Applicants must complete all sections of the LSAC Flexible Application. There is only one application for applicants to the JD program. You will have the opportunity to indicate whether you are applying Early Decision (including through the Chicago Law Scholars Program) or Regular Decision in the application. You will also have the opportunity to indicate if you would like to apply to the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program. 

Applicants interested in the JD/MBA program should apply here and complete the Supplemental JD/MBA Form through LSAC. Applicants interested in other dual degree programs apply for admission to UChicago Law and the other program through each program's application. For example, students interested in a JD/MPP will complete the LSAC Flexible Application and the Harris School of Public Policy's MPP application. 

Please read the Application Instructions available in the LSAC Flexible Application carefully before you begin your application. Applicants who have disabilities in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should contact the Admissions Office at 773-702-9484 or email admissions@law.uchicago.edu with their request.

Character and Fitness.  The application contains a section of questions relating to character and fitness to practice law. State Bar Associations may request a copy of your application, materials, and record, including answers to the character and fitness questions in this application, when determining your admission to the bar. In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Contact information for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

An affirmative response to any portion of the Character and Fitness questions on the application will not automatically disqualify a candidate from admission. Rather, in those cases, the Dean of Admissions will review the affirmative response and determine if further review is necessary. If further review is necessary, the Dean of Admissions will convene a committee composed of the Deputy Dean, the Dean of Admissions, the Dean of Students, the Dean of Career Services and the Chair of the Faculty Admissions Committee. The committee will evaluate the facts, seek additional information as appropriate, and determine if the applicant may be considered for admission at the Law School. The Dean of Admissions may also consult as needed with the Office of the General Counsel.

You must provide all undergraduate and graduate school transcripts reflecting a complete history of your academic performance in your undergraduate education and at any graduate schools. You must submit a transcript for any university you were enrolled at*, even if you withdrew and no credit was earned. We require all applicants to submit their transcripts through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to learn about how the Admissions Committee evaluates transcripts. 

*If you will be submitting foreign transcripts, please review our FAQs about submitting foreign transcripts.

Applicants have the option of submitting the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) (if applicable - see below for details) as part of the Law School's pilot program.

We are accepting the LSAT-Flex, GRE General Test at Home, and GMAT Online Exam to satisfy the standardized test requirement. For the GMAT Online Exam, please see the details below.

You must have a current LSAT, GRE, or GMAT score (earned within the last five years) on file before the Admissions Committee will evaluate your application.

• LSAT: Submit LSAT scores (including any LSAT-Flex scores) to the Law School through LSAC. You must submit all LSAT scores earned within the last five years. Please note, you must have at least one LSAT writing sample on file (either from a previous paper examination or from the digital LSAT Writing) in order for your file to be marked complete. If you have not already done so, please remember to complete the LSAT Writing.  
• GRE: Submit GRE scores (including any GRE General Test at Home scores) to the Law School by designating the University of Chicago Law School as a recipient using Educational Testing Service (ETS) code 2577. You must submit all GRE scores earned within the last five years.   
• GMAT: If you are currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Chicago and wish to pursue a dual degree in law with the University of Chicago Law School or if you are concurrently applying to pursue a dual degree with the University of Chicago Law School and a graduate program in another University of Chicago division, you may submit a GMAT score (including GMAT Online Exam scores) in lieu of the LSAT or GRE. Submit GMAT scores to the Law School by designating the applicable program: (1) The Law School – JD/MBA Booth School of Business Joint Degree (code H9X-2D-54), (2) The Law School – JD/MPP Harris School of Public Policy (code H9X-2D-58), or (3) The Law School – Joint Degree Programs (code H9X-2D-32). You must submit all GMAT scores earned within the last five years. 

Note: If you are admitted to the Law School based on an application with a GRE or GMAT score and, after admission, take the LSAT, the Admissions Committee will evaluate your new LSAT score and may re-evaluate your offer of admission.

Please review the FAQs to learn more about how the Admissions Committee evaluates standardized test scores and considers multiple scores.

We require a detailed resume containing your educational history, extracurricular activities, community and volunteer activities, and all full or part-time work experience. Please indicate the time spent each week on each activity or employment position. If your education or employment history has been interrupted for more than a normal vacation period, you should describe your activities during that time. You will be able to upload your resume in the “Attachments” section of the application.

Please see our FAQs and video for more guidance on the resume.

We require two letters of recommendation, but we will accept up to four. You must submit your letters of recommendation through the CAS Letter of Recommendation Service. Your application will be considered complete once we receive two letters of recommendation, unless you request via email the Admissions Office wait until we have received any additional letters.

In reviewing letters of recommendation, the Admissions Committee is looking for insight into a candidate's academic promise, as well as personal qualities such as intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm, and commitment. We strongly recommend you submit at least one academic letter (e.g., from a professor, teacher's assistant, advisor) who can offer an informed assessment of your academic ability. We understand it may be difficult for candidates who have already completed their undergraduate education several years prior to applying to submit academic letters of recommendation. For more information on letters of recommendation, please review our FAQs.

