Admissions Application Procedure

1.  Application for Admission

A completed Application for Admission must be accompanied by a $20.00 nonrefundable application fee. The application must be completed in full and signed. Completed applications will be considered on a rolling basis beginning in late October, 2012. The deadline for submission of a completed application is May 1, 2013. Applications received or completed after this date will be considered only under extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

FIU Law only accepts applications submitted via LSAC.

• LSAC Online Services – Visit www.LSAC.org and create an account. Follow the links to retrieve our application from the list of all ABA accredited law schools. Supplemental documents may be attached to your LSAC application. If you need to submit additional electronic documentation after submitting your application, you may do so by e-mailing them to lawadmit@fiu.edu. For questions or problems with your account please contact LSAC via e-mail at LSACinfo@LSAC.org or call (215) 968-1001.

2. Admissions Test Scores (LSAT)

All applicants seeking admission to FIU Law must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Please contact LSAC at Law School Admission Council, Box 2000, Newtown, PA 18940-0998, telephone number (215) 968-1001 or visit their website at www.LSAC.org to obtain a registration packet. FIU Law will not accept LSAT scores earned prior to June 2007. Students must sit for the LSAT no later than February 2013 for Fall 2013 application consideration.

3. Official Transcripts

Official transcript from each undergraduate, graduate and professional school you attended must be sent directly to LSAC. All candidates must have been awarded a baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year institution prior to enrollment at FIU Law. Prior to matriculation, admitted students must request that their undergraduate, graduate and professional schools submit a final official transcript to FIU Law’s Director of Admissions.

4. Academic Honors, Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience

Applicants have the option of submitting a resume/curriculum vitae in lieu of completing Parts C and D of the application. Your resume/curriculum vitae should include examples of professional, academic, civic and extracurricular accomplishments (e.g. employment history, honors and awards, community service, extracurricular activities, foreign language proficiencies, military service, etc.).

5. Recommendations

Two letters of recommendation are required. For current college students or recent graduates at least one letter must be an academic recommendation. Letters of recommendation should attest to the applicant’s character and preparedness for law school. FIU Law prefers that all letters of recommendation be submitted through LSAC.

6. Personal Statement

The Admissions Committee requires a personal statement. In no more than three typed, double-spaced pages, please discuss your reasons for pursuing a legal education and your goals or future plans upon graduation. You may discuss any obstacles that you have overcome (for example, English is not your native language, discrimination, economic or family hardship, severe medical condition, etc.).

Interviews

Interviews are not required for admission consideration and will not be factored into the Admissions Committee’s final decision regarding your application. However, FIU Law encourages you to visit our community. Individual appointments and group informational sessions are scheduled throughout the year. Please contact Alma Miro, Director of Admissions at (305) 348-8006.

Transfer Students

Students attending an ABA accredited law school may apply for transfer to FIU Law if they are in good standing at their current institutions and their academic rank (if applicable) is in the upper-third of their first-year class. Transfer credit will not be awarded for correspondence courses or for work not done in residence at an ABA accredited law school.

Click here for more information about transferring to FIU Law.

International Candidates

Foreign transcripts must be submitted to a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or to the Credential Assembly Service of the Law School Admission Council for transcript authentication and evaluation. To view a list of NACES approved agencies visit www.NACES.org or call the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at (305)-348-8006. For the Credential Assembly Service of the Law School Admission Council visit http://www.LSAC.org/jd/apply/cas.asp.

Candidates for whom English is not their first language must take the Test of English as a Foreign language. Information on the TOEFL may be found at www.ets.org/toefl.Scores must be sent directly to the FIU College of law Office of Admissions. (Candidates who receive a 156 LSAT score or better may request a waiver of the TOEFL examination from the Office of Admissions.)

Note: No transfer credit will be granted for previously completed coursework.

JD for foreign lawyers: JD with advanced standing

FIU Law offers the possibility of advanced standing for students who already hold a first degree in law from a country outside the United States. The JD with advanced standing program permits students to obtain credit for legal studies they have done elsewhere in the world. Students may receive up to 30 hours of credit towards the JD for prior legal studies in another country.

Students may also receive credit towards the JD for coursework done while completing a graduate degree in law, such as an LLM here in the United States at an ABA accredited law school. The total amount of credit towards the JD is assessed on an individual basis.

Additional information on foreign lawyers requesting advanced standing is available here.

Residency Classification

This section must be completed in full if you claim Florida residency for tuition purposes. If you have any questions about the form or its contents please contact the Office of Admissions at (305)-348-8006.

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid contact information:

Florida International University
College of Law Office of Admissions, RDB 1055
Miami, FL 33199