Incoming Student Checklist
Accordion Content
We are excited to welcome you and the rest of the Fall 2025 Entering Class to Rutgers Law! In an effort to make your transition to becoming a law student as smooth as possible, be sure to follow the instructions below prior to starting your journey at Rutgers Law School. Many of the items can be completed in advance; some are required, while others are encouraged. Updates will continue to be made to this page throughout the spring and summer.
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To reserve your place in the Fall 2025 Entering Class, we do require that you submit a non-refundable deposit to secure your seat. Deposits will be applied toward your tuition and fees.
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After you remitting your full deposit or Deposit Waiver Agreement, you will need to activate your NetID in order to gain access to several essential services, such as your email account. To do so, you will need to provide your Social Security Number or RUID, which was provided to you following the submission of your full deposit or Agreement. (If you recently attended Rutgers, your RUID, NetID, email address, and password will remain the same.) Activate Your NetID
In order to access many of the electronic services available to you at Rutgers, you need to activate your Rutgers NetID. Your assigned NetID will appear on the activation screen.
What does NetID and Services Activation do?
- Sets your authentication password. This is the password you will use for most electronic services.
- Allows you to setup your security questions and answers. You can choose to select three questions and answers that will help you reset your password.
- Establishes your Rutgers email address. This is the email address to which Rutgers University will send official communications and notices.
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To enter your vaccination and immunization information, click the button below. This is especially critical if you plan to live in on-campus housing. (Recent Rutgers Graduates: the University already has your records in the system. You do not have to resubmit your immunization records, but you should check with them to be sure.) Submit Immunization Records
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In order to receive your ID card at the time of Orientation, you must submit a photo online by August 1. Otherwise, you will need to visit an ID Card Service Center on campus to obtain your ID card. Your Rutgers ID card will grant you access into the Law School and various buildings across campus. Submit Your Photo
Rutgers University Alumni: If you have a Rutgers ID card issued on or after 2021, you do not need a new ID card. However, if you no longer have it, you will need to visit an ID Card Service Center to acquire a new one.
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The housing portal becomes available for Camden and Newark in the late spring. Housing is a 12-month contract only. Please contact the Office of Admissions if you are experiencing issues accessing the portal once it is open. Apply for Housing
- Camden: On-campus housing is available at 330 Cooper, located a three-minute walk from the Law School. Housing rates and other details can be found here.
- Newark: On-campus housing is available at Ruth Bader Ginsberg Hall, 15 Washington Street, located a five-minute walk from the Law School. Housing rates and other details can be found here.
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Registration for parking permits becomes available in mid-August. Incoming students will be emailed once registration is open. Details regarding costs and lot locations can be found here.
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Upload a final, official undergraduate transcript to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) by Orientation. You are required to submit this final official transcript denoting a degree conferral date by September 1 to be in compliance with the ABA Standard 502. The ABA has stated that students must provide a final official transcript or the law school will be required to administratively withdraw students.
If you graduated and submitted your final transcript at the time of applying to Rutgers Law School, you will have satisfied this requirement. (3+3 students are exempt from this requirement. However, you must submit your final official transcript following your first year of law school once your bachelor's degree has been conferred.)
Rutgers Graduates: The University will send us a transcript free of charge. To take advantage of this, email a request to the University Registrar in New Brunswick at trnscrpt@registrar.rutgers.edu. Include your name, RUID number, and the address of the Office of Admissions in Camden or Newark. Or, you can order a transcript here.
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Enroll in or opt out of health insurance coverage. Rutgers Law School automatically enrolls and bills full-time students for coverage unless the student waives coverage online. Health insurance is mandatory for all full-time students. Part-time students are not required to maintain active health insurance coverage, but they are eligible to purchase the Student Health Insurance Plan.
For more information about Rutgers' medical, dental and vision insurance, please click here.
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Term bills are not generated until credits have been entered into the University Registration System, which takes place over the summer. Once pre-registration is completed, you will receive an email with information about how to access your term bill.
