Admissions

Apply Now

We are pleased you have decided to apply to the UNM School of Law and encourage you to file your application as far in advance of the deadlines as possible. First-year applications for Fall 2010 will be accepted beginning September 15, 2009. Our Admissions Committee will review first-year applications from November through April. Please contact admissions@law.unm.edu if you have any questions about the process.

Apply Online

You may apply online to the UNM School of Law using the Law School Admission Council's application website. It is not necessary to complete the electronic form all at once; you may save a partly completed application and return to it later. Please contact LSAC at 215-968-1393 for technical support.

Application Requirements

Applicants for admission to the School of Law are required to:

  • Complete the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). UNM requires an LSAT score no more than three years old at the time of registration;
  • Subscribe to the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS);
  • Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university before the time of registration.

Beginning law students matriculate in the fall semester only. A limited number of students will be admitted into the first-year Flexible-Time Legal Education Program (FTLEP). An applicant’s file is complete when we have received the items listed in the application checklist.

Application Checklist

  • Completed application form
  • The $50 application fee must accompany your application. This fee is non-refundable and is required of all applicants, unless the following waiver requirements are met. Checks should be made out to UNM School of Law. If you have been granted an LSAC fee waiver, your UNM application fee will be automatically waived. Further information on an LSAC fee waiver, including a fee waiver application form, may be found on the LSAC website. If you have not been granted an LSAC fee waiver, you will need to submit a UNM School of Law Application Fee Waiver Form. Please be sure to complete all sections. Items left blank will result in an incomplete and unprocessed form. UNM School of Law fee waivers are based on financial need.
  • The personal statement is an important part of your application. It is an opportunity to highlight important information that may not be apparent in the rest of your application and, specifically, provides an opportunity for the Admissions Committee to get to know you beyond your academic record. It also allows you to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively and concisely through your writing. Consider including general autobiographical information (family background; obstacles you have overcome whether social, economic or otherwise; educational and/or work experiences; extra-curricular activities; particular achievements). You may also want to address your reasons for wanting to study law at the University of New Mexico. This statement should be within the range of three-to-five double-spaced pages, although there is no minimum or maximum length.
  • At least one signed letter of recommendation from someone 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 someone who knew you in a seminar or small class. A professional recommendation should be from an employer or business associate with personal knowledge of your work performance. Recommendations can also come from professionals in mentor or supervisory roles from community and volunteer experience. We prefer to receive all letters through the LSDAS Letter of Recommendation Service; however, you can submit them directly to the UNM School of Law.
  • LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS) Law School Report
    You must register for this assembly service in addition to registering for the LSAT.
  • LSAT
    We recommend you take the test no later than December, however, we will accept a February test score.
  • Resume

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 form;
  • The $50 application fee;
  • At least one letter of recommendation;
  • A new personal statement;
  • A new LSDAS report;
  • A resume.

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.

International Students

To be eligible for admission to the UNM School of Law, international applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Have earned a degree that is equivalent to the United States bachelor's degree. Your 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 Assembly Service (JD CAS), an extension of the LSDAS for foreign-educated applicants. There is no additional fee for the JD CAS, it is included in the standard LSDAS fee. For further information, see JD CAS.
  • 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.
  • Complete and return the UNM Certification of Financial Responsibility form along with required supporting documentation. In order to obtain a visa to study in the United States, international students entering the University of New Mexico School of Law must be prepared to fund all of their educational and living expenses. Prospective law students must provide verification of approximately $33,290 (U.S.), and spouses will need $5,000 and each dependant child $2,500 for each year while in the United States.

Deadlines

  • February 15th — Priority deadline for:
    First-year application form
    Application fee
  • March 16th — Priority deadline for completing application file
    Personal Statement
    Resume
    Law School Report
    LSAT score(s)
    Letter(s) of recommendation

A substantial preference is given to those applications received by February 15 and completed by March 16. No file is reviewed until it is complete. All applicants will receive a decision in the mail no later than May 1.

Character and Fitness Evaluation

Applicants who intend to practice law should be aware that admission to the bar in all states involves character, fitness and other qualifications. Applicants are encouraged to determine what those requirements are in the state(s) in which they intend to practice by consulting the website of the National Conference of Bar Examiners.