West Virginia University

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Application requirements

Deadline

Jul 15, 2026

Application fee

$50.00

Recommendations

2 to 4

Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle

Introduction

The West Virginia University College of Law (WVU Law) admits new Juris Doctor (JD) students for the fall term only and begins accepting applications on September 15th for next year's entering class. Given WVU Law's rolling processes for both admissions and scholarship, the Enrollment Management Committee recommends that prospective students consider applying early in the admissions cycle.

Standards for Admission

The Enrollment Management Committee evaluates applicants in a holistic manner and considers an array of factors including, but not limited to, the following: academic achievement and potential; undergraduate and graduate coursework; demonstrated leadership skills; community involvement; overcoming adversity; work and life experiences; and a specific interest in the study and practice of law. When completing this application, students are encouraged to consider how they may address the factors listed above. While it is not necessary to address each item in your application, many of our most competitive applicants highlight the factors they believe are the strongest, address a specific interest in the study and practice of law, and indicate how WVU Law will assist them in achieving their personal and professional goals.

Application Dates

The application for admission for Fall 2026 opens on September 15, 2025. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on July 15, 2026. All supporting documents (i.e., letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, etc.) must be on file by July 22, 2026, to be considered for admission for Fall 2026.

Because WVU Law uses a rolling process for both admissions and scholarship, applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible beginning September 15th.

Applicant Fee

The fee for applying to WVU Law is $50 US. This fee is non-refundable and must be paid by credit card when submitting the application.

Reapplicants

Applicants who applied to WVU Law in a previous admissions cycle are encouraged to update their materials accordingly. At minimum, the Enrollment Management Committee requests that reapplicants update their application form, personal statement, resume, and provide their most recent academic documents. Letters of recommendation may be reused from previous applications, but the Enrollment Management Committee suggests that reapplicants provide a further letter from a recommender who can provide insight on the reapplicant's work since the time of the original application. Reapplicants must also disclose any updated information related to the Character and Fitness section.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Application Materials

Applicants are permitted to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with proofreading their written work (e.g., for grammar, spelling, or clarity). However, the use of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or similar platforms, to draft, compose, or substantially write any portion of the applicant's application materials is prohibited.

All submitted materials must reflect the applicant's original thoughts, experiences, and voice. The use of generative AI in a manner that misrepresents the applicant's writing will be considered a violation of the certification found at the end of the application form and will result in the applicant's denial of admission to WVU Law.

Application Materials

A completed application is comprised of the following required documents:

Application form
Personal statement
Resume
Two letters of recommendation
LSAT and/or GRE
Transcripts
LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) law school report
Character and Fitness information
English language proficiency requirement (see below for applicability)

The following are optional or may be requested of a candidate by the Enrollment Management Committee:

"Why WVU Law?" Statement
Lived Experiences and Perspectives Statement
Addendum

Required Documents

Personal Statement

The Enrollment Management Committee gives considerable emphasis in its evaluation to the personal statement. The personal statement should provide the Enrollment Management Committee with insights about the applicant and the applicant's interest in pursuing both a legal education and career. The most effective personal statements also typically provide further insight into the applicant's personality, background, professional interests, or matters that are not fully present in other parts of the application.

Resume

An applicant's resume should highlight their educational, professional, leadership, and service experiences. The applicant may also wish to highlight honors, awards, or special skills. There is no page limit for the resume, but 2 pages is typical.

Letters of Recommendation

The Enrollment Management Committee requires applicants to submit 2 letters of recommendation from non-personal connections. However, applicants may submit up to 4 letters of recommendation if desired.

The 2 required letters of recommendation should come from individuals who can evaluate the applicant's candidacy both in terms of academic skills as well as personal qualities. At least 1 letter of recommendation should come from an individual who instructed the applicant in either an undergraduate or graduate course. The Enrollment Management Committee recognizes that some applicants, especially those who received their bachelor's degree a number of years ago, may have difficulty meeting this request. In such cases, letters from employers, supervisors or others who have worked closely with the applicant are acceptable substitutes.

Applicants are required to use the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service that is part of the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). LSAC will include these letters with the CAS Report. Please note, LSAC will not release the CAS Report until 2 letters of recommendation have been submitted. LSAC will send further CAS Reports if additional recommenders submit letters at a later time.

Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and/or Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Applicants must report all valid LSAT scores taken between June 2020 and the present, and all valid GRE scores taken between July 2021 and the present.

LSAT Scores: LSAC will provide all LSAT score reports through the CAS Report.
GRE Scores: Applicants who have taken the GRE must send their official score reports directly to WVU Law through ETS. The Designation Institution Code (DI Code) for WVU Law is 3926.

Future test registrations:

If an applicant has registered for a future LSAT, LSAC will notify the Enrollment Management Office. The Enrollment Management Committee will hold off on evaluating the applicant's file until the results of that future LSAT are received, unless the applicant specifies otherwise.
Applicants planning to take a future GRE must indicate this on the Standardized Testing section of the application. As with the LSAT, the Enrollment Management Committee will delay evaluating the applicant's file until the future GRE results are received unless the applicant specifies otherwise.

Transcripts

The Enrollment Management Committee considers not only the applicant's overall grades but also their coursework, major(s), minor(s), and concentration(s).

