Saint Louis University

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Application requirements

Recommendations

2 to 4

Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle

In addition to the 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. The American Bar Association Standards require law schools to advise each applicant that state bar requirements deal with the character and fitness of an applicant at the time he/she/they seek certification to register for the respective state bar examinations. The American Bar Association Standards further allow the law school to seek information on character and fitness to ensure that appropriate law school requirements are met. Acceptance by the School of Law does not guarantee certification by the state bar examiners. Many state bars expect a candidate to reveal knowledge of all criminal incidents or disciplinary charges, even if expunged, sealed or otherwise. If you are concerned about any facts that may affect your eligibility to practice law, you should discuss the matter with the Board of Bar Examiners or the appropriate committee on character and fitness in the state in which you expect to practice. Please answer each of the following questions by checking "Yes" or "No." If your answer to any question is "Yes," you must submit a full statement of the relevant facts on additional pages stapled to this form or on an electronic attachment. In answering the following questions, full disclosure is required. You must disclose each instance even if charges were not brought against you or were dismissed, you were acquitted, you received a suspended imposition of sentence, the conviction was stayed or vacated, or the record was sealed or expunged, and regardless of whether you have been advised by any source, including an attorney, that you have no record or that you need not disclose the incident. No statute, court order or legal proceeding withholding adjudication; expunging or sealing any record; or dismissing, vacating, or setting aside any arrest, charge, or conviction shall excuse less than full disclosure of the incident. You also have an ongoing obligation to report any conduct that would require you to answer yes to any of the questions in this section during the pendency of your application. If an offer of admission is extended to you, the obligation to report conduct applicable to the questions in this section continues up to and through your graduation from the Saint Louis University School of Law. Failure to abide by these disclosure requirements may lead to disciplinary action up to and including revocation of your offer of admission, exclusion from law school, or denial in the application to take a state bar exam. The School of Law reserves the right to any and all disciplinary action(s) it sees fit. I understand and agree to the instructions for completing this section.

2. Have you ever been suspended, placed on probation, expelled, warned, reprimanded, or disciplined formally or informally for any academic or non-academic reason at any institution of higher education?

3. Have you ever been issued a summons, cited, charged, taken into custody, or arrested for a felony, whether or not the charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor or other lesser charge?

4. Have you ever been taken into custody, issued a summons, charged, arrested, or cited for driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving with an unlawful blood alcohol level, minor in possession (MIP), public intoxication, or for any other alcohol or controlled substance-related offense?

5. Have you ever been convicted, cited, arrested, charged, summoned or taken into custody for the violation of any law? (Please exclude incidents listed in 3 & 4 above and also exclude minor traffic or parking violations wherein the fine did not exceed $250.)

6. Have you ever been a party to any criminal or noncriminal legal proceeding, including but not limited to any civil, administrative, family court, commitment, or domestic abuse proceeding, or any arbitration? (Please exclude incidents listed in 3, 4, & 5 above).

7. As a holder of public office, or as a member of any profession (including those you have/had a license for), have you ever been suspended, censured, reprimanded, subject to discipline, or allowed to resign in lieu of discipline; or have you ever been the subject of any formal or informal charges, complaints, or grievances concerning your conduct, including any now pending? Disclose all matters, even if the outcome was favorable, it was dismissed, no discipline was imposed, discipline was stayed or held in abeyance subject to a diversion or other agreement, or it is deemed confidential or closed.

8. Have you ever been delinquent by more than 90 days on any student loan obligations?

9. Has any business entity that you owned, managed, or participated in the control or management of been charged with fraud, larceny, embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, misrepresentation, or similar misconduct, in any civil, criminal, or administrative legal proceeding?

Saint Louis University School of Law J.D Application Instructions

The application process for the J.D. program at Saint Louis University School of Law (SLU LAW) is outlined below. SLU LAW offers full-time, part-time day, or part-time evening options for our J.D. program, as well as a 2-year J.D. option for Foreign Lawyers qualified to practice law in their home country. Please select the program(s) that you wish to be considered for while completing this application.

The use of generative artificial intelligence systems (ChatGPT or other AI systems) on any part of your application file is strictly prohibited. SLU LAW collects demographic information from its applicants to comply with the institutional reporting requirements of the ABA, AALS, and other accrediting bodies. Your demographic responses will not be available, viewed, or considered by our Admissions Committee during the review of your application. If you have a question regarding the admission process or need an accommodation, we encourage you to contact the Admission Office by email at admissions@law.slu.edu or by phone at 314-977-2800.

