Marquette University

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Application requirements

Recommendations

1 to 4

Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle

Qualifications for Admission to the Bar -- Character and Fitness

Because of the high ethical standards to which lawyers are held, the failure to disclose an act or event such as the ones described below is often more significant, and leads to more serious consequences, than the act or event itself.

The following questions should be answered carefully, accurately, and completely. The answers you provide below will be compared to the answers you provide on a state bar application by the Board of Bar Examiners. When in doubt, it is better to report the event or act than to omit it. Please answer "yes" or "no" to each of the following questions. ALL AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSES TO THESE QUESTIONS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY FULL, DETAILED DESCRIPTIVE STATEMENTS, INCLUDING DATE(S), AND FINAL DISPOSITION OF CHARGES, IF APPLICABLE (see "Attachments" section).

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 charged with misconduct, dismissed, dropped, suspended, warned, expelled, asked to withdraw, placed on academic or social probation, or disciplined, or allowed to withdraw to avoid same by a post-secondary college, university, professional school, or law school in any way, or been subject to proceedings before an honor court, council, or similar body?

2. With respect to criminal charges, civil law violations, or local ordinance violations (excluding parking violations, but including all other tickets or citations, including those for moving violations) have you ever, as an adult or juvenile, been arrested, charged, convicted, issued a citation, or served probation, or paid restitution or served probation in lieu of being arrested, charged, convicted, or entering a plea (whether a plea of guilty or no contest)? You must disclose each instance, however adjudicated, including juvenile delinquency proceeding, criminal case, court martial, or case of an ordinance violation, whether or not the charge and the plea or conviction differ, whether arrest, judgment, conviction, or sentence has been withheld or expunged, or the record sealed, regardless of whether you have been told that you need not disclose any such instance.

3. Have you ever been suspended, reprimanded, admonished, warned, censured, terminated, permitted to resign in lieu of termination, or otherwise disciplined in any position, regulated profession, or as a holder of any public office? (Include separation from any branch of the armed forces under conditions other than honorable.)

4. Are there any unsatisfied judgments or court orders of continuing effect against you, or are you in default in the performance of any court-ordered duty or obligation? (Include orders to pay child support.)

5. Are you presently the subject of any proceedings involving the matters addressed in 1 through 4?YesNo

6. Did you answer "yes" to one or more of the above "Character and Fitness" questions?

7. I understand that if I answered "yes" to one or more of the above character and fitness questions, I must attach an explanatory descriptive statement in the "Attachments" section, "Character and Fitness." I further understand that I must provide a written update to Marquette University Law School if my answers to any of the above questions change at any time during the application process up to enrollment at Marquette University Law School and/or during my enrollment at Marquette University Law School.

Marquette University Law School
Office of Admissions
Eckstein Hall, 132
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-1881
(414) 288-6767
law.admission@marquette.edu
http://law.marquette.edu

The Application Procedure

All applicants for admission to Marquette University Law School must have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university before enrolling in the Law School, unless seeking to enroll under the early entry provisions of one of the Law School's "3+3" or "pre-law scholar" programs with a partner undergraduate institution. All applicants for admission to the Law School are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Record Examination General Test (GRE), or the JD-Next 8-week course and law school admissions test. All candidates, even those that do not take the LSAT, must register for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You may submit your Law School application before or after you register for or take the LSAT, the GRE, or the JD-Next law school admissions test. Early application is encouraged (see below under "application timing" for more information).

Marquette University Law School utilizes a paperless JD application process. Candidates apply using the online application, accessible from the LSAC website or the Marquette Law School website. Please refrain from submitting any materials to the Office of Admissions in hard-copy form, unless instructed otherwise. The application fee payment of $50.00 must be submitted via credit card or debit check card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa); please do not submit payment via cash, check, or money order.

Full-time and part-time applicants are subject to the same admission standards, application procedures, requirements, and processing. Offers of admission are for the upcoming fall. All offers of admission are conditioned upon the applicant providing an official, final baccalaureate transcript from their degree-granting institution prior to enrollment.

Application Timing

Application Opens

Candidates, both full-time and part-time, may begin submitting applications September 1.

Rolling Admission

Candidates, both full-time and part-time, are strongly encouraged to take no later than February the LSAT, the GRE, or the JD-Next 8-week course and law school admissions test, and to complete their applications no later than April 1.
However, the Law School will continue to accept and evaluate applications after April 1.

