LAW
Admission
Admission to the College of Law is very competitive. The College seeks to enroll a class of approximately 150 students reflecting diverse talents and experiences each fall. For the Fall 1994 entering class, 2,444 candidates applied for admission, 399 candidates were admitted and 151 students enrolled. The median LSAT for the 1994 first-year class was a 162 (approximately the 89th percentile) and the median undergraduate grade-point average was 3.34. Applicants for admission to the College of Law must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. The College of Law does not favor particular undergraduate majors or institutions. Instead, applicants are urged to pursue a rigorous educational experience in a diverse, balanced curriculum, to read extensively and to develop strong analytical and writing skills. Admission is based on the applicant's prior academic achievement, aptitude for the study of law as indicated by the score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), personal statement and references.
Admission Process
Applicants are initially evaluated according to personal statements, references and a formula that combines the candidate's undergraduate grade-point average and score on the LSAT. Many admittees are selected from the pool of applicants based primarily upon the quality of their undergraduate academic performance and LSAT scores.
The balance of the entering class will be chosen by the evaluation of the Admissions Committee from a group of exceptional candidates whose backgrounds and academic records demonstrate achievement, and who promise to make a significant contribution to the legal educational process, the legal profession and the community. We believe that diverse experiences, ideas and goals are essential to a vital educational process and a dynamic legal profession. In addition to academic records and test scores, the Committee looks to other factors in the assessment of applicants, including colleges or universities attended, course of study, grade trends, graduate study, significant or extracurricular activities, unique educational or occupational experiences, involvement in community affairs, substantial community service, race and ethnicity, economic or cultural background, participation in pre-law school programs (e.g., CLEO) and any other factors that may justifiably be relied upon in appraising the qualifications of applicants for success in law school and contribution to the legal profession. In making the selections, the Committee considers the individual strengths and characteristics of each applicant and the entire file submitted by each applicant in the context of the applicant pool for each year.
Application Procedure
First-year students are admitted only for the Fall semester. Under very special circumstances, offers of admission can be deferred one year at the discretion of the Assistant Dean for Admissions. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications after Oct. 1 of the year prior to anticipated enrollment.
All application materials, including the LSDAS report, must be delivered to the Admissions Office or postmarked no later than March 1 of the year of expected enrollment.
1. To complete an application file, a candidate for admission must submit:
A. Application for admission.
B. Personal statement (See item 2 below).
C. Self-addressed, stamped postcards.
D. LSDAS report sent to the College directly by Law Services (See item 4 below).
E. Domicile Affidavit.
F. Two letters of recommendation (See item 5 below).
G. A nonrefundable $35 application processing fee. (Only checks or money orders payable to the University of Arizona College of Law are acceptable.)
2. The College of Law is particularly interested in students who, by virtue of their background and experience, will bring diverse interests and perspectives to the student body. The principal vehicle for describing those varied educational, life and work experiences is through the personal statement, which is required as part of the application. A candidate's personal statement should be a typed, concise and well-drafted document of two to three pages. It should demonstrate the candidate's writing ability and highlight the candidate's unique characteristics and personal qualities, including educational and work experiences, talents and special interests, cultural and economic background, in-volvement in community affairs and public service or any events or circumstances that have helped shape the applicant's life or given it direction.
3. All candidates must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), which is given at centers in the United States several times a year. Information about the test can be obtained by writing Law School Admission Services (LSAS), Box 2000, Newtown, PA 18940-0998 or by contacting the nearest law school or prelaw advisor. In order to meet the March 1 deadline for complete applications, candidates must take the test no later than the December administration of the year prior to anticipated enrollment. Scores for the February test (of the year of anticipated enrollment) will arrive after the deadline.
An applicant may take the LSAT more than once; however, the scores usually will be averaged for use in the initial evaluation formula. LSAT scores earned prior to June 1991 will not be accepted for Fall 1995 enrollment and thereafter. If candidates have questions about whether to re-take the LSAT, contact the Admissions Office.
4. All applicants must register for a Law School Data Assembly Service Report (LSDAS). LSDAS reports are produced only for candidates who are registered with and have paid all fees to LSDAS. All candidates must sign the LSDAS "Authorization to Release Education Records, Agreement to Conditions, Signature" section. Please refer to the current LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book.