If planning on utilizing loan funding (federal or private) and expect a refund to assist with the cost of living and other indirect costs, we recommend registering for direct deposit (select "legacy Rutgers"). Mailed checks can often be delayed.
The award letter from the University Financial Aid Office will contain the loans you qualify for - you do not have to accept more than what you need. If you did not file a FAFSA, you may not have an award.
To see the estimated costs of attendance for the Law School, visit the University website and click on the drop-down for the law school. The Board of Governors votes on the official 2025-26 tuition and fees at their last meeting in July.
If you have questions about financial aid, submit an inquiry here!
Directors of Financial Aid -
Entering first-year law students do not register for fall classes. The class registration is automatic and done by the Registrar’s Office. You will receive an email in late July with information on how to view your class schedule.
You will be in a set schedule of core classes that include Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research; Torts; Civil Procedure; and Contracts* (*part-time and Summer Jump Start students do not take Contracts in the fall).
You will be provided a booklist and be able to purchase books once you have been assigned to a track and given your class schedule. Both Camden and Newark have on-campus bookstores located within a short walk from the Law Schools. The Department Number for the Law School in Newark is 600 and the Department Number for Camden is 601.
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Sarah Regina (Newark) and Amy Miller (Camden), the Law School's Associate Deans of Student Affairs, work with students who may require accommodations and help guide them through the process of applying for accommodations through the University's Office of Disability Services (ODS). Rutgers values the diverse experiences that students with disabilities bring to the Law School community.
Students who may require accommodations are encouraged to contact the appropriate Rutgers Law Associate Dean of Student Affairs or the Office of Disability Services in Newark or Camden as soon as possible to ensure that those accommodations are approved in a timely fashion. Students may begin the process of requesting services or accommodation by registering with ODS. Requests for accommodations must be accompanied by documentation specified by the Office of Disability Services.
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Incoming Camden Students: Email ois@camden.rutgers.edu to begin the I-20 process.
Incoming Newark Students:
How to Request Your I-20: Rutgers Global Portal
For the I-20 documents that are required (see sections below), we ask that you please submit these on the Rutgers Global Portal.
After you have accepted your offer of admission and paid your full $800 seat deposit or submitted the Deposit Waiver Agreement, please be sure to activate your NetID if you haven't already. You will need to use your RUID to activate your NetID after confirming your enrollment. (Please contact admissions@law.rutgers.edu if you cannot find your RUID.)
Within 2–3 business days, you will be able to log in to the Rutgers Global Portal using your Rutgers NetID and password. Once you log into the Rutgers Global Portal with Full Client Services, select Pre-Arrival, then select Law School Programs Initial I-20 Request for New Students.
Required E-Forms & Additional Documents
- Affidavit of Support Statement: The affidavit of support statement should be completed and uploaded within the Financial Information E-Form on the Rutgers Global Portal. Please make sure to complete this form in its entirety according to the written directions. Both you and your sponsor should include a hand-written signature on this form.
- Bank Letter: Bank letters should be uploaded directly within the Financial Information E-Form on the Rutgers Global Portal. The name on the bank letter/statement must match the name and signature on your affidavit of support statement. The amount shown on the statement must be greater than or equal to the amount required and the bank letter must be issued on or after February 1, 2024 for students enrolling in the fall term.
- Passport Picture Page: A copy of your passport picture page should be uploaded directly in the Personal Information E-Form on the Rutgers Global Portal
- SEVIS Transfer Information: If you are currently studying in the U.S. on an F-1 student visa, please select "YES" in the SEVIS Transfer Information section of the Rutgers Global Portal. We cannot issue an I-20 before the release date indicated by your current international adviser. If you are not currently studying in the U.S. on an F-1 student visa, please select "NO."
Important I-20 Shipment Update
All I-20s are currently being sent via email, digitally signed by a Designated School Official (DSO) at Rutgers. Please see this official message from SEVP on the issuance of electronic I-20 documents during this time.
When you receive your I-20 via email, you will be able to schedule your visa appointment using the SEVIS ID Number on this I-20. You should print out this document yourself, sign it, and bring it with you to your visa appointment along with your bank statements and ISFS form.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I receive my I-20 after I have submitted all of my documents?
