate programs.
Return to Table of Contents 8
Immigrant Law Student Perspectives
“I spent a lot of me trying to gure out whether law school or
even a legal career was the right decision for me. I was worried
about taking on signicant debt, about not being able to pay it
back, about not having employment opportunies, and more
generally not having any guidance towards the path to a legal
career as an immigrant.
Ulmately, I decided it was worth the investment because I
want to be able to provide legal services to other immigrants
like me and my family, who have struggled for so long to access
adequate legal resources due to cultural, language, and nancial
barriers. My desire to represent my community is much stronger
than my fears and doubts.”
—ArabiHassan,HarvardLawSchool‘23
Application Components
Law schools consider a wide range of numerical and non-numerical factors when reviewing your applicaon.
These include:
• The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) or Graduate Record Examinaons (GRE)
• A reportable GPA from all undergraduate instuons aended (if you obtained your undergraduate degree
in the U.S.)
• Personal and adversity statements (if any)
• Professional and extracurricular experiences
• Recommendaon leers
• If applicable:
◦ Character and tness statement
◦ Addional addenda to explain extenuang circumstances that aected your LSAT/GRE score or GPA
• Whether you are a rst-generaon college student
• The me you submit your applicaon (the earlier the beer!)
• Whether you applied Early or Regular Decision
Think of each component as a piece of a puzzle. Each part of the applicaon intends to highlight a dierent
aspect of your candidacy, and law schools will evaluate your enre applicaon when making a decision.
The remainder of this resource guide will break down each requirement, provide detailed guidance, and refer
to addional resources.
Return to Table of Contents 9
Application Checklist
Have an LSAT or GRE score (with addional wring poron) on le
Send LSAC transcripts from all instuons aended
Purchase and set up Credenal Assembly Service (CAS)
Have recommenders upload or send their leers to LSAC
Complete applicaon for each law school on CAS
Fill out applicaon
Upload personal statement
Upload resume
Upload oponal statements:
Adversity statement (or any variaon)
Character and tness statement
Addional addenda to explain anything not menoned elsewhere in the applicaon
LSAT
The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is a standardized exam administered by the Law School Admissions
Council (LSAC). Most law schools accredited by the American Bar Associaon (ABA) require applicants to take
the LSAT.
The LSAT is oered nine mes per year and costs $222 per exam (as of 2024). It is a digital exam that you may
take at 1) a test center with a tablet or 2) an online remotely proctored exam. See LSAC for more informaon.
If you are a DACA recipient, you might qualify for a need-based fee waiver that allows you to take the exam
twice for free, along with a year-long subscripon to LSAC’s test prep material. See more informaon about
the waiver in the Credenal Assembly Service (CAS) and Applicaon Fees secon.
How is the LSAT considered for law school admissions?
The standardized exam score, in this case, the LSAT, is one of the two most important components of your law
school applicaon (the other being your undergraduate GPA). Law schools use your LSAT score to assess your
ability to succeed in your rst year of law school. The LSAT is also used to determine how much scholarship
money you can receive.
Most law schools use an “index formula” to give each applicant a single index number, which is used to
determine an applicant’s objecve strength compared to other applicants. The index is calculated based on
your standardized test score and undergraduate cumulave GPA, with the LSAT given more weight most of
the me. You can learn more about the index formula here.
Return to Table of Contents 10
How is the LSAT scored?
The LSAT is scored on a 120-180 scale, with the average (or median) score at around 150-151. Per LSAC,
LSAT will connue to have three scored secons — logical reasoning, analycal reasoning, and reading
comprehension. Starng with the August 2024 administraon, there will be a change to the three scored
secons, which will include two secons of logical reasoning and one secon of reading comprehension.
Regardless of when you’re taking the test, the LSAT will include a fourth, unscored variable secon. You can
learn more about LSAT scoring here.
Essay Component
The LSAT also includes a separate wring component. The LSAT Wring secon is an online, remotely
proctored exam taken separately from the mulple-choice poron. The essay is not scored and does not
factor into your LSAT score, but it demonstrates your persuasive wring skills. It is required by many schools,
including most top law schools, and evaluated as a wring sample.
What LSAT score do I need?
Your target LSAT score will depend on which law schools you hope to gain acceptance to and their median
LSAT scores. Having an LSAT score at or above a law school’s median score can make you more compeve
for admissions. However, because law school admission is a holisc process, a high LSAT score does not
guarantee admission, and alternavely, being below a school’s LSAT median does not mean rejecon. A strong
GPA, substanal work and extracurricular acvies, and personal statements can oset a low LSAT score.
You can view LSAT score ranges for all law schools at U.S. News law school rankings.
When should I take the LSAT or General GRE Test?
You should take the LSAT or General GRE Test as early as possible. Because law school admissions is a rolling
cycle process, subming your applicaon early (which means taking the LSAT/GRE early) can give you an
advantage, as more seats are available earlier on in the cycle than later.
Each school has its own policy regarding the latest exam you can take. Many law schools require that
applicants take the LSAT/GRE by December of the year they are applying to be considered for admission.
If you plan on retaking the LSAT/GRE, it is even more pernent you take the exam early so you have enough
me to prepare for the retake.
Should I retake the LSAT/GRE if I did not get the score I wanted?
Increasing your score by even a few points can improve your chances of being accepted. It can also help you
increase your scholarship award. Although law schools can see all your scores from the past ve years and
pay aenon to any scoring trends, they will ulmately only consider the highest score when reviewing your
applicaon.
You might consider retaking the LSAT/GRE if:
• You are sll improving your score in the few weeks leading up to your exam date (and you think you can
improve with more preparaon).
• You were scoring signicantly higher on your pracce tests than on the actual exam.
Return to Table of Contents 11
• Something happened during the day of the exam that prevented you from doing your best (sickness,
unexpected news, issues with the tesng center).
• You are willing to put in the me and eort to get your score up for the retake.
Note: Consecuvely scoring lower on each retake might raise concerns from law school admissions
commiees. On the other hand, some schools consider only your highest standardized test score. We
encourage you to be strategic in your retakes and do your research on what each law school asks for.
Learn more: Should you retake the LSAT? by PowerScore
Immigrant Law Student Perspectives
“The LSAT is only one awed, imperfect standardized test that
has lile to no relaon to the type of law student or lawyer
one will be. But, as it stands, it’s also one of the most important
pieces of the law school applicaon. The LSAT is, in my opinion,
two things. First, it’s a testament to perseverance as it’s a test
that people can improve on, but it takes me and eort. It’s not
fair to everyone as some people are beer geared and beer
posioned to prepare for it, while others have so many obstacles
and challenges to juggle. But the boom line is that people can
improve on the test over me. Secondly, and more importantly, it
means money and law school access. Scoring beer on the LSAT
not only means you have beer shots at more schools, but for
low-income students, it also means less debt. For folks who are
undocumented with more constraints on nancial means, the
LSAT is eecvely a ‘hack’ to aord law school.”
—YongbinChang,UCBerkeleyLaw‘22
Where can I learn more about the LSAT?
