Applications to Rutgers Law School are reviewed on a rolling basis.

How To Apply

Rutgers Law's admission process involves a holistic review that considers a number of factors in evaluating whether a candidate would be suitable for admission and does not use numerical cutoffs.  The process seeks to determine whether the person is likely to succeed in law school, would benefit from a legal education here, and could contribute to the dynamic Rutgers Law community. To make this determination, the Law School considers the applicant's academic record, undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, choice of major, nature and difficulty of course selection, LSAT score(s), extracurricular activities, personal statement, letters of recommendation, contributions to the community, professional experience, obstacles overcome, and all other supplemental materials.  The Law School makes no distinction between full-time and part-time students, or between one campus and the other, in making its decision.

Check Your Application Status

Application Information
  • First Year Applicants
  • Transfer Applications
  • Visiting Application
  • Hybrid JD Program
  • Veterans
  • 2-Year Accelerated J.D. for Foreign Lawyers

Step 1: Create An Account with The Law School Admission Council (LSAC)

  • In order to access the application for Rutgers Law School (or any ABA-accredited law school), you must create an account with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). LSAC is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to advance law and justice by encouraging diverse, talented individuals to study law and by supporting their enrollment and learning journeys from prelaw through practice. Through this website, you can create an account, register to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), access free LSAT preparation services through Khan Academy, and much more.

Step 2: Register for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

  • Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The LSAT is required to be considered for admission to Rutgers Law School and is offered nine times a year. The last LSAT that Rutgers Law School will accept for Fall 2023 Entering Class is the June 2023 administration. Complete your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) via LSAC. With CAS, your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any other documents required for each of your law school applications only need to be sent one time, to LSAC. You must official transcripts from any colleges, universities, junior or community colleges, and graduate or professional schools you have attended and earned grades that applied towards your degree.

Step 3: Complete the Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

  • Complete your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) via LSAC. With CAS, your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any other documents required for each of your law school applications only need to be sent one time, to LSAC. You must submit all official transcripts from any colleges, universities, junior or community colleges, and graduate or professional schools you have attended and earned grades that applied towards your degree.

Step 4: Complete The Application

Complete all sections of our application available on the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website. For an application to be considered complete, it must include a:

  • Resume detailing professional, extracurricular, and community service experiences;
  • LSAT score from within the past five years;
  • Two (2) Letters of Recommendation;
  • Personal Statement (2-4 pages double-spaced) that can include military or professional experience, vocational or technical training, career success, history of overcoming hardship or disadvantage, your motivation for attending law school, or how you plan to use your legal education; and
  • CAS Report with official transcripts from any colleges, universities, junior or community colleges, and graduate or professional schools you have attended and earned grades that applied towards your degree.
     

APPLICATION DEADLINES
 

Binding Early Decision Program
 
Round 1 Application Deadline: December 1
Round 2 Application Deadline: March 1

Once an Early Decision application is submitted, the application may immediately go to the Admissions Committee for review, regardless of a Round 1 or Round 2 option. Therefore, a decision could be made at any point and will be considered binding once made. 
 

Regular Decision
Priority Deadline: March 15
Application Deadline: July 1

Important Dates
 

Spring Transfer Application Opens: October 1
Spring Transfer Application Deadline: December 1
Fall Transfer Application Opens: April 1
Fall Transfer Application Deadline: August 1

Application Requirements

The application to transfer becomes available on the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) website.Transfer applicants must submit a:

  • Official Transcript showing all grades from 1L year;
  • Letter of Good Standing from the applicant's previous institution that certifies the candidate's good academic standing and eligibility to continue in the legal education program, including class rank if applicable;
  • Letter of Recommendation from one of your law professors;
  • Personal Statement that mentions the reason for transferring; and
  • Resume.

Students in good standing with one full year of law studies at an ABA-accredited institution may apply for admission for the fall semester when the application opens on LSAC's website in the spring.

