Admissions

Apply Now

We are pleased that you have decided to apply to our law school. You can apply online or print a copy of our application packet. We encourage you to file your application as far in advance of the deadlines as possible. Our Admissions Committee reviews first-year applications beginning in November through April. First-year applications for Fall 2008 will be accepted beginning October 1, 2007. Please contact admissions 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. No additional fee is required. 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.

Printed Application and Letter of Recommendation (pdf files)

Application Requirements

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

  • take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) – UNM requires an LSAT score no more than 3 years old at the time of registration
  • subscribe to the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS)
  • have 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. The application fee is required of all applicants and is non-refundable. Checks should be made out to UNM School of Law. The fee may be waived in cases of extreme hardship. Interested applicants must request a fee waiver form from the Admissions Office. Individuals who have been granted an LSAT fee waiver will have their application fee waived upon the law school’s receipt of a copy of the LSAC waiver.
  • The personal statement is an important part of your application. It is an opportunity to highlight important information that may not be apparent in your application that might affect the Admission Committee’s decision. Consider including general autobiographical information (family history, educational experiences, work experiences, achievements, obstacles overcome, extracurricular activities) and your reasons for wanting to study law in New Mexico. The personal statement should be approximately three to five typed double-spaced pages.
  • One letter of recommendation is required to complete your application. Additional letters are optional. Letters may be submitted through LSAC or directly to the law school. Information on the LSAC Recommendation Service is outlined in the LSAT & LSDAS Information Book. A recommendation should be from a person in a position to make a critical and informed appraisal of your work in an academic or professional setting. If you are a recent graduate or are currently in school, it should be from an instructor who has personal knowledge of your academic work, preferably one who knew you in a seminar or small class. If you have been out of school for a significant length of time, you may substitute a letter from an employer or business associate who has personal knowledge of your work performance. Note: If you submit your letter(s) of recommendation to the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS), do not submit duplicates to the UNM School of Law Admissions Office.
  • LSDAS report (subscribe and pay for the correct number of reports)
  • LSAT (taken or registered for it)
  • Resume

Re-applicants

The law school retains application files for one year. 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 (unless using a letter previously submitted)
  • 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 receipt of first-year application form and $50 processing fee (or fee waiver).
  • March 16th – complete application file with personal statement, resume, LSDAS report, LSAT scores and letters of recommendation. No file is reviewed until it is complete.

A substantial preference is given to those applications received or postmarked by February 15 and completed by March 16.