We encourage you to keep learning more about the LSAT. You can learn more about the LSAT, sign up to
preview your score, nd out how many mes you can aempt the exam, and more on LSAC’s website here.
How can I study for the LSAT?
Studying for the LSAT is a highly individualized process. You must nd out what study methods work best
for you and implement them during your pracce. This might mean combining your own studying strategies
with those found in test prep books, courses, and other resources. Below are some free and paid studying
resources to get you started.
Free
• Ocial LSAT PrepbyKhanAcademy: The LSAC has partnered with Khan Academy to provide free LSAT
prep, available at KhanAcademy.org. You can take diagnosc exams to idenfy strengths and weaknesses,
create your personalized study schedule, and watch videos breaking down concepts and types of
quesons. This is a useful tool for those looking to self-study for the exam.
Return to Table of Contents 12
• Ocial LSAT Prep
SM
bytheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil: The LSAC’s Ocial LSAT PrepSM includes
two full ocial tests, the ability to use the digital interface used during the actual test administraons,
instant scoring feedback, and more.
• Freeresourcesonline: There are many free online resources available that provide valuable studying
materials for the LSAT. Some test prep companies oer free podcasts, webinars, queson explanaons,
discussions, pracce tests, and study plans.
Here is a sampling of free resources available online:
◦ Powerscore: Free LSAT Help Area
◦ Magoosh: Free resources
◦ AlphaScore: Free resources and guides
◦ Kaplan: Free on demand pracce test
Paid
• Testprepbooks: Test prep books allow you to study for the exam at your own pace. There are a lot of
opons out there, so do your research to nd the best prep books for you. Some test prep books include:
◦ The Ocial LSAT SuperPrep II™ - the Law School Admission Council
◦ The LSAT Trainer
◦ PowerScore LSAT Bibles
◦ Manhaan Prep LSAT Reading Comprehension
• Ocial LSAT Prep Plus
SM
bytheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil($99): The LSAC’s Ocial LSAT PrepSM
includes 1-year access to 60+ full ocial tests, the ability to pracce with the digital interface used during
the actual test administraons, instant scoring feedback, and more.
• Testpreparationcourses: There are a number of companies that oer LSAT test preparaon courses.
Formats include in-person classes, online classes, and hybrid classes, as well as large-group, small-group,
and private sessions. Prices vary depending on the company and format of the class.
Some test preparaon companies include:
◦ Blueprint
◦ PowerScore
◦ LSATMax
◦ Alpha Score
◦ Princeton Review
◦ Kaplan
◦ Magoosh
◦ 7Sage
◦ Click here for a full list of companies that use ocial LSAT exams and quesons.
Tips for Choosing a Class
• Do your research and make sure the company has good reviews and that classes are taught by instructors
who have done well on the LSAT themselves.
• Ensure the company uses ocial LSAT content, which means they use quesons from real LSAT exams.
You can view a comprehensive list of companies that use ocial LSAT content here.
Return to Table of Contents 13
• Look for classes that allow you to take pracce exams online, as the real LSAT is administered digitally on
a tablet. These online plaorms should provide instant scoring feedback and a detailed analysis of your
strengths and weaknesses.
• Lastly, review the class’ teaching methods and reect on how they align with how you learn best. For
example, some courses focus more on live instrucon instead of pre-recorded sessions.
Discounts and Fee Waivers
• Check with your university to see if they oer any special discounts on LSAT test preparaon courses.
• Some test prep companies might oer discounts or free access to their services if you are approved for
LSAC’s need-based fee waiver. Click here to see which test prep companies oer a fee waiver to LSAC fee
waiver recipients
• See the Pre-Law Programs Open to Individuals Regardless of Immigraon Status secon for a list of
programs that might cover LSAT prep and/or exam fees.
GRE
The Graduate Record Examinaon (GRE) is a standardized exam administered by the Educaonal Tesng
Service (ETS). Many law schools accredited by the American Bar Associaon (ABA) have begun accepng a
GRE General Test score for admission. See which law schools accept the GRE scores for their JD programs.
The computer-based or online GRE General Test dates are available all year round, seven days a week, and
cost $220. Like the LSAT, the GRE General Test is a digital exam and can be taken at: 1) a tesng locaon or 2)
an online remotely proctored exam. See ETS for more informaon.
Undocumented individuals connected with TheDream.US or other listed organizaons serving
underrepresented groups might qualify for a need-based voucher that covers $100 in registraon fees for the
GRE General Test and will receive free GRE test prep materials. See more informaon about the voucher in
the GRE Fee Reducon Program secon.
How is the GRE considered for law school admissions?
As some law schools begin to accept the GRE General Exam for admission consideraon, students now think
about taking either the LSAT or the GRE. The GRE General Test is exible in that it allows applicants to use
the score for law school applicaons and other graduate program applicaons. This is a good opon if you
have already taken the LSAT and do not see your score improving or if you are thinking of applying to a joint
degree program. Law schools and other graduate programs use the GRE to assess your verbal reasoning,
quantave reasoning, crical thinking, and analycal wring skills.
How is the GRE General Test scored?
The range scores for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantave Reasoning secons of the GRE General Test are
scored in a range of 130 to 170. The range of scores for the Analycal Wring secon is 0 to 6. You can learn
more about how the GRE General Test is scored here. You may also see Understanding Your GRE General Test
Scores for more informaon.
Return to Table of Contents 14
What is the GRE General Test Structure?
Starng September 2023, the General GRE Test overall test me is about 1 hour and 58 minutes. There are
ve secons: Analycal Wring (one secon), Verbal Reasoning (two secons), and Quantave Reasoning
(two secons). You can learn more about the test structure here.
Where can I learn more about the General GRE Test?
We encourage you to keep learning more about the General GRE Test, especially as more schools are
accepng it for admissions. You can learn more about the GRE on the ETS website.
How can I study for the GRE?
Like the LSAT, studying for the GRE is an individualized process. You must nd out what study methods
work best for you and implement them during your pracce. This might mean combining your own studying
strategies with those found in test prep books, courses, and other resources. Below are some free and paid
studying resources to get you started.
Free
• POWERPREP® Pracce Test byETS: This is a free soware oered through the ETS website. It’s a great
resource to get a realisc tesng experience. It has two full-length, med GRE pracce tests, and several
addional pracce quesons for all Verbal and Quant queson types.
• GRE Vocabulary Flashcards byMagoosh: This is a phone app you can download to pracce your
vocabulary to improve your Verbal Reasoning score.
• Manhaan GRE Pracce Test byManhattanPrep: This is a great opon if you are looking to have more
test-taking pracce.
• GRE Test Prep Video Presentaons byETS: If you’re a visual learner, this is a great way to learn about the
GRE Prep process.
• Freeresourcesonline: There are many free online resources available that provide valuable studying
materials for the GRE. Some test prep companies oer free podcasts, webinars, queson explanaons,
discussions, pracce tests, and study plans.