It is important to recognize that considerable lead time is required for the LSDAS process. To ensure timely completion of applications, we recommend that candidates register with LSDAS and submit transcripts from each undergraduate institution attended to LSDAS prior to January 1. Students should provide to LSDAS transcripts of any coursework completed after the initial submission to LSDAS. It is wise to keep receipts for transcripts and LSDAS services as evidence of compliance with deadlines.
Graduate transcripts should also be sent to LSDAS. Graduate grades will not be analyzed on the report but the transcripts will be attached to the back of the report.
5. The College of Law requires that applicants submit two letters of recommendation. Candidates are encouraged to provide two strong, substantive letters from undergraduate or graduate faculty under whom they have studied or others qualified to address the candidate's analytical abilities, writing skills, unique talents and personal qualities. Candidates are urged to send letters in separate sealed envelopes with their applications, to facilitate proper filing. Letters sent directly to the College of Law should be sent to the Assistant Dean for Admissions.
Applicants Who Have Previously Applied To This Law School
Applicants who have been admitted or denied in previous years must file a new application, personal statement, references, domicile affidavit, self-addressed, stamped status card and a $35 application processing fee. Additionally, all such applicants must again register with LSDAS and have a new LSDAS report, with the entire undergraduate record, submitted to The University of Arizona. Previous applicants must comply with the deadlines stated above. Previous applicants are not required to re-take the LSAT, provided the LSAT meets the requirements of item 3 above. However, admission to the College of Law has become increasingly competitive in recent years. Applicants who have been denied admission and who choose to reapply are urged to consider retaking the LSAT, rather than relying on a score from an unsuccessful application.
Files containing prior applications, letters of recommendation and personal statements are retained by the Admissions Office for two years.
International Students
International students seeking admission to the College of Law must apply as first-year students, following the steps outlined in the section on Application Procedure, including taking the LSAT. There are no exceptions to these requirements.
LSDAS evaluates the transcripts from very few institutions outside the U.S. and Canada. Applicants who completed undergraduate or graduate work at institutions not evaluated by LSDAS must provide to the College of Law the following materials to facilitate the evaluation of their academic records:
1. An official transcript from the undergraduate or graduate institution(s), including final grades earned.
2. An explanation of the grading system reflected on the transcripts, descriptions of the courses taken, the nature and format of those courses, the number of class hours involved and any other pertinent information.
3. A detailed, written transcript analysis by an objective agency unaffiliated with the applicant.
4. A T.O.E.F.L. score from a test taken during the past year.
Deadline Summary
First-Year Applicants to J.D. Program
All application materials to the College of Law by March 1 of the year of expected enrollment.
LSAT: Candidates must take the test no later than December of the year prior to expected enrollment.
LSDAS: Advisory deadline of January 1, to have all transcripts to LSDAS.
Financial Aid Priority Processing Deadline: March 1 of the year of expected enrollment.
Transfer Applications
A limited number of second-year students who have done exceptional work at other law schools may be accepted as transfer students at The University of Arizona in either the fall or spring of their second year. Transfer applicants will not be accepted at midyear of the first year or for the third year. However, third-year students may apply as visiting students.
A transfer applicant must send the following items to the Admissions Office so that they are received no later than December 1, for applications for the Spring semester, and no later than July 15 for applications for the Fall semester:
1. A completed Application for Transfer Admission.
2. A Domicile Affidavit.
3. An official LSDAS report reflecting the entire undergraduate career and the LSAT score.
4. An official law school transcript, including grades and class rank received through the final semester of study.
5. A letter from the dean of the law school the applicant is currently attending stating that the student is in good standing and eligible to continue studies at that institution.
6. A nonrefundable $35 application processing fee. (Only checks or money orders, payable to The University of Arizona College of Law, are acceptable.)
Transfer admission is highly selective. Residents ranked below the top quartile of their class and nonresidents ranked below the top ten percent of their class usually will not be accepted as transfer students. Transfer admission is always contingent upon availability of space. No student who has been disqualified or placed on probation at another law school or who has failed to maintain at least a "C" average for all law work attempted will be considered for transfer to the College of Law.
Factors considered in the transfer admission process include: the nature of the law school attended, the quality of the candidate's performance as a first-year law student, the nature of the applicant's undergraduate record and LSAT score, the candidate's admissibility as a first-year applicant, the circumstances surrounding the request to transfer and letters of recommendation from law faculty with whom the applicant has studied.