Again, early application is encouraged. The Admissions Committee reviews files in the order in which they are completed. Applicants will be advised when their application files are complete (including our receipt of the LSAC CAS report and other test score report, if applicable). Typically, applicants receive notification from the Admissions Committee within eight weeks after their applications become complete. Applicants are notified 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, they 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.

Once submitted, all application materials become the property of Marquette University Law School and will not be returned.

Completing Your Law School Application

Please answer each question fully. All affirmative responses to character and fitness questions must be accompanied by full, detailed descriptive statements. If additional space is needed for any response, please use electronic attachments and reference your response. Each candidate must write a personal statement on a subject of their choosing. Candidates may also submit optional essays. Résumés are strongly encouraged. An electronic certification is required at the end of the application form. Requests for 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 an entrance examination on a date other than the date indicated on their application).

Entrance Examinations -- The LSAT, the GRE, or JD-Next

Each applicant must submit at least one of the following test scores: (a) Law School Admission Test (LSAT), (b) Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or (c) JD-Next law school admissions test. The Law School will accept LSAT or GRE scores taken within the past five years.

a. LSAT scores will be reported automatically to Marquette University Law School as part of the LSAC CAS report.

b. An applicant taking the GRE should have their GRE score reported by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) directly to Marquette University Law School (GRE institution code number 6222).

c. For an applicant submitting a JD-Next law school admissions test score to Marquette University Law School:

The applicant should log in to the Aspen Publishing website (www.aspenpublishing.com). Search for JD-Next Score Report and navigate to the buy page for the score report.
On the buy page, select JDN Score Report Fee and add to cart (an error message will appear if there is no eligible score report).
A Score Report Form Submission will pop up. The applicant will need to confirm identifying information.
Select the school(s) to which the applicant chooses to send the score report and consent to data sharing.
Add the score report(s) to the cart. The first 3 score reports are included. There is a charge of $30.00 per score report if the applicant selects additional schools. An order confirmation will be sent upon completing the score report purchase.

Importantly, all applicants, including those applicants who submit GRE or JD-Next scores in addition to or in lieu of LSAT scores, must register with CAS through LSAC and submit transcripts to CAS for all undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate academic work.

"Pre-law scholar" or "3+3" applicants seeking to enroll under the early entry provisions available with one of Marquette Law School's partner undergraduate institutions may not utilize GRE or JD-Next scores but must take the LSAT.

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) that taught you in a class. A letter of recommendation from an employer may be submitted. 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 Credential Assembly Service registration. Your letter(s) will be scanned and sent to us along with your LSAC CAS report. To use this service, follow the directions for submitting letters outlined at LSAC.org. Letters of recommendation may not be electronically inserted ("cut and pasted") into or appended to a candidate's electronic application.

Reapplicants

Those reapplying for admission are required to submit a current version of the Law School application, an application fee, and to renew their Credential Assembly Service registration, if necessary. The items from the prior application that may be reused are recommendation(s), the personal statement, and, if submitted, any optional statement(s). An addendum to the application summarizing their activities since the previous application was made is welcome, although, in lieu, updates may be made directly within the application, in applicable questions such as education, employment, etc.

Previous Law School Attendance

An applicant that has previously enrolled in, attended, or withdrawn at any point from any other law school must have that law school provide a letter of standing and an official transcript of all law school work. Those items must be sent directly by that law school to: Office of Admissions, Marquette University Law School, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881.

International Applicants

International applicants are required to take the LSAT, the GRE, or the JD-Next course and law school admissions test and should follow the regular application procedures including subscribing to the Credential Assembly Service; see LSAC.org for information on the Credential Assembly Service for international applicants. In addition to one of the aforementioned entrance examinations, international applicants whose first language is not English should 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's Credential Assembly Service, not to Marquette Law School.

Financial Aid Information

Candidates are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA, https://studentaid.gov) as soon as possible beginning in October. Marquette's title code is 003863. All applicants offered admission are considered for scholarships as long as funds remain available; no separate application is required or used.

If an applicant does not provide their Social Security Number (SSN) in the "Biographical" section of the electronic application form, that omission may impede the processing of their FAFSA if they are admitted to the Law School.