Here is a sampling of free resources available online:
◦ Powerscore: Free GRE Help Area
◦ Magoosh: Free resources
◦ Kaplan: Free on-demand pracce test
Paid
• Testprepbooks: Test prep books allow you to study for the exam at your own pace. There are a lot of
opons out there, so do your research to nd the best prep books for you. Some test prep books include:
◦ The Ocial Guide to the GRE® General Test, Third Edion - ETS
◦ Kaplan's GRE Prep Plus 2024
◦ Manhaan Prep- 5 lb Book of GRE Pracce Problems
◦ The Princeton Review's GRE Premium Prep
◦ GRE Prep by Magoosh
Return to Table of Contents 15
• Testpreparationcourses: There are a number of companies that oer LSAT test preparaon courses.
Formats include in-person classes, online classes, and hybrid classes, as well as large-group, small-group,
and private sessions. Prices vary depending on the company and format of the class.
Some test preparaon companies include:
◦ Magoosh
◦ Princeton Review
◦ Kaplan
◦ Manhaan Prep
◦ PrepScholar
◦ The Economist
◦ And many more
Tips for Choosing a Class
• Do your research and make sure the company has good reviews and that classes are taught by instructors
who have done well on the GRE themselves.
• Look for classes that allow you to take pracce exams online, as the real GRE is administered digitally.
These online plaorms should provide instant scoring feedback and a detailed analysis of your strengths
and weaknesses.
• Lastly, review the class’ teaching methods and reect on how they align with how you learn best. For
example, some courses focus more on live instrucon instead of pre-recorded sessions.
Discounts and Fee Waivers
• Check with your university to see if they oer any special discounts on GRE test preparaon courses.
• Some test prep companies might oer discounts or free access to their services if you are approved for
the GRE General Test voucher. Learn more about this voucher in the GRE Fee Reducon Program secon
or the Fees for GRE Tests and Related Services secon.
See the Pre-Law Programs Open to Individuals Regardless of Immigraon Status secon for a list of
programs that might cover GRE prep and/or exam fees.
GPA and Undergraduate Major
Your undergraduate GPA is one of the two most important components of your law school applicaon
(the other being your LSAT/GRE score). LSAC requires you to submit transcripts from all undergraduate
instuons aended, including community college, to calculate your LSAC GPA. See more informaon under
“LSAC GPA” below.
If you have or are currently working towards a graduate degree, your graduate degree GPA is not calculated
into your LSAC GPA.
Because there are no course requirements prior to law school admissions, you can major in any subject during
college. Popular majors among law school applicants include polical science, philosophy, and English.
Return to Table of Contents 16
Transferring from a community college to a four-year instuon does not reect negavely on your
applicaon. Law schools consider your cumulave GPA from all undergraduate instuons aended (even
those classes you might have taken at community college while you were in high school).
How is GPA considered for law school admissions?
Most law schools use an “index formula” to give each applicant a single index number, which is used to
determine an applicant’s objecve strength compared to other applicants. The index is calculated based on
your LSAT/GRE score and undergraduate cumulave GPA, with the LSAT/GRE given more weight most of the
me. You can learn more about the index formula here.
What GPA do I need?
If you are in college, you should try to maintain as high of a GPA as possible. Having a GPA that is at or above
a law school’s median score can make you more compeve for admissions. However, because law school
admissions is a holisc process, a high GPA does not guarantee admission, and alternavely, being below a
school’s GPA median does not mean rejecon. A high LSAT/GRE score, substanal work and extracurricular
acvies, and personal statements can oset a low GPA.
You can view LSAT score ranges for all law schools at U.S. News law school rankings.
How does LSAC determine my law school GPA?
Before applying to law schools, you must submit ocial transcripts from all undergraduate instuons
aended to LSAC through a system called Credenal Assembly Service (CAS). You can learn more about CAS
in the Credenal Assembly Service (CAS) and Applicaon Fees secon.
Once you have submied your transcripts, CAS will convert your grades to a standard 4.0 system to
standardize GPA across all applicants. This is the GPA law school will consider as your ocial GPA. Your
CAS GPA does not include grades from every class you have ever taken. Here is a list of all grades that are
excluded from consideraon.
When converng grades to a standard 4.0 system, the maximum possible GPA is 4.33. This is because the
CAS GPA factors in +s and -s as part of the GPA, even if your undergraduate instuon did not. Thus, an A+
will hold more weight than an A. If your undergraduate did not give out +s and +s, then the maximum GPA
can be a 4.0.
Personal and Adversity Statements
Law school personal and diversity statements allow law schools to get to know you beyond your LSAT/GRE
score, undergraduate GPA, and resume. It is a chance for you to explain what brought you to law, elaborate on
any life experience or achievements that signicantly impacted your life, describe any challenges or obstacles
you have faced, and how you will contribute to the law school community and the legal profession broadly.
The goal is to write a clear and compelling narrave for why you are a strong candidate for law school and
why you want to be a lawyer.
Most law schools’ personal and adversity statement prompts are very broad, so you have the exibility
to choose a theme and topic that best highlights you as a candidate. Dierent law schools have varying
guidelines for page limits, font sizes, page margins, etc. You can view all prompts and requirements for each
law school at Applicaon Requirements for Top Schools by 7Sage.
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Note: As of June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a pair of decisions that overturned race-conscioust
admissions policies, forcing law schools to overhaul how they ask about diversity in their applicaons.
Some law schools no longer include the diversity statement as an applicaon component starng with the
2024 applicaon cycle. As a result, according to U.S. News, some law schools have introduced an identy
statement, a statement of challenge or adversity, or other variaons of the theme.
Personal Statement vs. Adversity Statement
Personal statements are mandatory for most law schools, while adversity statements are oponal. An
adversity statement is somemes introduced as an oponal component in law school applicaons. It is an
opportunity for you to highlight any life experiences that will contribute to how you will engage in the law
school community and the legal profession. Your life experiences, regardless of adversity, can be interpreted
broadly and can include:
• Ethnic or racial background
• Being a rst-generaon college student
• Socioeconomic background
• Sexual orientaon
• Gender identy
• Being an immigrant
• Unique work experience
Your personal and adversity statements should not be about the same topic. For example, if your personal
statement centers around your experiences as an immigrant, that should not also be the central theme of
your adversity statement, and vice versa. Instead, consider wring about another aspect of your life, such
as your educaonal trajectory, socioeconomic background, or anything else you believe will bring a diverse
perspecve to the law school community.
If you are debang whether you should write an adversity statement, ask yourself whether it will allow you to
expand on an aspect of your life that is not evident from other parts of your applicaon.
The following worksheet is created to help you brainstorm your personal and adversity statements.
Worksheet: Writing Your Personal and Adversity Statements for Law School
A well-wrien personal and adversity statement can help you stand out from thousands of other
applicants. Do not wait unl the last minute to start wring your personal statement! We encourage you
to start working on it months in advance.
Use this resource guide to help you brainstorm topics and start wring your personal and/or adversity
statements.
Step 1: Brainstorm Topics
The rst step to wring a personal or adversity statement is to brainstorm ideas for topics and themes.
