Case Western Reserve University

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Application requirements

Deadline

Apr 01, 2026

Recommendations

2 to 2

Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle

In order to be licensed to practice law, you will need to sit for a state bar examination. The bar examination application questions vary from state to state but generally will require you to disclose whether you have been subject to any criminal or disciplinary proceedings. When answering these questions, please keep in mind that any discrepancy between your responses on your application for law school admission and your application for admission to the bar may be an impediment to your admission to the bar in many states.

If your answer is "yes" to any of the Character and Fitness questions, you must supplement your response with a full explanation of the circumstances, including dates. Use a separate sheet or electronic attachment and clearly identify the number of the question. All matters must be reported, even if they were dismissed, expunged, or sealed under the laws of any state.

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. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

1. Have you ever been the subject of a hearing pursuant to the Law School Admission Council's Rules Governing Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process?

As an adult or juvenile, have you ever been cited for, charged with, subject to a penalty for, or convicted of a crime? A crime includes a misdemeanor, felony, or traffic offense involving drugs or alcohol. Note: Include matters that have been expunged or subject to a diversion program.
Have you been charged with any moving traffic violations that were not alcohol- or drug-related during the past ten years? Note: Include matters that have been expunged or subject to a diversion program. Please specify date, location, details of the violation, and outcome.
Have you ever been charged with academic or disciplinary misconduct at any postsecondary educational institution?
Have you ever been dismissed, suspended, placed on academic warning or probation, disciplined, expelled, or officially requested or advised to withdraw from a postsecondary educational institution due to inadequate academic performance?
Have you ever been subject to a restraining order?
Has a professional association or state licensing board ever suspended or revoked a professional license that you held or has such an association or board ever required you to appear at a proceeding where license suspension or revocation was a possible sanction?
Have you ever been terminated, suspended, disciplined, or permitted to resign in lieu of termination from any job?

The admissions process includes a holistic review of each applicant's file, looking carefully at the candidate's undergraduate grade-point average and standardized test scores as well as other factors, such as level and difficulty of undergraduate coursework, writing ability, graduate coursework (if applicable), student engagement and activities, professional experience and more broadly the personal and life experiences that have shaped the applicant as reflected in the personal statement.

To enroll in the JD program, a candidate must have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. We encourage undergraduates interested in law to gain a broad educational background and to choose challenging courses requiring critical thinking and logical analysis, such as history, economics, philosophy, and accounting. We particularly urge students to choose courses in which they will develop strong writing skills.

The Timetable

Admissions and scholarship decisions are made on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply early in the admissions cycle. Beginning in January we take action on the applications. We have a rolling admissions policy; that is, as decisions are made, applicants are notified. We make most admission decisions between January 1 and April 1, at which time we establish a wait list. As vacancies occur up to the date of registration we draw the best-qualified candidates from the waitlist.

Admission Procedures

Standardized Test: You must submit a score from one of the following approved standardized tests: The LSAT; the GRE General Test; or JD-Next. The standardized test score or scores that you submit must have been earned within the last five years and must meet any other validity or timing requirements set out by the organization that administers that test. See lsac.org, ets.org/gre and/or JD-Next.org for more information about the accepted standardized tests and the organizations' score reporting policies. Although we recommend that you take the LSAT, GRE, or JD Next in the summer or fall before applying to law school, we do accept scores for tests taken closer to the start of law school. We look at all standardized test scores with an emphasis on the highest score.

Because LSAC provides the Credential Assembly Service, any and all LSAT scores you earned within the past five years will be reported on the CAS report. If you choose to submit GRE General Test or JD-Next scores in lieu of or in addition to an LSAT score, we require you to submit ALL scores that you have earned on that test within the past five years.

Applicants submitting GRE scores must request that all score reports be sent directly to Case Western Reserve Law. CWRU Law's school code for GRE score reporting is 4812.

We accept JD-Next scores in lieu of the LSAT based on a waiver granted by the American Bar Association. Applicants submitting JD-Next scores must request that all score reports be sent directly to Case Western Reserve Law. More information is available at JD-Next.org.

CAS Report: All applicants, regardless of whether submitting an LSAT, GRE or JD-Next score, must register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Follow the necessary instructions to arrange for the Credential Assembly Service to send us two letters of recommendation and analysis of your undergraduate and graduate school transcripts. Case Western Reserve University School of Law's Credential Assembly Service code is 1105.

Electronic Application: The application fee for applications electronically submitted to Case Western via LSAC's electronic applications service is waived. Applications submitted to LSAC for transmission will be considered postmarked on the day they are electronically submitted.

Completed Application: We consider an applicant file complete once we have received an application with all required components, including the personal statement, résumé, and two letters of recommendation (required), an approved standardized test, a law school report from LSAC's Credential Assembly Service, and the application fee (waived for applications submitted electronically). Include your name and LSAC account number on any supplemental enclosures and identify the question number to which they correspond.

Standard of Truthfulness and Full Disclosure - Continuing Obligation to Disclose

As future members of the legal profession, applicants are expected to possess the highest standards of ethics and character. Because of the high ethical standards to which lawyers are held, the failure to disclose an act or event such as the ones described in the Character and Fitness questions is often more significant and leads to more serious consequences than the act or event itself.

