Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

J.D. Admission Requirements: UH Law Center


UH Law Center  > J.D. Admission Requirements: UH Law Center

 

All required application documents and materials must be submitted through the Law School Admission Council Credential Assembly Service.  To register for the service, go to www.lsac.org. Visit http://www.law.uh.edu/admissions/ for specific instructions. The following should be submitted:

  • Completed application form;
  • Personal Statement (no longer than 3 pages, double-spaced);
  • Resume
  • Immigration Documents (for international applicants requiring a student visa).
  • Recent LSAT score;
  • Transcripts for all colleges and universities attended;
  • At least 2 letters of recommendation (but not more than 3)

JD Admissions Criteria

Qualifications for JD enrollment are based upon factors relevant to the legal profession and to enrolling a diverse student body with a variety of perspectives, experiences, and viewpoints that will enhance the educational experience of all students.  Demonstrated academic ability as demonstrated by undergraduate grade point average and LSAT scores are important criteria for admission. However, it is university policy, consistent with Texas statutes, that no single criterion can be utilized as the sole determiner of admission status, nor can fixed weights be applied to anyone criterion during the admission process; therefore, the personal statement, letters of recommendation, resume, and optional statements are extremely important in the decision-making process. All files receive a full-file review, and consideration is given to many factors. Additional factors include, without limitation, the applicant’s background; race and ethnicity; honors and achievements; service to others; communication skills; talents relevant to the practice of law; hardships overcome; advanced degrees; work experience; leadership; and other relevant factors.

The Law Center enrolls first-year full-time (day) and part-time (evening) students beginning in August.  The application deadline for full-time is February 15, and for part-time May 15.  To ensure your application receives consideration, files should be complete by March 15 for full-time and June 15 for part-time.  Since a rolling admission process is used, there is more availability earlier in the process.  Decisions will be mailed by mid-May for full-time and early July for part-time.

Early Decision

If you are applying for early decision, the application deadline is November 15.  Your file must be complete by December 15.  Decisions will be mailed by mid-February for those applicants whose files were completed by December 15.  If your file is completed after December 15, you will be considered during regular admission.

It is the University policy, consistent with State of Texas statutes, that no single criterion can be utilized as the sole determiner of admission status nor can fixed weights be applied to any one criterion.  Demonstrated academic ability and strong LSAT scores are not the only criteria for admission.  Consideration is also given to your background, race and ethnicity, achievements, honors, extracurricular activities, service to others, unique abilities, hardships overcome, advanced degrees, employment, and leadership.  These and other elements may be addressed in a personal statement of up to three pages double-spaced.  For more information contact:

University of Houston Law Center
Office of Admissions
4604 Calhoun Rd.
Houston, Texas  77204-6060
(713) 743-2280
Visit our Law Center website
E-mail: lawadmissions@uh.edu

Requirements for Admission

To be eligible for admission, you must have completed a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent from an accredited college or university prior to enrollment.  You must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), which is administered four times a year throughout the country.  The Law Center requires each applicant to register with LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS).  Information and registration materials for the LSAT and CAS are available online at http://www.lsac.org.

Your application to the UH Law Center must include the following items, which should be submitted electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) web page or at the Law Center Admissions page.

  1. Completed application form;
  2. Non-refundable $70 application fee;
  3. Personal Statement (no longer than 3 pages, double-spaced);
  4. Resume;
  5. Immigration Documents (for international applicants requiring a student visa);

    Your application file must also include a complete CAS report, which must include:
  6. Recent LSAT score;
  7. Transcripts for all colleges and universities attended;
  8. At least two letters of recommendation (but not more than 3).

Only one application is accepted per year.

University of Houston Undergraduate Students - Effective Fall 2021

Pursuant to ABA Standard 503 and Interpretation 503-3, the University of Houston Law Center may admit up to 10% of its J.D. class from undergraduate students matriculated at the University of Houston main campus without an applicant LSAT score provided that (1) the student has scored at or above the 85th percentile on the ACT or SAT and (2) the student has achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or above through six terms of academic work.

Residency

State law limits nonresident enrollment to 35 percent of our student body.  If you have resided and been gainfully employed in the state of Texas for 12 months prior to the time of enrollment, you may be considered a Texas resident for tuition purposes.