Here are some ideas for generang topics:
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• When was the rst me you knew you wanted to be a lawyer/study law?
• Make a list of traits and strengths that you want to highlight.
• Make a list of specic memorable stories and experiences that have shaped your desire to study law
and/or be a lawyer.
• What do you want the admissions commiee to know about you?
◦ Fill in the blank: My applicaon will be incomplete if the admissions commiee doesn’t know
that ____________.
• What aspects of your life, background, or perspecve will allow you to make signicant
contribuons to the law school community and the legal profession?
• What kind of essay are you hoping to write? What is the theme? What is the overarching narrave?
What is it going to focus on?
Step 2: Create an Outline
Using the topics generated from Step 1, plan how you want to structure your essay and dra your
outline.
Here is an example essay structure:
ThefirsttimeIknewI
wantedtostudylaw
+
HowIexploredmyinterest
inlaw
(extracurricular/work experiences)
+
Howtheseexperiences
havepreparedmeto
succeedinlawschool
Step 3: Fill in the Details
Build on your outline by adding addional details, transional sentences, and reecons.
EssaysAboutWorkExperience/ExtracurricularActivities
If you are describing any work or extracurricular acvies, make sure you are not simply repeang your
resume. Remember, the goal of the personal statement is to highlight the aspects of your life that your
resume does not, so avoid summarizing what has already been stated elsewhere. If you are elaborang
on specic work or extracurricular experiences, focus on these quesons instead:
• What did I get out of this experience?
• What specic skills did I learn?
• What has this experience taught me about the law or the legal eld?
• How has this experience conrmed, strengthened, or claried my decision to go to law school?
EssaysAboutInfluentialFigures
If you are wring about an inuenal gure (family member, mentor, professor, famous person) who
has shaped your decision to be a lawyer, be careful not to make your personal statement about them.
The personal statement is about why you are qualied to go to law school, not about someone who has
inspired you. If wring about someone who has inspired you, consider these quesons:
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• How has this person shaped me?
• What have I learned from this person?
• How has this person shaped the way I think about the law?
• How has this person helped me explore the legal eld?
• How has this person inspired me to be a lawyer?
EssaysThatStartWithaStory
Starng your essay with a specic story or moment in me can make your essay stand out and hook the
reader. But be careful not to spend too much space wring about a specic story. Make sure to leave
enough space to connect the story to why you want to be a lawyer.
EssaysAboutHardshipsorObstaclesFaced
Essays about the challenges you have faced in life can make for a powerful narrave. If you are wring
an essay about this, here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Make sure your essay does not conate disappointment with a hardship or obstacle. Hardships
and obstacles can include circumstances such as experiencing poverty, homelessness, food
insecurity, being discriminated against, being undocumented, serious injuries, divorce, abuse, mental
health issues, and lack of access to important resources. Disappointments, on the other hand,
are experiences such as performing poorly on an exam, losing a sports game, or losing a student
organizaon elecon.
2. Make sure your essay does not just focus on the hardship or obstacle itself, but also on what steps
you have taken to succeed and improve yourself despite the obstacle. This does not mean you have
to write about “overcoming” your obstacle — there are obstacles that might be beyond your control
and not possible to overcome — but the key is to reect on how you have been shaped by it. Here
are some quesons to focus on:
◦ What have I learned from facing this obstacle?
◦ How has facing this obstacle shaped my view of the law or the legal eld?
◦ How has facing this obstacle shaped my desire to be a lawyer?
◦ What have I done to make the most of my circumstances despite facing this obstacle?
◦ How has this obstacle shaped my work experience or extracurricular acvies?
◦ What have I done/what do I hope to do to help others facing this obstacle?
Step 4: Proofread, Proofread, and Proofread Some More
Once you have a dra of your essay ready, get feedback from others. Show your essay to people you
trust who can:
• Point out any missing informaon
• Point out if anything in your essay is confusing or needs more elaboraon
• Comment on whether the essay “ows” — if the structure of the essay makes sense, and whether
you have strong transional sentences
• Point out grammacal and structural errors — if your sentences make sense, if you have too many
adverbs or adjecves, or if anything needs to be cut down or rewrien.
Return to Table of Contents 20
Additional Questions
CanIsubmitthesamepersonalandadversitystatementsforalllawschools?
You can use the same general personal and diversity statements for all law schools, but you might have to
adjust the length, font size, and margins based on each school’s requirements.
You can view all prompts and requirements for each law school at Applicaon Requirements by 7Sage.
If you choose, you can have a few paragraphs in your essays specic to each school you are applying for. In
this paragraph, you can elaborate on why you would like to be a student at that specic school and why you
might be a good t there. Double-check to make sure you submit the correct essay to the right school!
Howlongshouldmypersonalstatementbe?
The general rule of thumb is to write a two-page essay with no less than 11-point font size. Follow each law
school’s instrucons for how long your essay can be.
CanIwriteaboutmyimmigrationstatusoraboutbeingundocumentedonmypersonalstatement?
Yes, you can. If your immigraon status played a role in your decision to become a lawyer, you can write
about it in your personal or diversity statement. Focus on how you have been shaped or impacted by your
immigraon status. What did you learn from it? How has it shaped your work experience or extracurricular
acvies? How has it aected the way you perceive the world or legal systems?
Being able to communicate your immigraon narrave in a meaningful way can help you stand out as an
applicant. You can also discuss your immigraon narrave in a separate diversity or hardship statement.
Resume, Work and Extracurricular Activities
Most law schools require a professional resume as part of your applicaon. Law school applicaon resumes
are dierent from job applicaon resumes in a few key ways:
• They are more comprehensive and detailed than regular resumes. Your law school resume can include
everything you have done before college (if you worked before starng college), during college, and post-
graduaon (if you took me o before starng law school).
• Your resume can include:
◦ Jobs
◦ Internships
◦ Fellowships
Your personal statement should be treated as a professional wring sample. A powerfully wrien and
error-free essay will convey that you have the skills necessary to be a successful law school student and
lawyer.
Learnmore: Law School Personal Statement: The Ulmate Guide (Examples Included) by Shemmassian
Consulng
Return to Table of Contents 21
◦ Independent/freelancing experience
◦ Volunteering experience
◦ Research experience
◦ Speaking engagements
◦ Pre-law/pipeline programs
◦ Educaonal experiences
◦ Awards and honors
◦ Hobbies and interests
• Because it is a comprehensive overview of all your acvies, it can be longer than one page. However, we
recommend liming your resume to two pages.
Here are some sample resumes:
• Sample Resume #1 by Stanford Law School
• Sample Resume #2 by Annotated resume from US News and World Report
• Sample Resume #3 by 7Sage
How important is a well-written resume?
Along with your personal statement, your resume is another opportunity to dierenate yourself from other
applicants. It can demonstrate your extensive involvement in a certain eld or subject maer, highlight your
commitment to public service, and show that you have the skills necessary to succeed in law school.
How important are extracurricular activities for admissions?