You should receive your I-20 within 2–3 weeks after all your forms have been approved. Please contact us at admissions@law.rutgers.edu or oiss@newark.rutgers.edu if you have not received your I-20 after this time period.
Where can I see the status of my I-20?
You can check your status via the Rutgers Global Portal next to your submitted documents. Here is where you can see if your forms have been reviewed and accepted, rejected, or still waiting for review.
Where will the I-20 get sent to?
Once your I-20 is issued, it will be sent to you electronically to the email address on your application.
Does my bank statement have to be in USD?
The bank statement you submit does not have to be converted into USD. However, if the letter shows assets in a currency other than USD, the statement must clearly specify, in English, what currency is being used.
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Law and Inequality is a one credit academic offering. While each section of the course has a unique emphasis, the common theme is that American law, from its origins to the present, has created and reinforced racial and other inequalities. By introducing this material in the first-year curriculum, we hope to hone your critical thinking skills and invite you to bring this mindset to all of your legal studies.
The law school offers this course in the fall and spring semesters. Students may earn one credit by completing the course. All courses are graded on a pass/fail basis and are counted toward graduation. Section descriptions are included in this email for your reference.
General Course Description: Understanding pervasive structural inequality and persistent racism, and the law’s role in creating, perpetuating, and maintaining these conditions, is essential to lawyer competency. Each small section of this course is taught by a faculty member who has selected a particular topic that will be used as the lens through which to think and learn about the law and inequality. Topics may include property law, the criminal legal system, family law, reproductive justice, education law, citizenship and immigration law, international law, or technology and Artificial Intelligence. Faculty employ a variety of educational modalities, including readings from law and other disciplines, podcasts and other forms of media, short writing projects, in-class and online discussion, visits to historical sites, guest lectures and other activities that help to illuminate the course topic. Among other topics, assigned materials will invite students to reflect on issues of racial justice, structural or systemic inequality in the law, how the law shapes identity, and the ways in which cultural context and cultural competency are critical to understanding the law’s impact on various communities. Class assignments, discussion, and activities will encourage the development of critical perspectives on legal doctrine, procedural rules and the shape of our justice system.
This optional class offers one course credit. Course credits may be counted toward graduation and are graded on a Pass/D+/D/F basis.
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Law and Inequality is a one credit academic offering. While each section of the course has a unique emphasis, the common theme is that American law, from its origins to the present, has created and reinforced racial and other inequalities. By introducing this material in the first-year curriculum, we hope to hone your critical thinking skills and invite you to bring this mindset to all of your legal studies.
The law school offers this course in the fall and spring semesters. Students may earn one credit by completing the course. All courses are graded on a pass/fail basis and are counted toward graduation. Section descriptions are included in this email for your reference.
General Course Description: The justice systems in the United States, criminal and civil, were created based on doctrines and rules that discriminate against Black people, Indigenous communities, other people of color, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized communities. Understanding pervasive structural inequality and persistent racism, and the law’s role in creating, perpetuating, and maintaining these conditions, is essential to lawyer competency. Each small section of this course is taught by a faculty member who has selected a particular topic that will be used as the lens through which to think and learn about the law and inequality. Topics may include property law, the criminal legal system, family law, reproductive justice, education law, citizenship and immigration law, international law, or technology and Artificial Intelligence. Faculty employ a variety of educational modalities, including readings from law and other disciplines, podcasts and other forms of media, short writing projects, in-class and online discussion, visits to historical sites, guest lectures and other activities that help to illuminate the course topic. Among other topics, assigned materials will invite students to reflect on issues of racial justice, structural or systemic inequality in the law, how the law shapes identity, and the ways in which cultural context and cultural competency are critical to understanding the law’s impact on various communities. Class assignments, discussion, and activities will encourage the development of critical perspectives on legal doctrine, procedural rules and the shape of our justice system.
This optional class offers one course credit. Course credits may be counted toward graduation and are graded on a Pass/D+/D/F basis.