Applying to LMU Law

Personal Statement and/or Other Addenda

As an applicant, you can attach a personal statement and/or any other addenda. While not required, these documents would assist the Committee with understanding you as an applicant. The document(s) could expand further on responses you provided in your application or they may provide additional information you want the Committee to consider.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS

You can also attach your resume′ and other documents if you wish; however, they are not required. 

In the event your LSAT score changes by four or more points over time, we strongly encourage you to attach an addendum explaining why you think the change occurred. This will contextualize your performance on the test as well as provide the Committee with a better understanding of why the highest score should be considered the most valid indicator of your capacity. 

If you need to explain a response to a question in the Character and Fitness section of your application more fully, you should attach it in the Attachments section. Please include the question number(s) and question(s) to which you are responding should you need to explain further.

LSAT

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is offered multiple times each year. The LSAT can be taken either in person at a testing center or remotely via a computer meeting the testing requirements. 

To test in person at a testing center, you will need to schedule your test within seven (7) days of when scheduling becomes available. If you are unable to schedule your test by your administration’s test center scheduling deadline, you can request a test date change through your LSAC online account for an additional fee. Alternatively, you can choose to schedule an online, live remotely proctored session. If you do not schedule your test or request a test date change, your LSAT registration will be automatically withdrawn without a refund.

To test remotely, you must schedule your test at least three (3) days before testing begins for your administration. If you’re unable to schedule your test by this deadline, you can opt to request a test date change through your LSAC online account for an additional fee. Otherwise, your LSAT registration will be automatically withdrawn without a refund. Before scheduling to test remotely, please ensure your testing space and equipment meet the remote-testing requirements which are linked on the LSAC website.

The announced 2024-2025 LSAT testing dates and registration deadlines are:

The LSAT test dates and application deadlines have been listed as a courtesy and are subject to change without notice.

 While the above-listed information is provided for convenience, always refer to the LSAC website to ensure the correct test date and registration deadline for any LSAT. Registration deadlines and test date information can be obtained on the LSAC website: https://www.lsac.org/lsat/lsat-dates-deadlines-score-release-dates

The cost to take the LSAT during the 2024-2025 admission cycle is $238. It includes the LSAT Writing Exercise, which is completed on a separate day and time from the LSAT. 

LMU Law will not accept LSAT scores more than five years old. In keeping with LSAC reporting, admission scores earned prior to June 2019 will not be considered for admission to Fall 2025 programs.

GRE

Similar to the LSAT, you can take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) either in person at an approved testing center or remotely with your computer. 

You can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously.

When selecting a test date, make sure your scores will be reported in time for your application deadlines. Score reports are sent to your designated score recipients approximately 10–15 days after your test date. When choosing a test date, allow time for delivery of your scores to LMU Law.

The cost to take the GRE for the 2024-2025 admission cycle is $220.

ETS's GRE code for LMU-Duncan School of Law is 4002.

Additional information about the GRE, its testing requirements, and fees, can be found through the Educational Testing Service's website or this link: https://www.ets.org/gre.html

The LSAT Writing Sample is a required component of LMU Law's admission process for LSAT takers. Because GRE takers must take a writing component as part of the GRE, you can request a waiver of the LSAT Writing Sample by emailing the Office of Admissions. Please include your LSAC "L" number and registered name with your request.

To complete the LSAT Writing Sample, you must go to your LSAC account, download the required software, and complete the 35-minute LSAT Writing Exercise.

You can take the LSAT Writing Sample no sooner than eight days before your scheduled LSAT and no later than one year after you have taken the test.

The computer on which you type the LSAT Writing Sample must have an active camera and microphone while you are writing your response. No outside assistance is permitted.

Do not delay in taking the LSAT Writing Exercise. Even though everything else (e.g. application, personal statement, two letters of recommendation, Credential Assembly Service Report with your LSAT score), has been received, your Law School/CAS Report with your LSAT score will not be released to ANY law school until you have completed the LSAT Writing Sample.

If you have already completed an LSAT Writing Sample for a prior administration of the LSAT, then you do not have to complete a new writing sample unless you want to complete a new one.

Generally, it takes between one-to-three weeks for your LSAT Writing Exercise to post to your account after you have completed it.

For more information, visit https://www.lsac.org/lsat/taking-lsat/about-lsat-writing.

LMU Law considers the admission of applicants who were disqualified academically. An applicant who has been disqualified academically must demonstrate that he or she possesses the requisite ability to succeed in our program of legal education. The applicant must also demonstrate that the previous disqualification does not indicate a lack of capacity to complete the course of study at our law school, extraordinary circumstances contributed to his or her inability to meet the academic requirements, and the circumstances resulting in the student's academic disqualification have been remedied or no longer exist.

An applicant who was disqualified academically cannot apply for admission until one (1) calendar year has expired since the student's disqualification. Example: If you were disqualified academically from law school after your first semester, e.g. December 15, 2022, you cannot apply for admission to LMU Law until one year after the date you were disqualified officially (December 16, 2023).

In addition to the application, personal statement, two letters of recommendation, Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report, and LSAT Writing Exercise, in order to be considered for admission an applicant who has been disqualified academically either at LMU Law or another law school must attach responses to two (2) separate statements to their application through the "Attachments" tab:

1. A statement detailing the nature of the interim work, activity, or studies that occurred since the disqualification; and
2. A statement describing why the applicant believes he/she now has a stronger potential for the study of law and is likely to successfully complete the course of study at the Duncan School of Law.

The responses can be uploaded as a single file as long as each statement is addressed separately. The responses cannot be combined into a single essay. The Committee will not read an essay in an attempt to decipher whether the applicant addressed/answered each query.

Finally, the applicant must send an official transcript from the law school from which he or she was dismissed to the LSAC's Credential Assembly Service.