Extracurricular acvies are considered “so” factors. They are important but not to the same extent as your
LSAT/GRE and GPA. Law schools expect you to have been involved in something outside of classes, and
it does not have to be law-related. Extracurricular and work experience demonstrates that you can juggle
mulple responsibilies, take iniave, and have crical thinking or other skills that will help you succeed in
law school.
There is no set denion of “extracurricular acvies” for law school admissions. Extracurricular acvies are
interpreted broadly as anything you do outside of classes and can include:
• Jobs (part-me and full-me)
• Internships (paid and unpaid)
• Fellowships
• Independent projects
• Freelance/independent contracng posions
• Volunteering experience
• Research experience
• Publicaons/published works
• Pre-law/pipeline programs
• Educaonal experiences
Return to Table of Contents 22
• Awards and honors
• Hobbies
Your resume can help you tell a story about who you are and what you care about. Eecve law school
applicaons tell a story — for example, an applicant demonstrang her passion for immigrants’ rights through
her personal statement, having research, legal, or community service experience related to immigraon, and
geng recommendaon leers from those who can vouch for her public service commitment.
Your resume and personal/diversity statement should complement each other. If you choose to discuss your
work or extracurricular experiences in either of your statements, pick one or two of the most signicant
experiences from your resume and elaborate on how they have shaped your aspiraons to be a lawyer.
Check out the ps below for wring an eecve law school resume.
Additional Questions
WhatifIdon’thaveanyworkexperience?
Having work experience can help you, but not having any work experience will likely not hurt you, as many
applicants are sll in college or recently graduated when they apply to law schools. You can make up for
your lack of work experience by having other types of experiences, such as being involved with student
government, clubs, internships, fellowships, research posions, etc.
WhatifIdon’thaveanyinternshipsorclubinvolvementsbecauseIspentmostofmytimeincollege
working?
Internships and clubs are some examples of extracurricular acvies. Having a job, even if it is just to pay the
bills, is also considered an extracurricular acvity. Admissions commiees will understand that you have to
work to support yourself. One possible way to frame your work experience as a “posive” factor is by wring
about your work experiences or nancial circumstances in your personal or diversity statement. A narrave
about having to support yourself nancially while juggling academic responsibilies can be very compelling.
HowdoIknowwhichexperiencestohighlightonmyresume?WhatifIcan’tkeepmyresumeunder
twopages?
Focus on the experiences that will give the admissions commiee a clear picture of who you are, what you
care about, and what will allow you to be successful in law school. These do not necessarily have to be
academic or legal experiences but ones that are meaningful to you or from which you have gained signicant
skills that will help you in law school.
Tips for Writing an Effective Law School Resume
• Keepyourformattingconsistent. For example:
◦ If you are using abbreviated months, make sure all of your months are abbreviated. Don’t use
Aug. in one place and August in another.
◦ If you are ending each bullet point statement with a period, make sure all bullet points end with
a period.
◦ Make sure all alignments are consistent.
Return to Table of Contents 23
• Usebulletpoints. Although not necessary, using bullet points to describe your experience breaks up
what would otherwise be a block of text, creang more white space and making it easier to read.
• Noteveryexperiencerequiresalengthydescription. Focus your lengthier descripons on your
most signicant experiences. A part-me posion as a server at a restaurant can be briey explained
using one bullet point.
• Begineachbulletsentencewithanactionverb like “analyzed,” “coordinated,” “researched,” etc.
◦ Don’t repeat acon verbs for mulple sentences.
• Focusonyourmainaccomplishmentsandquantifyyourresults.
◦ For example, how many students did you tutor? How many clients did you work with?
• Createsections. At the bare minimum, your resume should have two secons: Educaon and
Experience. Depending on what types of experiences you have, you can also include addional
secons such as:
◦ Interests and Hobbies
◦ Skills
◦ Volunteer Experience
◦ Publicaons
• Beclearandconcise. Your descripon for each posion should paint a clear picture of your main
responsibilies and achievements. Avoid vague sentences that do not provide meaningful details
about your work.
◦ Vague sentence: “Provided legal services to clients at a legal aid.”
◦ Descripve sentence: “Worked one-on-one with over 20 low-income and elderly clients to nd
soluons to identy the, consumer scams, and bankruptcy cases, resulng in the cancellaon
of over $30,000 of debt.”
• Emphasizeskillsthatwillhelpyousucceedinlawschool. Law schools are academic instuons.
Thus, your resume should focus on skills that illustrate your potenal as a law school student, even if
your experiences are not necessarily academic in nature.
• Skipthesummary/objectivessection. You are subming your resume as part of your law school
applicaon. You do not have to state that you are applying to law school.
• Skipthereferencessection. You are already providing leers of recommendaon.
Letters of Recommendation
Most law schools require at least one recommendaon leer, while many of them ask for two or more.
Because a J.D. is an academic program, you should try to get at least one leer from an academic reference
(a professor, research supervisor, or teaching assistant) who can vouch for your academic or research
achievements and skills. Other leers can come from employers, supervisors, mentors, or anyone else who
can describe your work, academic or otherwise.
Recommendaon leers serve as supporng evidence that helps to provide more context to the rest of the
applicaon. While a strong leer on its own is likely not enough to get you accepted, a negave reference
Return to Table of Contents 24
can be a red ag for law schools. Make sure to get leers from people who can condently speak to why you
would be a successful law school student.
Sending Recommendation Letters
The most convenient way to process recommendaon leers is for your references to upload them on
the LSAC website. Aer creang your LSAC account, you can enter the name and email of each of your
recommenders and request a leer. Your recommenders will receive an email from LSAC with an upload link,
which they will use to upload your leer.
Additional Tips
• Build connecons early and maintain them! It is never too early to \establish connecons with professors,
advisors, supervisors, and others who can later write you recommendaon leers for law schools and
scholarships. Keep in touch with your potenal recommenders and occasionally update them so they are
more willing and able to write you a strong recommendaon.
• Law schools are looking for students who will be a good t at their school. Beyond vouching for your
academic qualies and the skills you have demonstrated in the classroom or work sengs, choose
recommenders who can also vouch for your character and describe why you would be a great t for law
school and the legal profession.
• Provide your recommenders with your law school resume and a list of “wring points.” This list will serve
as a reminder of the work you have done, highlight signicant projects or assignments, and provide
personal context to your academic or professional accomplishments.
Additional Resources
• Leers of Recommendaon by The Law School Admission Council
• How to Get a Strong Law School Recommendaon by U.S. News & World Report
• Law School - Leers of Recommendaon by UC Berkeley Career Center
Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and Application Fees
Most ABA-approved law schools (and some non-ABA-approved schools) require applicants to submit
applicaons through LSAC’s Credenal Assembly Service (CAS). Learn more about CAS at Credenal
Assembly Service by The Law School Admission Council.
How does CAS work?
You have to pay a $200 fee to register for CAS. Once you are registered, you can use the service to apply to
law schools. LSAC will send a report to every school you apply to for $45 for each report. You can learn more
about CAS and law school reports at Law School Reports by The Law School Admission Council.