Admission Requirements

A bachelor's degree from a Department of Education accredited institution is required. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis by the Admission Committee as authorized by ABA Accreditation Standards Section 502(C), but are extremely rare.
Registration for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service (LOR).
- No application is complete without test scores and transcript analysis from LSAC's CAS.
- It is highly recommended that applicants take the LSAT in the summer or fall prior to the year they wish to enter law school.
- The School of Law will only consider LSAT scores earned within the last three years.
- All undergraduate and graduate transcripts must be forwarded directly to the CAS. The School of Law requests the CAS Law School Report upon receipt of the application.

Application Checklist

An applicant's file is complete when the School has received:

A completed Saint Louis University School of Law application via LSAC, including:
- Full and complete responses to all required Electronic Application questions,
- Personal statement,
- Supplemental Essay (optional),
- Résumé,
- Addenda (optional), and
- Summer Institute Conditional Acceptance Statement (if applicable).
A complete Credential Assembly Service Law School Report (CAS), including:
- At least two (2) letters of recommendation (maximum of four will be accepted),
- Valid LSAT score earned within the last three years of administration cycles;
- Official transcripts from every higher education institution that you've previously attended (including dual credit courses), and
- Official TOEFL or IELTS Score Report (if applicable).

There is no set order in which application documents should be submitted. However, the application must be received by the Office of Admission before an applicant's LSAC CAS report can be requested. Files are not reviewed until all required application materials have been received.

Submission Guidelines

The application process begins September 1.
The Admission Committee begins reviewing completed applications in October, and the first round of admission decisions are typically released via email in November.
SLU LAW makes admission and scholarship decisions on a rolling basis, so it is to your advantage to complete your application as early as possible in our application cycle.
All applicants are encouraged to submit their full and complete applications by our priority deadline of February 1 to be considered for all existing scholarship opportunities.
- No applications completed after February 1 will be nominated for 1843 Full-Tuition Scholarship consideration.
Summer Institute Conditional Acceptance applicants are highly encouraged to submit full and complete applications (including the additional Summer Institute Statement) prior to February 15 to be considered for this competitive program (limited to 10-15 participants).
International applicants are encouraged to submit full and complete applications prior to February 15th to ensure adequate time for visa processing, if admitted.
The majority of our admission decisions will be made by April 1; however, we will accept applications until our cycle ends in late July.

Admission Determination

The mission of Saint Louis University School of Law is to advance the understanding and the development of law and prepare students to achieve professional success and personal satisfaction through leadership and service to others. The School of Law is guided by the Jesuit tradition of academic excellence, freedom of inquiry and respect for individual differences. Always guided by our mission, the Admission Committee conducts a holistic and thorough review of each application and considers several factors in determining a candidate's eligibility: academic achievement, strength of the undergraduate program, Law School Admission Test (LSAT) results (placing substantial weight on an individual's highest score), personal statement, shared stories of lived experience, work experience, graduate degrees earned, motivation, leadership, and service.

The Personal Statement

Used as a way for students to set themselves apart, the personal statement is an important part of the application process. With the additional information provided in the statement, the Admission Committee looks beyond LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA in order to gain insight into a student's life experiences, individual character, and writing ability. As such, information regarding personal or professional goals, academic, career and life experiences is helpful. Attention is given to brevity and clarity of thought and expression. Please limit the personal statement to two pages or less.

Please note: The use of generative artificial intelligence systems (ChatGPT or other generative AI systems) is strictly prohibited. Saint Louis University School of Law is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and fairness in our admissions process. Our decision to disallow the use of ChatGPT or other generative AI systems is a testament to our dedication to maintaining an environment that values human authenticity, promotes an individual's shared life experience, and supports equal opportunities for all applicants. We firmly believe that the exclusion of generative AI technology in our admissions applications will contribute to a more meaningful and equitable assessment process, ultimately leading to the selection of well qualified, inclusive, and talented student body.

Supplemental Essay (optional) -

We invite you to provide additional information and insight into your desire to pursue your J.D. degree by submitting a supplemental essay based on one of the prompts listed below. Please limit any supplemental essay submitted to 2 pages or less and label with the appropriate prompt title: Diversity, Growth, or Service.

**Diversity** - SLU LAW understands that our lived experiences help to shape our character and serve to strengthen our perseverance, resilience, courage, and empathy. Describe how your lived experiences, culture, and character will help to enrich the broader law school community. What have you learned from your experiences and/or cultural challenges and how have they shaped your desire to go to law school and/or join the legal profession?

