Application - The submitted application must be completed in full, with all required and any relevant optional questions answered in order to be considered. Failure to do so may delay the processing of your application. All applications MUST be submitted through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC).
Transcripts - Registration with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is required. After you register for the CAS, you must have a transcript sent to LSAC from each undergraduate, technical school, graduate, and law institution you have attended (as a matriculated or non-matriculated student), whether or not a degree was earned. This includes any dual credits earned in high school, college-level summer school, and all transfer credits, etc. This must also include an official transcript showing your grades and class standing at the end of the first year of law school. Either the transcript or required Letter of Good Standing must indicate your class rank or the reason that no rank is provided.
Letters of Recommendation - Applicants should use the Letter of Recommendation Service offered through CAS. Although Letters of Recommendation are not required, we strongly encourage at least one Letter of Recommendation, preferably from a professor at your current law school. Up to four letters will be considered. Note: Letters of recommendation are held in confidence. The submission of your application constitutes your waiver of any and all rights to review letters of recommendation retained by this law school. Letters are used for law admissions purposes only.
Letter of Good Standing - The appropriate Dean or Registar of the law school you are presently attending must send a letter to the Richmond Law Admissions Office stating that you are in good standing and eligible to continue your studies there. Letters of Good standing may be sent directly to the Admissions Office. Either the Letter of Good Standing or required transcript must indicate your class rank or the reason that no rank is provided.
Résumé - The résumé may be of any length and in any appropriate format for a professional résumé or CV. It should provide chronological information about your academic background, work experiences, extracurricular or charitable activities, publications, and accomplishments.
Personal Statement - The required personal statement should be approximately two pages in length and can address any topic you deem relevant that will provide additional insight into your experiences, qualifications, and interests. We encourage you to provide information about yourself otherwise not found in your application. We do not recommend explaining any legal or educational issues associated with your application here. If needed, please address these issues in an addendum. We do encourage addressing why you wish to transfer or visit. Please note that everything in your personal statementmust be entirely your own original work and may not be produced in any part with ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence or large language model system.
Optional Supplemental Statement - Recognizing that applicants may have more to share beyond their required personal statement and other contents of their application file, we offer this option to submit a supplemental statement. This statement is not required and no applicant will be penalized for choosing not to submit one.
Richmond Law believes that a legal education is more than just learning the law. Diverse life experiences, viewpoints, and values inside and outside of the classroom will enhance discussions, challenge students in their own perspective, and ultimately prepare them better for their legal career. Please consider sharing significant life experiences, challenges, perspectives, or identities that have shaped you as a person and may influence your contributions to our community and the legal profession.
Note that any written submissions must be entirely your own original work and may not be produced in any part with ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence or large language model system. If you choose to submit a supplemental statement, please include it in the appropriate "Attachments" section.
Addendum - An addendum must be submitted to address any legal, character and fitness, or educational issues associated with your application. If there are multiple issues, each should be addressed in its own addendum. Brief optional addenda may also be useful to explain LSAT score discrepancies, grade inconsistencies, gaps in work history, or to provide context for reviews on any topicyou feel is relevant to their decision. There is no required format.
Other Statements - Richmond Law considers whether a student comes from an underprivileged socioeconomic background, is a first-generation college student, has a disability, or is from a group underrepresented in the legal profession. We encourage any additional statements you wish to provide.
TOEFL Waiver for International Applicants - International applicants are expected to demonstrate fluency in the English language. Candidates for whom their native language is not English are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. All scores must be submitted through LSAC; paper copies of scores are not accepted.
International applicants who believe they are fluent in English or have completed their undergraduate (or other advanced degrees) at an institution where the primary language of instruction is English may request a waiver of the English language testing requirement. Applicants must submit a written statement indicating their level of proficiency and how they achieved it, i.e., either through school instruction or work experience in an English-speaking professional position.
GRE Takers - Applicants who were admitted to law school with a GRE score in lieu of the LSAT, must submit both their GRE score(s) and an explanation of why they took the GRE in place of the LSAT. Both total and individual scores must be reported.
Academic Course Descriptions - Transfer students must submit an official course description for all law courses that you have completed or will complete prior to enrolling at the University of Richmond School of Law. These course descriptions are required to have your first year law transcript assessed for transfer credit. They will be used in determining which course credits will transfer in and which degree requirements have been met. This will help you and your academic advisors plan your 2L course schedule.