How can I get law school application fees waived?
In addion to paying for CAS ($200 one-me fee) and for LSAC to send law school reports to each school
($45 per report), law schools also charge an applicaon, which can range from $50 to $90. A lile over half
Return to Table of Contents 25
of law schools charge an applicaon fee. However, many law schools oer fee waivers, so you do not have to
pay this fee. Below are some ways to receive fee waivers for law school applicaons.
Unsolicited Fee Waivers
Sign up for LSAC’s Candidate Referral Service. Dierent law schools will email you fee waivers, which can
be based on various criteria such as your undergraduate GPA, LSAT/GRE score, race or ethnicity, geographic
background, age, or country of cizenship/residency.
Learnmore: Unsolicited Fee Waivers by Spivey Consulng
Solicited Fee Waivers
You can apply for or request fee waivers from individual law schools. Law schools have varying processes
for oering fee waivers; some might require you to ll out a fee waiver request form, while others might ask
you to email them requesng a fee waiver code. Inquire with each law school you are applying to for more
informaon. Be sure to request fee waivers as early as possible because it might take me for your request to
be processed.
Learnmore: Solicing Fee Waivers by Spivey Consulng
Need-Based Fee Waivers
• Option1:LSAC’sNeed-BasedFeeWaiver
LSAC oers its own fee waiver for applicants with “extreme need.” Although there is no single criteria
for meeng this requirement, this can include applicants at or around the poverty line, receiving public
assistance or need-based nancial aid, etc.
In addion to the nancial need requirement, applicants must also fall into one of several immigraon
categories. Undocumented applicants must be current DACA recipients or have applied for DACA.
The LSAC need-based fee waiver covers:
◦ Two LSATs
◦ One LSAT Wring
◦ CAS Registraon
◦ Six CAS Law School Reports
◦ One-year subscripon to LSAC’s LawHub Advantage
If you were inially rejected for the LSAC need-based fee waiver, you can appeal the decision by providing
addional details and documents demonstrang your nancial need.
The LSAC need-based fee waiver is valid for two years, so it will be helpful for you to plan out your
applicaon meline in advance to align with the two-year limit.
Be sure to request fee waivers as early as possible! Processing me for requests may vary and can take
signicant me.
LearnMore: Fee Waivers for the LSAT & Credenal Assembly Service (CAS) by The Law School Admission
Council
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• Option2:LawSchool’sNeed-BasedFeeWaivers
Law schools somemes oer need-based fee waivers, but this process varies by school, and there is no
single set of criteria. Unlike LSAC’s fee waiver, law schools might not have any cizenship/immigraon
requirements, so it is worth applying if you think you might qualify. Be sure to request fee waivers as early
as possible to ensure your request is processed on me.
Learnmore: Need-Based Fee Waivers by Spivey Consulng
Automatic Fee Waivers
Applicaon fees are waived for all applicants. You can check if applicaon fees have been waived by opening a
specic law school’s applicaon portal on the CAS website.
Character and Fitness Statements
Law schools require applicants to disclose informaon about any disciplinary acons taken against them for
violang any laws (criminal disclosures) or their university’s rules of conduct or academic disclosures. These
quesons appear under the “Character and Fitness” secon of the applicaon. These quesons are meant
to emulate the background check applicants go through when taking the bar exam. It evaluates whether you
have the “good moral character” to pracce law.
Character and tness quesons vary by school, so it is important to carefully read the quesons for each
school you are applying to to ensure you are answering them completely and accurately.
Possible Immigration Disclosures
A few law schools ask applicants to disclose civil (noncriminal) legal proceedings, which might include
immigraon cases. For example, Washington University Law in St. Louis asks the following queson: “Have
you been a party to any noncriminal legal proceeding, including but not limited to any civil, administrave,
family court, or domesc abuse proceeding or any arbitraon?”
Immigraon cases might be considered civil administrave proceedings, so any applicants who have been or
are currently involved in any immigraon case (for example, if you have been party to an asylum case) would
have to disclose this informaon for this queson.
You can write a brief statement describing your immigraon case and providing any relevant details. If you are
unsure whether your specic circumstances require you to respond to this queson, contact the admissions
oce to clarify what they are looking for. You should not let this discourage you from applying, as it is likely
not a signicant factor (if at all) in whether you will be admied.
When it comes to character and tness statements, admissions commiees are mostly seeking informaon
on any issues that might arise when you take the bar exam. It is best to address any issues directly with a clear
and concise statement.
Learnmore:
• Address Academic, Criminal Mistakes With a Law Applicaon Addendum by US News
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• Character & Fitness Addendum: Criminal and Disciplinary Disclosures on Law School Applicaons by
Anna Ivey Consulng
• Character & Fitness Addenda: What Are They & What Should I Disclose? by 7Sage
Optional GPA/LSAT Addendum
You can submit oponal addional informaon to give more context to your applicaon. This can include a
GPA or LSAT/GRE addendum, which you might consider including if any extenuang circumstances aected
your academic performance or ability to perform well on the LSAT/GRE. These circumstances can include:
• Diculty performing well on standardized tests in the past (you might have to show proof of this, such as
your SAT/ACT results from high school).
• Having to work signicant hours while in college or studying for the LSAT/GRE.
• Having to take care of family members.
• Illness.
• Unexpected events during the tesng day, such as illness or technical dicules in the tesng center.
• If your LSAT/GRE scores vary signicantly.
Write an addendum if you have any circumstances that have not been addressed elsewhere on your
applicaon. Keep your statement brief, concise, and to the point.
Learnmore:
When, How to Write a Law School Addendum by US News
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Most law school students nance their legal educaon through a combinaon of loans, scholarships, and
grants. We will break down each type of aid and whether undocumented students qualify for them. Because
the nancial aid process varies by school, it is important to speak with a nancial aid ocer at the schools you
are considering to see what aid is available to you.
Merit-Based Scholarships
Most law schools award scholarships based on merit and to a lesser extent, need. This means you will receive
scholarships based on your LSAT/GRE, GPA, and addional factors such as work/extracurricular acvies,
community service, and personal background. The LSAT/GRE is extremely important in this process —
generally, higher LSAT/GRE scores yield increased scholarship amounts. It is possible to receive full-tuion
scholarships.
Most law schools’ merit scholarships do not have any cizenship/immigraon status requirement, which
means undocumented students qualify for them.
There are dierent types of merit-based scholarships. For most law schools, your applicaon will
automacally be considered for merit scholarships. However, many law schools also oer named scholarships
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(including full-tuion scholarships) that might require addional essays and recommendaon leers. Some of
these scholarships include:
• NYU Law - AnBryce Scholarship
• Berkeley Law - Berkeley Law Opportunity Scholarship (BLOS); Graduate Diversity Program (GDP)
• UCLA Law - Achievement Fellowship
• UC Irvine Law - Public Service Scholarship
• Boston University School of Law - Public Interest Scholarship
• UC Hasngs Law - Legal Educaon Opportunity Program (LEOP)
These are just a handful of scholarships that require addional materials. Look through the nancial aid and
scholarships page for each law school you are applying to for informaon on any scholarship opportunies.
