Application Instructions

The deadline to apply for first-year admission is February 1st.

To be eligible to apply, you must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an approved college or university. To be considered for admission, you must do the following:

1. Complete application form
2. Compose personal statement
3. Take the LSAT exam
4. Register with LSAC's CAS and request necessary transcripts
5. Solicit letters of recommendation (optional)

Application Form

We encourage you to apply online. To use Santa Clara Law’s online application form you will first need to create an account with LSAC.
Apply online

Application Fee

If you are submitting an online application, the $75 application fee can be paid by credit card. If you are applying by mail, you will need to send the $75 application fee along with your application form. Checks should be made payable to Santa Clara University. The application fee is non-refundable.

Personal Statement

Compose a statement indicating the reasons you want to undertake the study of law at Santa Clara University as well as your special interests, life experiences, accomplishments, goals, and any other information that might be helpful to the Admissions Committee. You may also include your resume along with your personal statement.

Take the LSAT exam

You must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than the preceding February and have your scores reported to Santa Clara University. Tests are generally considered current for four years. If the test is taken more than once, the higher score will be considered.

 

The LSAT is given four times a year – in June, September/October, December, and February – at examination centers throughout the United States. Additional information is available from the Admissions Office or by contacting Law School Admissions Council.

Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework

You will need to submit college records through the Law School Admission Council's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You must register with CAS and have official transcripts sent to Law Services from every North American college or university attended. If your degree was obtained outside the U.S., you must register with CAS and have official transcripts sent to Law Services.

Letters of recommendation (optional)

If you are submitting letters of recommendation they should be enclosed with the application when possible or be submitted through Law Services’ (LSAC) letter of recommendation service that is part of the CAS subscription.

If you have questions about the application process, read our application FAQ or contact the Admissions Office.

Early Action

We offer early consideration to first year applicants. If you submit your application by November 1 and your admission file is complete by November 30, we will give you a decision before January 1. The decision is non-binding on you and you would have until April 1 to make a tuition deposit.

To apply for early action you must indicate you are doing so on your application for admission. Apply online now

Our Diverse Community

Santa Clara Law recognizes the national need for more lawyers who are members of groups historically under-represented in the legal profession. To this end, the school seeks to identify, recruit, enroll, and provide academic support to ethnic minority applicants and others who show the potential to succeed.

Santa Clara Law recognizes traditional criteria of LSAT scores and undergraduate grade point averages are not the only indicators of academic potential. Other relevant factors are:

1. academic potential and motivation as indicated by letters of recommendation or other sources of information
2. practical experiences and achievements in service to the applicant’s community; and
3. extracurricular studies or activities that indicate motivation for success in law school.

Students with Disabilities

Santa Clara Law welcomes students with disabilities. If you are an applicant with disabilities please contact the Law School Admission Service as early as possible to gather information about requesting special accommodations for the LSAT. Once admitted to Santa Clara Law, you are encouraged to contact the University Office of Disability Resources in the Drahmann Center. The Disability Resource Office will review documentation of your disability and provide the appropriate academic accommodations.