Courses completed with a grade of C or better are transferable and a maximum of 42 credits may be transferred. Classes taken the summer prior to starting at Rutgers Law may not be transferrable.

Students who have completed two full semesters of law school and wish to transfer mid-year should contact the Admissions office at admissions@law.rutgers.edu for more information.

Upperclassmen students at other ABA-accredited law schools may apply as visiting students for no more than one academic year's credit to transfer back to their degree-granting law school.

Visiting applicants must submit to their preferred campus an:

  • Visiting Student Application;
  • Official Law School Transcript with all courses completed to date;
  • Letter of Permission to visit from your academic dean which states you have permissions to visit, your law school will accept our courses for credit and any requirements you must fulfill; and
  • Personal Statement that includes your reasons for requesting to visit.

Rutgers Law School, ranked 15th  for part-time programs among all law schools and 7th among public law schools by U.S. News & World Report (2023), will be offering a Flexible Part-Time Hybrid JD  for evening students.  

Courses will be taught mainly with a combination of in-person and remote instruction. Classes are scheduled so that:

  • You will be on campus two nights a week (mostly) for in-person instruction; and
  • You will have remote instruction no more than two nights a week.

This program offers optimal flexibility for working professionals, caregivers and students with long commutes. The program fully complies with the American Bar Association accreditation standards and students may sit for any Bar Exam in the country. Two in-person nights a week (mostly) allows you to get the same quality degree from Rutgers Law School without delaying your career goals. Please note that the part-time day program in Camden does not involve hybrid courses.

Part-Time Curriculum

It takes 4-4.5 years to complete the law program part-time. Evening classes are available during the week, Monday through Thursday. For part-time students' first three terms, classes typically meet after 6 p.m. 3-4 nights per week.

In the first year of law school, part-time students are scheduled for 10.5 credits of core classes each semester. In Camden, one summer session is required to complete the 84-credit hour requirement for graduation. After the first year, a minimum of 8 credits must be completed each semester, and students may transfer freely between the full-time and part-time programs.

Part-time students can participate in law journals, moot court, and clinics to develop legal writing and advocacy skills while in law school.

Recognized as a center of excellence for veteran and military students among the nation's military services, Rutgers is committed to the academic success of its veteran student community. The Office of Veteran and Military Programs and Services works to ensure that veteran, military, and eligible family member students are fully integrated into campus life and are able to take full advantage of the broad range of intellectual and cultural activities offered by Rutgers while having them share their diverse experiences with the university community.

 

Educational Assistance

Veterans and other persons planning to receive educational assistance benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA) are advised to secure VA approval for training prior to enrollment. 

In order to be certified for Veterans Educational Assistance Benefits, veterans, war orphans, widows, and dependents must present, in person, proof of enrollment to the university Office of Veterans Affairs at the beginning of each term.

Veterans planning to train under Chapter 32 VEAP, Chapter 30 of the New (Montgomery) GI Bill of 1984, or Chapter 106 for Reservists are required by the university to pay cash for tuition, fees, books, and supplies, when due. They will receive an allowance for each month of schooling, based upon credit hours and the number of dependents.

The Foreign Lawyer Program creates an opportunity for those who have earned a law degree abroad and practiced law outside the United States to receive up to 28 advance standing credits and earn a J.D. degree upon the completion of 56 credits at Rutgers Law School.

In general, students in the program first take all first-year required courses. Students with suitable prior academic experience may obtain an exception, at the vice dean’s discretion. The remaining credits will be completed in the upper-level curriculum.

Other than credits earned in law outside the United States, our law school does not accept credits in transfer from any other school outside of the United States. This does not apply to credits earned through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript.
 

International Student Admission

An international student applying for regular admission to Rutgers Law School must:

And if accepted:

  • Complete and return the Affidavit of Support form (I-143)
  • Obtain an I-20
  • Applicants with current F-1 visas must submit a photocopy of their I-94 card and complete the required paperwork with an authorized official at their present institution for an F-1 transfer.