Because the scholarship process varies by school, it is important to start your research early so you have me
to acquire any addional materials needed for scholarships.
Note: Yale, Stanford, and Harvard do not oer any merit-based scholarships. They only oer need-based
grants.
Conditional Scholarships
A handful of law schools award merit scholarships that are “condional,” which the ABA denes as “any
nancial aid award, the retenon of which is dependent upon the student maintaining a minimum grade point
average or class standing, other than that ordinarily required to remain in good academic standing.” You can
view condional scholarship data on ABA’s website here.
Condional scholarships can be risky because they require students to maintain a certain GPA or risk losing
their scholarship or having it reduced. Because rst-year law school classes (and many 2L and 3L classes) are
graded on a curve (a set number of A+s, As, A-s, B+s, etc. will be given out), it can be dicult to predict what
grades you will receive and thus whether you will be able to maintain the minimum GPA required to retain the
scholarship.
Be extremely careful with condional scholarships because having your funding reduced or eliminated can
mean graduang with signicant debt or not graduang at all. Try to leverage your acceptance or scholarship
oer from a similar or higher-ranked school to change or eliminate the condions of your scholarship. You can
also consider retaking the LSAT/GRE, as a higher score might allow you to negoate away the condions of
your scholarship.
Learnmore:
• Analyzing and Understanding Condional Scholarships by Spivey Consulng
• Law School Condional Scholarships by LST Data Dashboard gives a detailed breakdown of which law
schools gave out condional scholarships and how many students in each school lost their scholarships.
Negotiating Scholarships
It is possible to negoate with law schools to increase your scholarship oers. Some possible leverages for
negoaons include:
• Having an acceptance oer from a similarly or higher-ranked law school
Return to Table of Contents 29
• Having a scholarship oer from a similarly or higher-ranked law school
• Retaking the LSAT/GRE for a higher score
Even if you have no oer to leverage with, it does not hurt to (respecully) ask the law school for more aid.
The worst that can happen is they say no.
Learnmore: 5 Scholarship Negoaon Necessies by Spivey Consulng
Need-Based Scholarships/Grants
Some law schools will award need-based scholarships based on individual and family income and assets.
These scholarships are usually given in addion to, or with a combinaon of, merit-based scholarships. Most
law schools do not oer full-tuion need-based scholarships.
Yale, Stanford, and Harvard only oer need-based grants. However, their aid will not cover your full cost of
aendance; it usually only covers a poron of the total cost of aendance.
Loans
Federalloans: Federal graduate loans, which are accessible through applying for FAFSA, are restricted to U.S.
cizens and legal permanent residents. Undocumented students do not qualify for any federal loans.
Stateloans: In California, students who qualify for AB 540 (see whether you qualify here) and demonstrate
nancial need are oered a maximum of $4,000 in loans per year at the UC law schools (Berkeley, Davis,
Hasngs, Irvine, UCLA).
Privateloans: Some private lenders provide loans to internaonal students, which include undocumented
students. These include:
• College Ave
• Cizens Bank
• Sallie Mae
• LendKey
• Discover
• Slt
Immigrant Law Student Perspectives
“I realized that I am not alone on this journey. So many other
undocumented folks also want to become lawyers.”
—StephanieMedina,ImmigrantsRising’sPre-LawFundGrantee
Return to Table of Contents 30
Note: Immigrants Rising does not endorse any lenders. We encourage you to do your own research to nd
the best opon for you.
When considering private loans, do your research on eligibility criteria, interest rates, and terms and
condions of repayment. These loans might have requirements such as:
• Having a U.S. cizen or lawful permanent resident co-signer to guarantee your loans
• Having a valid DACA status
• Having a valid student visa or other type of visa
Institutionalloans: Yale, Stanford, and Harvard provide instuonal loans to students who need them,
including undocumented students. This does not mean only these law schools oer instuonal loans.
Because so few undocumented students aend law schools, we do not know if other law schools can oer
instuonal loans. In general, private law schools are more likely to have the nancial resources to oer loans.
You should explain your immigraon circumstances to the law schools you are accepted to and ask if they can
oer you instuonal loans.
External or Private Scholarships
Many private scholarships have cizenship or permanent residency requirements, which prevent
undocumented students from being eligible. However, some scholarships do not exclude undocumented
students from applying. See a list of graduate scholarships open to undocumented graduate students here.
Other Ways of Financing Legal Education
Crowdfunding
Many students also use crowdfunding as a way to raise money. Denia Perez is an Immigrants Rising alumna
who used GoFundMe to raise funds for law school. Her GoFundMe page has since closed, but you can view
the video she used for her fundraiser here. Some other crowdfunding websites you can use are
YouCaring.com and JustGiving. Each website has its own set of restricons and fees, so it is up to you to nd
a plaorm that works best for you.
LendingCircles
Family and friends lend each other money all the me, especially when banks are not an opon. Now, lending
circles have become more mainstream and available to people interested in community loans to nance their
educaon. This “social loan” is when a group of people come together, formally or informally, and decide on
the amount for their group loan. To learn more about lending circles, you can check out the Mission Asset
Fund.
IndependentContracting
With or without DACA, you can oer a skill or service and generate income as an independent contractor. We
encourage you to check out Illiana Perez's materials (including recorded and live webinars) on the Immigrants
Rising Entrepreneurship & Freelancing resource page and the Life Aer College Guide. You may skip to pages
29-36 to learn how you can work for yourself or start a Limited Liability Company as a Worker Cooperave.
Return to Table of Contents 31
Choosing Which Law Schools to Apply To (And Attend)
Your applicaon list should include schools that are considered your “safety,” “target,” and “reach” based on
your LSAT/GRE and GPA. Because so many other factors are considered, such as your personal statements,
work experience, and personal background, no parcular LSAT/GRE or GPA, no maer how high, will
guarantee an acceptance. You should apply broadly to any schools you are interested in aending.
Safety schools: These are schools where your LSAT/GRE score and undergraduate GPA exceed the school
median and where you are likely to receive merit scholarship oers, which you might be able to use to
negoate aid from a higher-ranked school. For this reason, applying to safety schools is important even if you
do not plan on aending.
Target schools: These are schools where your undergraduate GPA and LSAT/GRE are at or around the school’s
median. These are also schools where you are likely to receive merit scholarship oers, which you might be
able to use to negoate aid from a higher-ranked school.
Reach schools: These are schools where your LSAT/GRE and undergraduate GPA are below the school
median. A school can also be considered a reach if your LSAT/GRE score is below the school’s 25th percenle.
In addion, T-14 schools (the top 14 law schools as ranked by the US News and World Ranking) are generally
considered reach schools due to how compeve and unpredictable admissions can be.
Ulmately, if you can aord the applicaon fees, apply to whichever schools you are interested in aending.
You never know where you might be accepted!