The personal statement is an essential part of every application, and it is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee. It should demonstrate your contribution to the Law School community beyond academics and should demonstrate your ability to communicate your thoughts effectively. The Admissions Committee often finds that a personal statement focusing on a unique personal attribute or experience is usually the most informative (as opposed to a restatement of your qualifications or resume).

For more tips and guidance on the personal statement, please review the FAQs.

The application fee is $90 (U.S. funds only), and you must pay the application fee by credit card when you submit your application through LSAC.

Fee Waivers: Fee waiver requests are accepted starting September 1 when the application becomes available until the application deadline of March 1 each year.

We waive the application fee for the following JD applicants*: 

1. Teach for America participants and alumni who completed service within the last five years,
2. Those currently serving active duty in the U.S. military, U.S. military veterans, and members of the U.S. Reserves and National Guard,
3. Peace Corps participants and alumni who completed service within the last five years and who provide a letter from their supervisor confirming completion of the 27-month commitment, undergraduate students currently enrolled at the University of Chicago,
4. AmeriCorps participants and alumni who completed service within the last five years and who provide a letter from their supervisor confirming at least a 10-month commitment,
5. Undergraduate students currently enrolled at the University of Chicago, and
6. Applicants receiving fee waivers from LSAC.

To see if you qualify for a fee waiver from LSAC, please visit LSAC's website. If you are eligible for a Law School fee waiver, please email admissions@law.uchicago.edu with your eligibility and request an application fee waiver code. If eligible, we will email you an application fee waiver code. You must use this code when you submit your application through LSAC. Please do not pay the application fee. We will not be able to issue refunds to applicants who pay the fee.

* The Law School does not grant fee waivers to transfer applicants unless they receive an application fee waiver from LSAC.

The University of Chicago requires all applicants to meet certain English language proficiency requirements. Applicants who do not meet the waiver criteria below must submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet-based test (iBT) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic as proof of English language proficiency. Note, for the IELTS, applicants must take the Academic Reading/Writing test within IELTS, not the General Training Reading/Writing test.

Waiver Criteria

1. English has been a primary language of communication and schooling for you since childhood; or
2. You were enrolled for at least one academic year in full-time status in a course of study at an accredited English-medium post-secondary institution in one of the following countries or territories within the past ten years: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, the United States.
   • Education in English-medium institutions in other countries or territories does not qualify for the exemption.

Note: High school or secondary school does not qualify an applicant for exemption; nor do part-time or research-based programs that did not involve full time coursework in English.

Minimum Scores

Applicants must score at least 104 total for the TOEFL. Applicants must score at least 7.5 overall and no less than 7.0 for each section for the IELTS.

Validity

TOEFL or IELTS score reports are valid for two years. 

Sending Scores to UChicago Law

Please send your TOEFL or IELTS score through LSAC's CAS.

Please review the English Language Proficiency page to learn more about the requirements. 

You may submit optional supplementary addenda to highlight topics you wish to bring to our attention that were not included in your personal statement or other application materials. The Admissions Committee typically finds one page or less is a sufficient length for most addenda. Applicants are not required to submit optional addenda. Applicants should plan to submit no more than two addenda. Please title addenda appropriately. Examples of supplementary addenda include: 

• UChicago aims to train well-rounded, critical, and socially conscious thinkers and doers. Describe how your background or experiences will contribute to the UChicago Law community. Example topics include: lessons you have learned; skillsets you have developed; obstacles you have overcome based on your background or upbringing; or topics you have become passionate about studying in law school based on your lived or educational experiences. 
• Share why you decided to apply to UChicago Law and how the Law School will be a good fit for your academic, professional, and/or personal goals. Please strive for your response to be more personal than a recitation of information from our website. 
• If you do not think your academic record or standardized test scores accurately reflect your ability to succeed in law school, please tell us why. 
• If there is something the Admissions Committee cannot learn about you from your application materials that would be helpful in the review of your file, please take this opportunity to share in a brief addendum. 

The Doctoroff Business Leadership Program is a selective certificate-granting program that blends the best of the MBA curriculum into our prestigious, three-year Law School education, providing students with the analytical and business training they will need to thrive in today's complex business environment -- whether as corporate attorneys, in-house counsels, business leaders, or entrepreneurs.

As part of the certificate program, students are required to complete a core business curriculum taught at the Law School by leading faculty from UChicago's world-renowned Booth School of Business. In addition, students will be matched with an alumni business mentor, participate in a business internship during their 1L summer, and take part in enrichment and leadership development activities. 

Learn more about the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program here and through our Doctoroff Admissions video. If you are a student who is passionate about pursuing a career at the intersection of business and law, you are strongly encouraged to apply to the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program. 

If you are admitted to the Law School and want to be considered for the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program,

1. answer "yes" to the Doctoroff question in the application and
2. submit a statement of interest that describes in 250 words or less why you want to participate in the Program and how earning the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program Certificate will help you achieve your career goals.

You may submit the statement in the Attachments section of the online application. 

If you have obtained a PhD, are completing a PhD, or if you are concurrently applying to a PhD program, we invite you to submit a one-page optional essay explaining your research and academic interests, your professional goals, and how completing a JD would help you improve your research and achieve your professional goals. 

If you choose to submit this essay, please attach it to the JD/PhD Essay in the Attachments section.