Each of the character and fitness questions requires a "yes" or "no" answer. If your answer is "yes" to any of the questions, you are required to supplement your response with a full explanation of the circumstances, including dates. You also have the obligation to notify the School of Law if there is any change in the information contained in those documents.

All matters must be reported, even if they were dismissed, expunged, or the records sealed! Even if you were advised differently in the past, you are required to disclose all matters in this application process.

All applicants, including those who enroll in the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, must certify that all responses in their application and on all supplemental documents are complete, true, and correct and that they understand that they are under an ongoing obligation to notify the School of Law if there is any change in the information submitted prior to and/or during their enrollment in the School of Law. Failure in the application's accuracy or completeness or in the applicant's obligation to update the information may affect enrollment status and/or result in disciplinary action, including dismissal, revocation of an offer of admission, and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission.

In addition, we adhere to and participate in the Law School Admission Council's Rules Governing Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process.

Policy on the Use of Generative AI in the Application Process

As part of our commitment to academic integrity and transparency, we ask that applicants disclose any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Grammarly, or similar technologies) in preparing their application materials. This includes assistance with drafting, editing, brainstorming, or proofreading personal statements, resumes, or other written submissions. Although we do not prohibit the use of generative AI tools, we discourage their use, especially in the drafting process, because we are evaluating your voice and writing skills as part of the admissions process. Use of AI tools will not, in itself, affect your candidacy. However, we expect all applicants to accurately represent the nature of their application materials and to ensure that submitted work reflects their own ideas, experiences, and judgment. You will be asked to disclose on the application the extent of your use of generative AI in preparing your application.

Special Application Procedures

International Students

We require that international transcripts be submitted through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) offered through the Law School Admission Council. If you completed any postsecondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your international transcripts (exception: if you completed the international work through a study-abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript). This service is included in the Credential Assembly Service subscription fee. An International Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and will be incorporated into your law school report. If your transcript is not issued in English in its original form by your institution, you will need to submit a TOEFL score as well. To do this, you must contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for the Credential Assembly Service is 8395. Your score will be included in the International Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your law school report.

To use the Credential Assembly Service, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive international transcripts.

Questions about the Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001 or LSAC.org.

Admission to a State Bar

In order to be eligible to take the bar exam in any state, you will need to complete an application. 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. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Please note, there are states, including New York, that WILL NOT accept a Juris Doctor earned through an online program unless a waiver of the state bar rules is approved. Please see Case Western Reserve University School of Law's Professional Licensure Disclosures by going to case.edu/law.

The application questions will vary from state to state, but generally will require you to disclose whether you have been subject to any criminal or disciplinary proceedings. Different states handle such offenses differently. If you would respond to such questions in the affirmative, you should contact the Board of Bar Examiners of the states(s) in which you wish to practice law in order to establish the impact of your offense on your eligibility to practice law in that state. Any discrepancy between your responses on your applications for law school admission and for admission to the bar may be an impediment to your admission to the bar in many states.

AFTER APPLYING

Acknowledgement of Application

After submitting your application, you will receive confirmation email from the Applicant Status Online system. This system is where you can check the status of your application. Most correspondence from the Office of Admissions will be done via email so please keep us informed of any changes in your email address.

Credential Assembly Service Law School Report

Upon submission of your application, we will automatically receive your Credential Assembly Service Law School Report once you have subscribed to LSAC's Credential Assembly Service.

Deposit Deadlines

An offer of admission must be accepted before the date indicated as the deadline; if not, it may be withdrawn by the law school. Accepted applicants will be required to submit a $500 deposit. Deposit deadlines are strictly enforced. Deposits are non-refundable.

Transcripts

All students are required to have obtained their four-year bachelor's degree prior to matriculation. By August 15, all entering students must also have a final transcript evidencing receipt of a bachelor's degree on file with LSAC. In addition, every student must submit one official transcript from a graduate degree-granting institution, if applicable. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in withdrawal of the offer of admission, suspension or dismissal from the School of Law.

Withdrawal of Admission

The law school reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission if required transcripts are not received by the deadline, the candidate fails to maintain satisfactory scholastic standing for work in progress, if final records fail to show completion of courses and/or degrees required for admission, or if the admission decision was based on incomplete or inaccurate information.

FINANCIAL AID TIMETABLE

February

We will automatically email financial aid (loan) information to all applicants for admission, along with extensive instructions.

By March 15

Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form, which is used to determine a student's eligibility for the various loan programs, may be completed online at studentaid.gov. Paper versions of the FAFSA are available from public libraries and college financial aid offices. List "Case Western Reserve University-LAW" as a school to which you would like an analysis report sent (Federal School Code E00082).

By May 1

Submit the Case Western Financial Aid Application to the law school Office of Student Financial Services. Students who have been admitted and have submitted all documents by May 1 can expect to have an estimate of their financial aid package by the beginning of July.

Deposit

Deposit (postmarked by April 15; rolling thereafter): $500

All deposits are non-refundable.