Tools to help you create your safety, target, and reach list:
• UGPA and LSAT Score Search: Created by the Law School Admission Council, this tool uses data for the
Fall 2021 full-me entering class to represent a 95% probability that an applicant in Fall 2021 would have
an actual chance of admission to a parcular school.
• Law School Predictor: Created by 7Sage, this tool uses self-reported data to “predict” your chances of
being accepted to a parcular school. Because the data used is self-reported, it cannot accurately reect
actual chances and thus should be used only as a reference point.
• Law School Numbers: A self-reporng website where applicants post their LSAT and GPAs, what schools
they applied to, and where they were accepted, denied, or waitlisted. Users can lter applicants by GPA
and LSAT to view their results.
• Law School Data: Similar to Law School Numbers, Law School Data is a self-reporng website that allows
applicants to post their LSAT and GPAs, what schools they applied to, and where they were accepted,
denied, or waitlisted. The website oers visual graphs to show when applicants received interviews or
decisions.
Learnmore:
• How Law School Applicants Can Choose Safety Schools by US News & World Report
• How Many Law Schools Should You Apply to? by Magoosh
• Reach, Target, and Safety Schools by 7Sage
Return to Table of Contents 32
Immigration-Specic and Employment Considerations
As you are pung together your list of schools and ulmately choosing a school to aend, here are some
immigraon-specic quesons to consider:
Ifitisapubliclawschoolinanotherstate,willIqualifyforin-statetuition?
Georgia and Indiana explicitly prohibit in-state tuion rates for undocumented students. If the dierence
between in-state and out-of-state tuion is marginal, then this might not be a big deal. However, beyond
nancial consideraons, another factor to consider is whether you will feel supported in a school that places
such restricons on those without legal status.
Doestheschoolprohibitundocumentedstudentsfromapplyingorenrolling?
South Carolina and Alabama prohibit undocumented students from enrolling at any public postsecondary
instuon.
Even if the school does not explicitly prohibit undocumented students from applying, they might have
roadblocks in place that make it dicult for undocumented students to apply, enroll, or even take advantage
of resources while there. You should contact the admissions oce directly and openly discuss with them what
resources and opportunies are available for undocumented and DACAmented students.
WillIbeallowedtotakethebarinthestatewheremyschoolislocated?DoIhavetomovetoastatewhere
Iamallowedtotakethebar?
Each state has varying policies on allowing undocumented and DACAmented individuals to pracce
law. In California, for example, all 56 professional and occupaonal licenses (including law) are open to
undocumented immigrants as long as they meet all other requirements. Illinois and Nevada have similar laws.
Other states restrict eligibility only to DACA recipients or immigrants with work authorizaon. Click here for
more informaon on bar eligibility requirements by state.
Arethereanyrestrictionsonundocumentedstudentsbeingawardedscholarshipsatthatschool?
Most law schools award merit-based scholarships to accepted students regardless of immigraon status or
country of cizenship. However, it might be helpful to contact the admissions oce and specically ask about
their policy of awarding scholarships to undocumented students.
Whataremycareergoalsandwillthisschoolhelpmegetthere?
Many law schools are regional, which means they might place most of their students in job markets within
the city, state, or geographic region where they are located. Think about where you would like to work aer
graduaon and whether the law school can provide you with opportunies to work in your desired city, state,
or region.
As you are researching law schools, also look into whether they oer post-graduate fellowships, which
are short-term (usually one to two year) paid placements at various organizaons. Fellowships without
immigraon restricons can be valuable for immigrants without work authorizaon to gain paid work
experience. Contact the schools you are looking into and ask whether their fellowship opportunies are open
to undocumented immigrants.
Whatistheirbarpassagerate?Whatistheschool’semploymentrate?
As you consider whether to apply to and aend a parcular school, do not just consider rankings; research
the school’s job placement stascs, bar passage rates, and even what states graduates take the bar in aer
Return to Table of Contents 33
graduaon. Whether applying to or choosing a law school to aend, it is important to nd schools that will
help you achieve your professional goals.
You can nd employment and bar passage rates using tools such as:
• ABA 509 reports: The American Bar Associaon requires all ABA-accredited law schools to report
employment and bar passage data.
• Law School Transparency: Breaks down data from ABA reports into visual and user-friendly graphs and
charts.
Pre-Law Programs Open to Individuals Regardless of Immigration
Status
Pre-Law Resources
For People of Color, Inc, Guide to the Law School Admissions Process: An electronic resource that outlines
the law school admission process and ps for subming a strong applicaon. For People of Color, Inc. also
hosts Pre-Law Conferences to empower people of color to enter law school and become aorneys.
Council on Legal Educaon Opportunity, Inc. (CLEO Inc.): CLEO, Inc. is dedicated to expanding opportunies
for minority and low-income students to aend law school. They have a host of resources about the law
school admissions process and pre-law programs.
Law School Resources for Prospecve Applicants: This electronic resource was compiled by First Class
at Harvard Law School for future law school students. This is a great resource for individuals interested in
learning about pre-law programs, resources, and fellowships open to undocumented students.
UC Davis School of Law’s Navigang Law School for Undocumented Students: An electronic resource
created by UC Davis School of Law outlining the steps to applying to law school. It can be a useful resource
for individuals interested in applying to UC Davis School of Law.
Pre-Law Programs
The following is a non-comprehensive list of programs dedicated to supporng underrepresented
communies to prepare for the law school applicaon process and/or be successful in law school. These
programs are open to students regardless of immigraon status.
LawSchoolPre-LawPrograms
• Florida State College of Law Summer for Undergraduates Program
• Harvard-NYU Training and Recruitment Iniave for Admission to Leading Law Schools (TRIALS)
• IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program
• St. John’s University School of Law Prep Program for College Students
• University of Akron School of Law Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program
• UC Davis - King Hall Outreach Program (KHOP)
• UC Irvine Law Pre-Law Outreach Program
• UCLA Law Fellows
• University of Houston Law Center Pre-Law Pipeline Program
LawFirmPre-LawPrograms
• MTO Fellows Program
• Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program
OtherPre-LawPrograms
• Council on Legal Educaon Opportunity (CLEO), Inc. - PreLaw Summer Instute
• For People of Color Inc.
• Immigrants Rising’s Pre-Law Fund
• LAWbound®
• LevelBar
Acknowledgments
This guide was created as a partnership between Immigrants Rising and First Gen Empower. First Gen
Empower prepares rst-generaon, low-income, and undocumented students in California for life aer
high school. We wish to thank Arabi Hassan, Co-Founder of First Gen Empower, Jesus Flores Rodriguez,
Immigrants Rising’s Legal Services Programming Lead, and Keziah Aurin for their support in eding and
revising this resource.
About Us
Founded in 2006, Immigrants Rising transforms individuals and fuels broader changes. With resources and
support, undocumented young people are able to get an educaon, pursue careers, and build a brighter future
for themselves and their community. For more informaon, visit immigrantsrising.org. For inquiries regarding
this resource, please contact Jesus Flores, Career Services Lead, at [email protected].