Transfer students will not receive credit for work done at a law school that is not a member of the Association of American Law Schools or approved by the American Bar Association. To qualify for graduation, transfer students must do a minimum of three semesters of academic work, including their final two semesters' work, comprising at least 27 units of credit, in residence at the College of Law.
Visiting Applications
A very limited number of third-year students who have done well at other law schools and have a compelling reason to study at The University of Arizona may be accepted as visiting students in their third year of law study. It is the policy of the College to only admit visiting students during their third year of law school. As with transfer admission, visiting student status is selective and is always contingent upon the availability of space. A visiting applicant must send the following items to the Admissions Office so they they are received no later than December 1, for applications for the Spring semester, and no later than July 15, for applications for the Fall semester:
1. A completed application for Visiting Admission.
2. A Domicile Affidavit.
3. An official LSDAS report reflecting the entire undergraduate career and the LSAT score.
4. An official law school transcript including grades and class rank received through the final semester of study.
5. A letter from the dean of the law school the applicant is currently attending indicating that the student is in good standing and eligible to continue studies at that institution. In addition, the letter must also grant permission for the student to enroll at The University of Arizona College of Law and must state any conditions upon the units the student's degree-granting law school has agreed to accept.
6. A nonrefundable $35 application processing fee. (Only checks and money orders, payable to The University of Arizona College of Law, are acceptable.)
Honor Code
The College of Law has a strict Honor Code that governs student conduct. The College of Law Honor Code applies to all elements of life at the College, including the admissions process. Omissions of fact, misrepresentation or false statements may be the basis of denial or revocation of an offer of admission.
Character and Fitness
Applicants who intend to practice law should be aware that bar admission in all states involves consideration of a bar applicant's character and moral fitness for the practice of law. Applicants should acquaint themselves with the bar admission requirements of the states in which they intend to practice.
Nondegree Students
SPECIAL STUDENTS-A limited number of students without the qualifications required of candidates for the law degree may, at the discretion of the Dean, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or other designate of the Dean, be allowed to audit a course or a limited number of courses as Special Students. Applicants must have experience and educational background that indicate a strong probability that they will be successful in law study. They must also demonstrate a special need for legal training. The discretion of the Dean or Associate Dean to permit special students to audit a course is limited to people within the University community (faculty, staff, graduate students) and members of the legal profession (lawyers and judges). If permission is granted to anyone within these designated groups, then the auditing process is administered by the College of Law Registrar's Office. Students who anticipate the possibility of applying or enrolling as a full-time student at some point in the future should not seek Special Student status. The purpose of Special Student status is to meet a specific educational or work-related need, not to provide a prelaw experience.
STUDENTS FROM OTHER COLLEGES-Graduate students participating in a graduate degree program, with the written approval of their advisors and Dean of the Graduate College, may register for a limited number of courses in the College of Law. Students desiring to do so will be required to obtain the approval of the instructor and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the College of Law.
Special students and students from other colleges studying at the College of Law are not degree candidates, and are not eligible for the bar examination in Arizona. In addition, law courses taken as a nondegree student cannot be used as credit toward a law degree should an individual apply, be admitted and enroll subsequently at the College of Law.
Inquiries regarding admission should be addressed to:
The Assistant Dean for Admissions
College of Law
The University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721
(520) 621-3477
LL.M. PROGRAM
The University of Arizona College of Law is now offering a program leading to the degree of master of laws in international trade law. The LL.M. program, approved by the American Bar Association and the Arizona Board of Regents, enrolled its first ten students - law graduates from the United States, Mexico, Spain and Germany - in August 1994.
The one-year, full-time program, offered in coordination with the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, is designed to provide candidates with the theoretical and practical knowledge required to understand current developments in the areas of international trade and commercial law, particularly with regard to Western Hemisphere free trade and economic integration. LL.M. candidates will complete a minimum of 24 credit hours for the degree. The curriculum includes "core" courses such as international trade and investment law, international commercial law and international litigation, as well as related general courses such as corporate law, securities law, administrative law, antitrust law and the Uniform Commercial Code.
All LL.M. candidates must be J.D. graduates of an ABA approved law school in the United States, or demonstrate equivalent academic credentials from an accredited foreign law school. Candidates should have a strong academic record, experience or interest in international law, and fluency in English as well as Spanish or Portuguese.
Additional information may be obtained by writing to:
David A. Gantz,
Director of Graduate Studies
University of Arizona College of Law
1201 E. Speedway Blvd.