**Growth** - Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth, led to you changing your opinion on something meaningful, and/or a new understanding of yourself or others.

**Service** - Our mission is to advance the understanding and development of law and prepare students to achieve professional success and personal satisfaction through leadership and service to others. Following these ideals, describe a challenge you see in the legal world and what you would hope to do as a lawyer to address that challenge.

Letters of Recommendation

Saint Louis University School of Law requires applicants to utilize the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. A minimum of two letters is required. Students should request letters from individuals who can accurately assess their intellectual ability, motivation, character and academic performance. Your recommender will receive an email requesting that they complete and upload a letter for you.* Great importance is placed on content that verifies the qualifications of the applicant. Please note: A maximum of four letters of recommendation will be accepted, but review of an application will commence after two letters are received. Please be sure to assign the letters of recommendation to SLU LAW in order for LSAC to send them to us. You must assign your letters of recommendation to SLU LAW through the LSAC website.

*If your recommender prefers, LSAC also accepts paper letters of recommendation.

Law School Admission Council
662 Penn Street
PO Box 8508
Newtown PA 18940-8508
Phone: 215-968-1001

Summer Institute Conditional Acceptance Program

The School of Law seeks to admit students who will contribute to the intellectual life of the institution in ways that their undergraduate grades and standardized test scores alone fail to reveal. The Summer Institute is designed to identify students with the high degree of personal motivation necessary to succeed in law school, as evidenced by their proven ability to overcome significant obstacles to educational achievement. Students invited to participate in the Summer Institute are not guaranteed admission into the School of Law. Students attend this SLU LAW program for seven weeks in the summer (late May- early July) and take both a substantive legal course and a legal skills course.

Applicants who are invited to participate in the Summer Institute Program must demonstrate through their performance in the two Summer Institute law classes that they have the requisite skills necessary to be successful at SLU LAW as evaluated by the two SLU LAW faculty teaching the courses. If successful, students will be accepted into the School of Law for the fall semester. Enrollment in the Summer Institute is limited to a maximum of 15 participants. In the past, anywhere from 1/3 to 2/3 of the Summer Institute class successfully completed the program and were admitted to SLU LAW.

Students applying for the Summer Institute are strongly encouraged to complete their application and submit all required materials, including the additional Summer Institute Essay, prior to February 15. No application for the Summer Institute Conditional Acceptance Program will be considered complete without this additional statement. For more information, go to http://www.slu.edu/law/admissions/summer-institute.php .

Transfer Students

Transfer students must produce evidence of satisfactory study in an ABA-approved law school and be eligible to continue at the school from which the transfer is sought. SLU LAW accepts a maximum of 30 credit hours from transfer applicants. For more information, go to http://www.slu.edu/law/admissions/transfer-students.php .

Visiting Students

Visiting status is granted to a limited number of students who wish to complete a semester or a year of law study at Saint Louis University and receive their degree from another law school. For more information, go to http://www.slu.edu/law/admissions/visiting-students.php .

International Applicants

Applicants with undergraduate degrees from institutions outside the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). TOEFL or IELTS scores are also required for J.D. admission. If the language of instruction in the applicant's first degree program was other than English, the School of Law must receive an applicant's official TOEFL or IELTS score report before evaluation of the application will begin. The School of Law requires that foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Transcripts of any postsecondary work (greater than one academic year) completed outside the United States (including its territories) or Canada must be submitted to this service for evaluation.

SLU LAW offers a 2 Year J.D. for Foreign Lawyers. Lawyers who hold a first degree in law from a university or law school outside of the United States that qualifies the applicant for bar admission in their home country are eligible to apply. Applicants must complete an application for admission to the J.D. program and submit all supporting documentation required. Credit will be granted only for courses completed at the applicant's undergraduate law school with a grade of B- or above and that are similar to courses offered at Saint Louis University School of Law. For more information, go to http://www.slu.edu/law/international/academic-programs/twoyear-jd.php . Be sure to mark where indicated on our application that you are applying for the Foreign Lawyer - 2 year J.D.

LL.M. Applications

Saint Louis University offers two LL.M. programs with separate requirements and applications than the J.D. application.

For information about the LL.M. application for foreign lawyers go to http://www.slu.edu/law/international/academic-programs/llm-foreignlawyers.php . If you are applying for the 2 year J.D. for Foreign Lawyers, see the information above under "International Applicants."

For information about the LL.M. in health law, go to http://www.slu.edu/law/health/academic-programs/llm.php .