Michigan State University

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Application requirements

Application fee

$60.00

Recommendations

2 to 4

Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle

As part of the Admissions process, we require applicants to answer questions which mirror those commonly asked by state bar authorities in the law licensure process. Your answers in this application must be consistent with your future bar application, but admission to law school does not guarantee admission to the bar of any jurisdiction.

If you answer "yes" to any question in this section, you must submit an addendum with your application. Addendums should include a brief description of each incident, including its date and location (city/state), and a full account of the outcome, including, if applicable, the location of the court with jurisdiction over the matter. We recommend obtaining and keeping official documentation of the final disposition or relevant police reports from each incident for your records which, in some cases, may be required by the Admissions Committee.

Affirmative answers to the questions below do not necessarily preclude or prejudice admission to MSU Law. However, a failure to adequately disclose information required by this section could result in withdrawal of your offer of admission, dismissal after matriculation to MSU Law, or denial of the opportunity to take a state bar exam. Please contact our Office of Admissions with any questions about what you must disclose or how to format that information.

Applicants must inform the MSU COL Office of Admissions of any changes to their character and fitness record (e.g., amendments, updates, or new incidents) before matriculation at MSU Law. Once enrolled, students must notify the MSU Law Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of any changes to their character and fitness record.

1. Have you ever been cited, arrested, taken into custody for, indicted for, charged with, convicted of, or pled guilty to violation of any law or been the subject of a juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? (MSU Law requires disclosure of all traffic violations excluding parking violations, although repeated parking violations should be included if they resulted in misdemeanor charges. The entry of an expungement or other order sealing or purporting to authorize any person to deny the existence of such matters does not relieve your duty to disclose the matter in this application).

2. Have you ever been subjected to disciplinary or academic action by a college or university (such as reprimand, probation, or suspension) or are there any disciplinary or academic charges or investigations pending or expected to be brought against you? Your response to this question must include disclosure of any such actions related university dormitories or housing.

3. Have you ever been subject to disciplinary action by an employer, suspended from practice, reprimanded, censured, removed, or disciplined by any professional organization or state agency, military discipline action or charged with reviewing professional conduct?

4. Are any of the issues listed above still pending? Examples include incidents that resulted in you being on presently active probation or court supervision.

5. Have you ever filed bankruptcy or been in default on any loans (including student loans)?

APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION:

FIRST YEAR JURIS DOCTOR LAW STUDENT APPLICATION

We welcome your interest in Michigan State University College of Law (MSU Law). Applicants must have earned a bachelor?s degree or be participating in an approved 3+3 pathway program to qualify for enrollment in the first-year Juris Doctor program. You may apply prior to completing your bachelor's degree. All applicants must take a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and must register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).

MSU Law considers numerous factors in the admission process, including demonstrated academic success, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and the applicant's examples of written expression. Importantly, MSU Law bases its decision on all materials submitted on behalf of each applicant. Our holistic review recognizes the whole student, and we seek individuals who will positively contribute to the MSU Law community and to the legal profession, based on their unique personal and professional experiences, and any challenges or obstacles overcome.

Please provide complete information for each question in the spaces provided. Please answer all questions fully and accurately. You may attach additional pages (as an upload in the Supplemental Addenda section) to complete or elaborate on this information.

Required applications components:

Completed Application Form
LSAT Score
Transcripts: With Credential Assembly Service (CAS) registration through LSAC, you must provide an official copy of all transcript(s) to LSAC. You must earn a four-year undergraduate degree, or the foreign equivalent, from an accredited institution, prior to enrollment.
Letters of Recommendation (LOR): MSU Law requires two LOR's but will accept up to four. LOR's must be dated and signed. LOR's must be submitted through LSAC's LOR Service and should provide insight regarding an applicant's relevant skills and qualities. Letters from relatives are not permitted.
Résumé: MSU Law requires a one-page professional résumé. Legal experience is not required for application or admission. Do not include your photo.
Personal Statement: MSU Law requires that every applicant submit an original example of written expression. The purpose of this personal statement is to provide you with an opportunity to submit information that you deem important to your candidacy. You may wish to describe your experiences and interests, whether they be intellectual, personal and/or professional, and how you will be a contributing member of the MSU Law community and legal profession. Please try to limit your statement to two- or three double-spaced pages in 12-point font with one-inch margins.
Supplemental Addenda: Supplemental Addenda: If you wish, you may write additional essays to provide MSU Law with additional relevant information that you were not able to include in your personal statement. Please include the essay(s) with your application by electronically attaching it to your application before submission through LSAC. You may answer more than one essay topic if you choose. Please limit any supplemental essay(s) to one page, double-spaced and titled if appropriate.

Circumstances affecting your academic or standardized exam performance, including insight on how you have addressed and overcome these obstacles.
Detailed explanations for any "yes" answer in the Character and Fitness (C&F) section.
Describe a significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge.
What strength or quality do you possess that most people may not see or recognize?
What don't we see in your application file that you would like to share with MSU Law?

International Applicants: International Applicants: If English is not your first language, AND you have not earned a baccalaureate or graduate degree from a U.S. educational institution, your application must include a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 100 or higher or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 or higher. Additionally, if your post secondary work was completed outside of the U.S. or Canada, you must use the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service to evaluate your university transcript.
Application Fee: Application Fee: MSU Law requires an application fee of $60. If you are unable to submit this fee, you may request a fee waiver by contacting admiss@law.msu.edu before submitting your application through LSAC.

State Bar Application

Each jurisdiction has standards relating to character and fitness that aspiring attorneys must meet for 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. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.