J.D. Application Procedures
The JD application opens on www.lsac.org on October 1. An application is considered complete when the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid receives the
following
items postmarked no later than February 15*:
Application item descriptions are below. Please also be sure to review the J.D. Admissions Policies.
Application Item Descriptions
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Application - We strongly recommend
applicants access, complete, and submit the application form electronically
through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website at
www.lsac.org. Alternatively, applicants may submit their
applications directly to the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid. Please
click here for an
application form.
If the application is not submitted electronically, please send all application materials and application fee to:
University of Washington School of Law
Office of Admissions & Financial Aid
William H. Gates Hall, Box 353020
Seattle, WA 98195-3020
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Resumé - Please provide a résumé detailing any significant vocational, non-vocational, extracurricular or community activities, volunteer work, honors, awards, any service in the Armed Forces, job descriptions and major areas of responsibility along with dates of employment (mm/yyyy) and the number of hours per week devoted to such activities, publications, or other information that you believe the University of Washington School of Law should consider in evaluating your application. Also please include details as to any foreign language proficiencies you possess, including the level of ability with regard to speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing.
Your résumé may not exceed three (3) typewritten pages.
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Personal Statement - At the University of Washington School of Law, the primary goal of the admissions process is to enroll students who demonstrate outstanding academic and professional promise and whose background and experience will enhance the diversity of the student body, thereby enriching the law school education environment. An applicant will be regarded as potentially contributing to student diversity if his or her background or experience would not ordinarily be well represented in the student body. Applicants are invited to describe factors that indicate diversity and other aspects of their backgrounds that would benefit the diversity of the law school community.
Please limit your response to 700 words or less.
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$60 application fee - Checks should be made payable to the University of Washington School of Law. Be certain to write your Social Security or LSAC identification number on the check. Please note that if you are submitting your application through LSAC, the application fee will be collected at that time.
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Credential Assembly Service report - The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report will include: (1) the applicant's transcript(s) from each institution of higher education prior to obtaining your bachelor's degree; (2) Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score(s) and; (3)any letter(s) of recommendation. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that LSAC has received all necessary materials to complete the CAS file. You are advised to confirm that your CAS file is complete; LSAC will not send the law school a CAS report until then.
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Letter(s) of Recommendation/Evaluation(s) -
Letters of Recommendation and Evaluations are optional. If you intend to submit letters, we require that you use LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service and limit the number of recommendations to two (2) letters. Similarly, if you intend to submit evaluations, we require that you use LSAC's Evaluation Service and limit the number also to two (2) evaluations. Please note that the recommenders and the evaluators do not need to be the same individuals.
Letter(s) of Recommendations can in some cases have a significant effect on the admission decision. The strongest recommendations are those submitted by a professor who knows an applicant's work well and can give a well-substantiated assessment of their academic potential. For applicants who have been out of school for some time, professional recommendations are appropriate. On the other hand, LSAC's Evaluation Service includes ratings of thirty (30) individual attributes and skills in six (6) categories, including: intellectual skill; personal qualities; integrity and honesty; communication; task management; and working with others. The evaluations are an adjunct to letters of recommendation and will assist the admissions committee in assessing an applicant's candidacy for admission.
Note: all records become part of the official file. They will not be returned or duplicated.
* If you intend to apply for the Gates Public Service Law Scholarship, you must submit both your J.D. application AND your Gates Public Service Law Scholarship application by
JANUARY 15. There are no exceptions.