Please note, LSAC will standardize an applicant's undergraduate GPA per their regulations. The LSAC-calculated GPA will include all coursework completed towards the applicant's initial bachelor's degree. Applicants must submit all post-secondary transcripts to LSAC so they can be included in the CAS Report.

While neither coursework for subsequent bachelor's degrees nor for advanced degrees is factored into the LSAC-calculated GPA, the Enrollment Management Committee takes this further academic work into consideration as part of its evaluation.

The Enrollment Management Committee strongly encourages students who are applying during their senior year of college or final year of graduate school to provide updated transcripts to LSAC at the completion of each subsequent academic semester or quarter. LSAC will send updated CAS Reports upon receipt of such transcripts.

Students may address any concerns regarding their coursework or grades in the Addendum section of the application.

LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Law School Report

WVU Law requires applicants to register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). An applicant's CAS Report will include their LSAT score(s), LSAT writing section(s), all post-secondary transcripts, and letters of recommendation.

Please note, LSAC charges a one-time registration fee of $215 for this service and an additional $45 for each law school to which the applicant applies. Applicants may find more information regarding the CAS Report on LSAC's website.

Applicants should not send LSAT score reports, transcripts, or letters of recommendation directly to WVU Law unless specifically requested by the Enrollment Management Office.

Character and Fitness Information

If an applicant answers "Yes" to any of the Character and Fitness questions on this application, the applicant must provide a full explanation of the circumstances involved and the resolution to the situation(s) in question. This explanation should be provided in a Character and Fitness Addendum.

Applicants are required to continually update their Character and Fitness responses throughout the application process as well as post-enrollment at WVU Law. To that end:

If a student applies to WVU Law and - prior to admission or enrollment at WVU Law - later engages in an action that would have led the student to answer "Yes" to any of the Character and Fitness questions, the student must immediately notify the Enrollment Management Office regarding the incident. Please send updates to wvulaw.admissions@mail.wvu.edu, subject line "Character and Fitness Update."
If a student applies to WVU Law and - after admission and enrollment at WVU Law - later engages in an action that would have led the student to answer "Yes" to any of the Character and Fitness questions, the student must immediately notify WVU Law Academic Program Coordinator, Theresa Lubich, regarding the incident. Please send updates to theresa.lubich@mail.wvu.edu, subject line "Character and Fitness Update."

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.

English Language Proficiency Requirement

Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must demonstrate English language proficiency unless they have earned a postsecondary degree (e.g., B.A., M.A., MBA, Ph.D., LLB, etc.) from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction.

English proficiency can be demonstrated by achieving the minimum score on one of the following exams:

TOEFL iBT (Home Edition accepted): 79
Academic IELTS: 6.5
TOEFL Essentials: 9.0
Duolingo English Test: 105
PTE Academic: 53

If you have received a postsecondary degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction, you may request a waiver from this requirement by contacting the Enrollment Management Office at wvulaw.admissions@mail.wvu.edu, subject line "English Language Proficiency Waiver Request."

WVU Law does not accept expired scores, scores that cannot be verified, General IELTS, or institutional TOEFLs (TOEFL ITP). Official score reports should be sent to the Enrollment Management Office at wvulaw.admissions@mail.wvu.edu.

Optional Documents

"Why WVU Law?" Statement

Applicants may use the optional "Why WVU Law?" Statement as an opportunity to express a specific interest in WVU Law. Applicants may also wish to address how their background, experiences, personal character, and/or career aspirations align with the legal education that WVU Law provides and how WVU Law can assist them with both their professional and personal formation.

Lived Experiences and Perspectives Statement

Law schools benefit from enrolling students with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that shape how they view the world, approach challenges, and contribute to the academic community. Applicants may use the optional Lived Experiences and Perspectives Statement to share how their personal journey, including any formative experiences, obstacles overcome, distinctive viewpoints, or unique paths to the study of law, might allow them to offer a valuable and original perspective to the entering class.

Addendum

If there is any additional information the applicant believes would help the Enrollment Management Committee better understand their application, the applicant is welcome to provide that information in an addendum. Common examples of content shared in an addendum include explanations for academic performance or standardized test scores, clarifications about items listed on the applicant's resume, or details regarding the applicant's eligibility for military education benefits.

Scholarship Consideration

Every applicant admitted to WVU Law is automatically considered for a scholarship. WVU Law does not require a separate application for scholarship consideration. Funds are awarded on a rolling basis. The Enrollment Management Committee encourage students to apply early in the admissions cycle to maximize their potential for a scholarship offer.

Students are also encouraged to research and apply for outside scholarships that may provide further assistance. WVU Law maintains a database of external scholarships on its website here.

Loan Assistance

In order to qualify for Federal loan programs, applicants must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). WVU's School Code is 003827. WVU's financial aid office, called the WVU Hub, requests that applicants submit their FAFSA by March 1st.

Questions?

Please contact the Enrollment Management Office at wvulaw.admissions@mail.wvu.edu or (304) 293-5304 with any questions. You can also find more information about WVU Law at law.wvu.edu.

WVU Non-Discrimination Statement

The WVU Non-Discrimination Statement can be found on the WVU Division of Campus Engagement and Compliance website here.