Please read these instructions fully before proceeding to download the .PDF application form and .PDF certification letter (links at bottom of the page). Please note that, if you plan to print out and mail the .PDF application form, you must print out, fill out, sign, and enclose the certification letter with your hard-copy application form. A .PDF application form submitted without a certification letter will not be processed until a signed certification letter is received.
The Application Procedure
All applicants for JD admission to the Law School are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and must register for the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) for the submission of LSAT results, academic records (transcripts) and, preferably, letters of recommendation. Contact LSAC directly to register for the LSAT and the LSDAS at 215.968.1001 or via the Internet at www.LSAC.org. Students applying for full-time admission must take the LSAT no later than February of the year for which they are applying. Students applying for part-time admission must take the LSAT no later than June of the year for which they are applying. (LSAT scores taken within the last five years are considered current.) LSAT results are available to candidates approximately five weeks after each LSAT date. You may submit your Law School application before or after you register for or take the LSAT. Early application is encouraged.
Full-time and part-time applicants are subject to the same admission standards, application procedures, requirements, and processing. Applications for admission for full-time first-year law students will be accepted from September 1 until April 1. Applications for admission for part-time first-year law students will be accepted from September 1 until June 1. Offers of admission are for the upcoming fall. All offers of admission are conditioned upon the applicant providing an official, final baccalaureate transcript from his/her degree-granting institution prior to enrollment.
The Admissions Committee reviews files in the order in which they are completed. Applicants will be notified by mail or e-mail when their application files are complete (including our receipt of the LSDAS report). Typically, applicants receive notification from the Admissions Committee within eight weeks after their applications become complete. Applicants are promptly notified by letter on a rolling basis of any action taken on their applications by the Admissions Committee. Admitted applicants will be required to submit tuition deposits.
If a candidate will apply for a joint degree program, he/she must submit two distinct applications, one to the Law School and one to the other school/program, and must fulfill all of the application requirements (entrance examinations, fees, deadlines, etc.) for each program.
In the interest of equity, no evaluative interviews are conducted as part of the application review process. Applicants are welcome, however, to submit in writing any information they believe is relevant to their applications.
Completing The Law School Application Form
Please answer each question fully. If additional space is needed for any response, please use separate sheet(s) and reference your response. Résumés may be submitted, but not in lieu of answering all questions on the application. All hard-copy application forms must be accompanied by a signed hard-copy Certification Letter. Changes in the status of applications must be sent in writing to the Law School Office of Admissions (e.g., by applicants who desire to change their application division from full-time to part-time, or vice versa, or who will take the LSAT on a date other than the one indicated on their application).
After receipt of the application form, the LSDAS report will be requested.
Application Fee
An application fee of $50, payable by check or money order to Marquette University Law School, is required. Only candidates transmitting electronic applications via the internet may pay the application fee via credit card. A hard-copy .PDF application form must be accompanied by a check or money order.
Certification Letter
A hard-copy .PDF application form must be accompanied by a signed certification letter. A .PDF application form submitted without a certification letter will not be processed until a signed certification letter is received.
Recommendations
One letter of recommendation is required. A letter of recommendation should provide a candid evaluation of your intellectual abilities, moral character, and special talents. We encourage, but do not require, that the letter of recommendation be written by a professor (or instructor) who taught you in a class. A letter of recommendation from a current employer may be submitted. The Committee places no upper limit on the number of recommendations that may be submitted in support of an application for admission; candidates are expected to exercise good judgment. The Admissions Committee strongly prefers that your recommendation(s) be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service that serves all member schools. This service is included in your LSDAS registration. Your letter(s) will be copied and sent to us along with your LSDAS report. To use this service, follow the directions for submitting letters outlined in the LSAT & LSDAS Information Book and at www.LSAC.org. Although we strongly prefer that applicants use the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service, we will accept recommendations via mail (not e-mail) directly from recommenders. Our address for this purpose is:
Marquette University Law School
Office of Admissions
Sensenbrenner Hall
PO Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
Reapplicants
Those reapplying for admission are required to submit a current version of the Law School application, an updated addendum to the application summarizing their activities since the previous application was made, and an application fee, and to renew their LSDAS registration, if necessary. The items from the prior year's application that may be reused are recommendation(s), the personal statement, and, if submitted, any optional statement(s).
International Applicants
International applicants are required to take the LSAT and should follow the regular application procedures including subscribing to the LSDAS; see www.LSAC.org for information on LSDAS service for international applicants. In addition to the LSAT, international applicants whose first language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Inquiries regarding TOEFL should be directed to PO Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA. (e-mail: toefl@ets.org) TOEFL score reports should be sent to LSAC/LSDAS, not to Marquette Law School.
Transfer Applicants
Applicants seeking admission as transfer students will be considered if they are (a) enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school where they have completed one year (two full semesters) of law school and (b) are in good standing and eligible to continue at that law school. Applicants admitted with advanced standing must complete a minimum of 56 credits at Marquette. Transfer applications may be submitted beginning May 1; the deadline to apply is July 1. Decisions are made on a rolling basis.
For transfer applicants, the following items are also required in addition to the Law School application and $50 application fee and must be sent directly to the Law School Office of Admissions:
- an official law school transcript of all work;
- a letter from the dean of or appropriate official at your law school certifying that you are in good standing and eligible to continue;
- class rank, if available;
- an official, final undergraduate transcript and any applicable graduate transcripts;
- one letter of recommendation from a law professor who taught you in a law school class;
- a letter stating the reason(s) you wish to transfer.
Please be aware that the Office of Admissions will request the LSAT/LSDAS reports of transfer applicants from LSDAS. The duration of an LSDAS subscription is five (5) years; in most cases, applicants should not need to reregister with LSDAS. Applicants will be charged a $12 fee by LSDAS for the transmission of this data and the hard copy report. For more information, please visit www.LSAC.org.
Visiting Students
Students who are enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school in good standing, and are eligible to continue at their law school may, with the permission of their home law school, visit at Marquette provided all courses completed at Marquette will be applied to degree requirements at their home law school. Students may visit for the fall or spring semester or both. In addition to the Law School application and $50 application fee, the following items are required and must be sent directly to the Law School Office of Admissions: (1) an official law school transcript of all work; (2) a letter from the dean of or appropriate official at the home law school stating that the student is in good standing and eligible to continue, and that all courses taken at Marquette will be applied to the student's degree requirements; and (3) a letter stating the reason(s) you wish to visit. Any course work required (or conditions) for the visiting student should be stated in the letter from the dean or appropriate official.
Financial Aid Information
Information regarding the electronic version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and related information will be provided to admitted applicants. Marquette's title code is 003863. All applicants offered admission are considered for scholarships; no separate application is required or used.
Mailing Address
A hard-copy application form (with signed certification letter and $50 check or money order enclosed) may be mailed to:
Marquette University Law School
Office of Admissions
Sensenbrenner Hall
PO Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