Foreign nationals who hold F-1 or any other temporary visas are considered nonresidents and are required to pay the non-resident/foreign tuition charges.  Students accepted as nonresidents will usually be classified as such for the duration of their study at the Law Center.  Any questions on residency classification should be directed to the Office of Admissions (713) 743-1010 in the Welcome Center or you may submit your questions to residency@uh.edu.

Applicants with Undergraduate Degrees Earned Outside the U.S.

The University of Houston Law Center requires foreign-educated applicants to the JD program to submit their foreign transcripts through the Law School Admissions Council Credential Assembly Service (CAS).  This service is included in the CAS subscription fee.  If you completed any postsecondary work outside the U.S. (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts.  A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your CAS report.  TOEFL scores should also be submitted to the CAS by the Educational Testing Service (ETS); LSAC’s TOEFL code for the CAS is 0058.  Your score will be included in your CAS law school report.

To use the LSAC Credential Assembly Service, log into your LSAC online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service.  Be sure to print out a Transcript Request form for each institution and send it promptly to them.  More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts.  Questions about the CAS should be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001, or LSACINFO@LSAC.ORG.

Students who received their undergraduate degree from a country where English is not the official language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  Applicants from Canada and other countries where English is the official language are exempt from the TOEFL and IELTS.

Any student who is not a U.S. citizen and holds a temporary visa is classified as an international student by the UH Law Center.  In addition to meeting standard admissions requirements, these applicants must submit the following:

  • Students who have earned their degree from a non-English speaking country are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam.  For the TOEFL exam, you must submit an official report of a score of 600 or higher on the paper-based exam, or 100 on the Internet-based exam.  For the IELTS, you must submit an official report of a score of 7.0 or higher;
  • Non-U.S. citizens must include a copy of immigration documents when submitting an application;
  • Letter of Financial Backing *(U.S. citizens and permanent residents are exempt);
  • Statement of Understanding *;
  • Non-refundable $75 processing fee made payable to the University of Houston.

*Available via the Law Center Admissions page.

Applicants with a foreign law degree may petition for credit toward their JD after they have completed the first-year curriculum.  The Associate Dean for Student Affairs has the sole discretion to credit up to 30 credit hours.

Tuition and Fees

The course load for the first year of law school is 31 credit hours full-time and 27 credit hours part-time.

Tuition and fee charges are set by the Texas legislature and the University of Houston System Board of Regents and are subject to change without notice. For most up to date information regarding tuition, please visit http://www.law.uh.edu/admissions/tuition.asp.

Advanced Standing, Transfer and Visiting Applicants

If you have attended another ABA-accredited law school, you may apply for admission with advanced standing.  Factors used in the evaluation include available space in the student body, academic performance at the current law school, pre-law school academic performance and compelling circumstances.

Admission to the upper-division is very competitive and first consideration is given to applicants who have performed extremely well in their law school careers.

A complete application package submitted for consideration must contain:

  • Completed application form;
  • Non-refundable application fee of $70;
  • Official law school transcript (reflecting entire first-year grades);
  • CAS report (sent directly from LSAC);
  • Letter from your law school attesting to your good standing and class rank (reflecting entire first-year grades);
  • Statement of reasons for transfer/visit;
  • Letter of Permission (visiting applicants only).

Visiting and Transfer application deadlines are subject to change.  Please visit the Law Center Admissions page for the most up-to-date deadlines.

Transfers

Transfer applicants must have completed the equivalent of the first year of law school and all or most of the Law Center’s first-year required courses (Torts, Property, Contracts, Criminal Law, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Statutory Interpretation and Regulation, and Lawyering Skill and Strategies).  Transfer applicants may have a maximum of 30 graded credit hours of law credit with a ‘C’ or better, transferable only from a school accredited by the ABA.  Only those credits that contribute to J.D. degree requirements at the Law Center will be transferable, regardless of the grade earned.  Only the hours and not the grades will be noted on the UH transcript.

Visiting

Students in good standing at another ABA-accredited law school may apply to the Law Center with the intention of applying the earned credits toward degree requirements at the home school.  In addition to the requirements listed above, visiting candidates must submit a letter from the home school stating that credits earned at the Law Center will be accepted toward degree requirements and stating any other conditions, if applicable.

Visiting students are not allowed to register for first-year courses and are allowed to register only after all Law Center students have completed their registration.  Therefore, when requesting course approval from the home school, you should always include alternate selections.  Visiting students must arrange their financial aid through their home school via a consortium agreement.