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Requirements & Deadlines
At the UNM School of Law, applicants are required to apply through the Law School Admission Council’s (LSAC) online application service. It’s easy to set up your account and begin the application process.
Requirements
To apply to UNM School of Law applicants must
- Currently hold, or will have earned by the time of matriculation, a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent
- Have taken, or plan to take this admission cycle, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
- Submit all application materials (see application checklist below)
Application Timeline
| September 15 | Application becomes available through the LSAC |
| November through April | Applications reviewed by Admissions Committee |
| March 1 | First year application priority deadline* |
| May 1 | Applicants who meet the March 1 deadline will be notified of their admissions decision no later than May 1. |
| July 1 | Transfer and visiting application deadline |
Beginning late in the fall semester, the Admissions Office will assign completed applications to the Admissions Committee for review on a weekly basis. Once an application is complete it may take between three to four weeks for a decision and during peak times may take between six to eight weeks for a decision. All completed files submitted by the priority deadline will receive a decision no later than May 1. Applications will be postmarked on the day they are electronically submitted. No file is reviewed until it is completed.
*A substantial preference is given to those applications received early in the admissions cycle and by the March 1 deadline. This includes preference for being awarded scholarship funds. The earlier you apply, the better your chances of acceptance and receiving financial assistance from the Law School.
Application Checklist
- A completed application form submitted through LSAC.org
- Nonrefundable $50 application fee
- Personal Statement
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report
- An academic summary report
- LSAT score(s) and writing sample(s)
- All undergraduate, graduate, and law/professional transcripts
- Letters of recommendation
Application Details
Completed application form
Applicants are required to apply electronically through the LSAC. Once an application is submitted to UNM, no additional materials (other than an updated CAS file which can include any LSAT or transcript additions) can be processed via the electronic file.
Nonrefundable $50 application fee
Applicants can pay with a credit card through their LSAC account. If paying by check or money order, the application fee must be sent directly to UNM School of Law.
Applicants granted a LSAC fee waiver will have their fee automatically waived. See LSAC for more information on its fee waiver. If not eligible for a LSAC waiver, applicants can request a need-based waiver through the UNM School of Law.
The UNM School of Law does provide fee waivers to active duty military, veterans, AmeriCorps volunteers, Peace Corps volunteers, and Teach for America Corps members. To request a fee waiver as a current or former military member or a Corps member, please email the Office of Admissions to request a waiver. Proof of service is required.
Personal Statement
The personal statement is an opportunity for the Admissions Committee to get to know you beyond your academic record, as well showcase your ability to communicate effectively and concisely in writing. Each statement is unique and should address the following points:
- Your reasons for attending law school,
- Why you are planning to pursue a legal career, and
- Why you wish to study law at the University of New Mexico.
Areas that can demonstrate this include family background, obstacles you have overcome, educational, volunteer, and/or work experiences. Personal statements typically range between two to three double-spaced pages.
RésuméA résumé is a tool to provide an overview of your academic, work history, and volunteer history that both compliments and supports the other sections of the application. Include your educational background (honors, scholarships, extracurricular activities, etc.) work history, military service, public/community service, publications, foreign language proficiencies, and any other significant achievements and involvements.
Credential Assembly Services (CAS) Report
A completed CAS Report includes the following materials: Official LSAT scores, official transcripts from all colleges/universities you have attended, and your letters of recommendation. To register with LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS), please see the LSAC website for more information. Information on these requirements is listed below.
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
The LSAT is administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). The purpose of the LSAT is to test the skills necessary for success in the first year of law school. UNM Law strongly believes the LSAT is just one part of a holistic admission process that also considers the skills and lived experience of each candidate; however, your LSAT score is an important part of your application and you should prepare for it as such, including considering taking a prep course. While a low or high score is no guarantee of denial or acceptance, you can check to see what our medians were for the past year by visiting our Consumer Information page. If you take the LSAT and score much lower than our previous medians, you may want to consider retaking it.
You can register for the exam at the LSAC website. Tests are normally administered in July, September, November, January, March and June. We recommend you take the LSAT early in the admissions cycle for best consideration, including scholarship funds; however, UNM will accept a June test score. LSAT test scores are valid for five years.
Official College/University Transcripts
You must have a separate transcript sent to LSAC directly from each undergraduate and graduate institution you attended prior to applying to law school. Only official, sealed transcripts issued directly from your prior institution(s) to LSAC will be accepted.
Letter(s) of Recommendation
At least two letters of recommendation are required; however, up to two additional letters will be accepted. Overall, a recommendation letter should be from an individual in a position to make an academic and/or professional critical and informed appraisal of your qualifications.
- An academic letter should be from a professor who has personal knowledge of your academic work, preferably one who knew you in a seminar or small class.
- A professional letter can be from an employer or business associate that has personal knowledge of your work performance. Recommendations can also come from professionals in mentor or supervisory roles from community and/or volunteer experience.
Letters of recommendation must be current. The Office of Admissions will accept letters of recommendation that have been written within one year of the date of application. Recommendations that are older than one year old will not be accepted. Recommendations from family members or personal acquaintances are strongly discouraged.
Supplemental Addenda
Addendum
An applicant may wish to provide a supplemental addendum to provide further details regarding a part of his/her application or background that he/she feels would be helpful to the Admissions Committee as the review the applicant’s file.
Character & Fitness
Heritage Statement
Special Program Evaluations
Re-applicants
Individuals who previously applied to the law school, but did not attend (whether accepted or denied) must reapply. A re-applicant who has applied in the last year should provide the law school with:
- A new application
- A nonrefundable $50 application fee
- A new personal statement
- An updated resume
- A new CAS report, including:
- Official LSAT scores
- Official college/university transcripts from all prior institutions
- Two letters of recommendation
Dual Degree Candidates
Students must satisfy the admission and other academic requirements of both the law school and the graduate school. Separate applications must be made to each school. See the Dual Degree section on the law school website for additional information.
International Applicants
In addition to the standard application requirements listed above, international applicants must satisfy the following requirements in order to be eligible for admissions to the UNM School of Law.
- Have earned a degree that is equivalent to the United States bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Academic records will need to be evaluated by a credentialing service. All foreign transcripts sent to the LSAC will be processed through the JD Credential Service (JD CAS), an extension of the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). There is no additional fee for the JD CAS; it is included in the standard fee.
- Demonstrate proficiency in English. If English is not your first language or if English is not the official language spoken in your country, you must submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 600 on the paper-based test, 250 on the computer-based test, or 100 on the internet-based test. Please see TOEFL for more information.
- All international applicants will be required to submit documentation verifying adequate funding to meet study and living expenses while in the United States. An international applicant must provide proof of funding equivalent to at least one year’s cost of attendance for nonresident applicants (tuition + cost of living expenses).
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