• Prospective Students
• Academics
• J.D. application process
  • Apply now
  • J.D. Admissions Recruiting Calendar
• LL.M. Program
• Transfer & Visiting Students
• Ph.D. in Law and Economics
• Costs & Financial Assistance
• Joint Degree Programs
• Campus Life
• About the Faculty
• About the School
• Class of 2015 profile
• J.D. class statistics
• Employment Summary Prior to 2011
• Office of Student Affairs
• Visiting VLS
• Consumer Information

• Apply Now
• Make a Gift

J.D. application process

Application Process

You may request a 2013 VLS Viewbook be mailed to you, or review / print the PDF version.

• Register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) , if you have not done so already. Applicants must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You will need your registration "L number" to complete your application and to request an interview.
• Applicants must hold (or expect to hold) a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• All international applicants must register with the LSAC J.D. Credential Assembly Service, and some international applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, see below) 
• The application fee is $50 an should be paid online using a credit card when you submit your application. If you have received an application fee waiver from VLS or LSAC has provided you a need-based waiver, the VLS application fee will be waived automatically when you submit your application.
• We encourage all applicants to schedule an admission interview as a component of the application (see below)
• Apply online between September 1 and April 1.

LSAT and J.D. Credential Assembly Service.  All applicants must take the LSAT and register with the J.D. Credential Assembly Service (CAS) through the Law School Admission Council. You must provide a copy of official college transcripts from each college and university you have attended to the CAS. The CAS report sent to law schools will include photocopies of your transcripts, your LSAT score(s), your LSAT writing sample, a transcript analysis and other information helpful to readers of your application.

Two letters of recommendation. You must submit at least two letters of recommendation. Letters should be from members of the faculty of your undergraduate or graduate school, preferably faculty members who served as your advisers on research projects or who taught you in more than one course. If you have been recently employed full-time or serving in the military, you may submit letters from the persons best able to comment on your performance. If you have been out of school for several years, you may submit letters from employers if academic recommendations are not available. We recommend that  your letters be submitted through the CAS letter of recommendation service, although your recommenders may send their letters directly to the Admissions Office if they prefer.  

Personal statement. Please provide a personal statement, presenting yourself to the Admissions Committee. The application forms provide additional guidance for your statement. We also welcome a diversity statement or other supplemental statement you believe will be helpful to readers of your application.

JD Financial Aid Statement. Required of all applicants. Please complete this form as indicated.

Admission Interview Program for J.D. Applicants: More information promotes better decisions both for law schools and for law students. That's why we encourage all applicants to schedule an in-person interview as part of the application process. More than 700 VLS alumni interview applicants in 37 states, D.C., and 12 foreign locations, and VLS admissions officers interview applicants at dozens of scheduled events on university campuses and in major cities from coast to coast. Visit Virtual VLS for more information and to schedule an interview; interview requests must be made by December 1. Complete the Admission Interview form in the application to inform us of your interview status at the time you apply..

International Students. If you completed a bachelor’s degree at  an institution outside the United States (including its territories) and/or Canada, in addition to providing the materials listed above, you must also take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) unless the language of instruction at the foreign institution conferring your bachelor’s degree is English. Please request that ETS send your TOEFL score directly to LSAC for inclusion with your CAS report, using code 0058.

Application for Law Scholars Merit Awards. (optional) Law Scholars Merit Awards

Application fee. $50 (non-refundable). If you apply online, you must pay the fee with a credit card. If you have received a need-based fee waiver through LSAC or a VLS fee waiver, your Vanderbilt application fee will be automatically waived when you apply online.

Selection Process

We make decisions on individual applications as quickly as possible, although the time required may vary from case to case. We evaluate each application thoroughly, reflecting our belief that the quality of the educational environment at Vanderbilt Law School benefits from considering a range of information far broader than your GPA and LSAT score.

A rolling selection process allows for extending the time frame of consideration where appropriate, ensuring that each application receives the individual attention it deserves and allowing us to make careful comparisons of applications completed at different times. The rolling process also means that applicants who take the December or February LSAT are not disadvantaged.
 

Questions? Contact the Admissions Office

615-322-6452  |  admissions@law.vanderbilt.edu