Pre-Legal Training
The faculty of the LSU Law Center does not require nor recommend that a prospective student pursue a “pre-law” or “pre-professional” program of general studies.
Nevertheless, the following guidelines are issued to assist those students contemplating enrollment at the LSU Law Center:
- It is better for a student to master one or two fields in depth (as in the traditional major/minor approach) than to concentrate in lower level survey courses.
- It is important that a student undertake studies that involve substantial writing and research components.
- It is advisable that a student undertake course work that emphasizes logic, analysis and the thought process.
- It is not advisable to take any undergraduate law courses. While they may be of some value in indicating what the substantive rules are, they also run the risk of giving erroneous indications about the nature of law, law school methods, and coverage.
For additional information, please visit the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) website at www.lsac.org. This website will direct students to information on pre-law preparation, applying to law schools, and the study of law, together with individualized information on most American law schools.
Regular Admission
Admission to the Law Center is competitive. Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). LSAT scores must have been received within 5 years of the date of your application.
The Law Center believes that its educational mission is enhanced by the quality of the intellectual community and experiences of its student body. In order to foster this environment and achieve its educational mission, the Law Center believes that substantial educational benefits can be achieved through an exceptionally academically qualified and broadly diverse student body drawn from a rich cross section of backgrounds, talents, experiences, and perspectives from the State, the nation, and jurisdictions that share our Civilian heritage.
The LSU Law Center’s Faculty Admissions & Scholarship Committee takes a holistic approach in reviewing applications for admission. While the undergraduate GPA and LSAT score(s) play an integral role in the decision-making process, the Admissions & Scholarship Committee encourages applicants to submit other information that would be of assistance in evaluating the applicant’s aptitude for the study of law, and likely contribution to the academic community life of the Law Center. A small sampling of such factors might illustrate the applicant’s:
- Academic performance and accomplishments;
- Evidence of significant leadership and/or public service;
- Professional and/or military service; and
- Cultural and/or experiential background.
Applicants must have good moral character. Good moral character includes honesty, trustworthiness and other traits relating to the role of a lawyer in society and the legal system.
Admission is contingent on the accuracy of information received. Failure to fully disclose information may result in the revocation of an admission offer or in disciplinary action by the Law Center or Bar disciplinary authorities.
Admission to the Louisiana State Bar has similar requirements. Different states may require character and fitness investigations prior to admission to the State Bar. Please contact the appropriate State Bar for information.
An applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit a score of at least 600 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), 250 on the computer-based TOEFL, and 100 on the internet-based TOEFL. This is a test designed to evaluate proficiency in English and is administered at testing centers overseas and throughout the United States.
Information regarding this test may be obtained by writing to TOEFL, Education Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey 08541.
Application Procedures
Admission Application – Students must apply online through www.lsac.org. Applications received on or before March 1 will receive priority consideration. Applications received after that date will be considered if there are remaining places in the first-year class. Applications received after that date will be considered on a space available basis.
Application Fee – A nonrefundable application fee of $50 must accompany the application.
Personal Statement – Each applicant is required to submit a personal statement. The personal statement provides an opportunity for the applicant to present his or her personal and educational background.
Resume - Each applicant must submit a resume.
Letters of Recommendation – Two letters of recommendation are required. However, the Law Center will accept up to three letters. The letters should be from teachers, employers, or others who have detailed knowledge of the applicant’s academic ability and aptitude for the study of law. Personal letters are not helpful to the Admissions Committee and should be avoided. The letters must be sent directly to the LSAC Law School Credential Assembly Service (LSAC CAS).
Test Scores – All applicants for admission are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). LSAT scores more than 5 years old at the time of application will not be considered for admission purposes. Information regarding the test along with information that will asssit in registering for the exam can be obtained from the LSAC website, (www.lsac.org) or by writing directly to Law School Admission Council, Box 2000, Newtown, PA 18940.
LSAC Credential Assembly Service – The Law Center participates in the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which greatly simplifies the application and admission procedures by providing uniform evaluation of pre-legal scholastic records.
Applicants must register directly with CAS. Registration forms and a bulletin of information may be obtained from LSAC, Box 200, Newton, Pennsylvania 18940 (www.lsac.org). After proper registration, a transcript from each college or university you attended must be sent directly to LSAC. A cumulative transcript from the last school attended will not suffice. If you are currently in school, an updated report should be sent when grades for the fall semester preceding the year of desired entry are available.
Final Transcripts – If accepted for admission, one copy of your final official academic records from every college or university attended must be forwarded directly to the LSU Law Center Office of Admissions and Student Records, LSU Law Center, no later than July 1.
Immunization Policy – If accepted for admission, a student must submit proof of immunizations to LSU prior to registration. See Immunization Policy Statement 72 herein.
The Law Center Office of Admissions and Student Records is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except during University holidays. Information concerning the various aspects of admission may be obtained during business hours, by phone: 578-8646; email: lawadmissions@lsu.edu, or at www.law.lsu.edu.
Transfer Admission
The LSU Law Center accepts transfer applications from students who have satisfactorily completed the first full year curriculum at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
A maximum of 32 credits may be accepted for transfer. Credit only (not grades) are transferable. Students can earn the award of transfer credit only for courses in which they earned a grade equal to or better than a “C”, a 2.0, or the equivalent of a “C”, or 2.0.
The Law Center reserves the right to refuse credit, in whole or in part, and to withdraw credit for previously completed courses.
Transfer applicants must present statements from the dean of all law schools attended certifying that the applicant is in good standing and eligible for continued enrollment at that school.
The following information must be submitted to be considered:
- A complete application and nonrefundable application fee of $50. The deadline dates to apply for admission are listed on the LSU Law website.
- A petition for transfer describing the reasons for applying for transfer. Applicants may wish to submit a personal resume in addition to their petition.
- Two letters of recommendation. Ideally these letters will be from law school professors who can attest to your ability to excel in law school.
- Official transcripts of all academic work (undergraduate, graduate, and law) sent directly to the Law Center.
- A current LSAT record and a copy of the CAS report is required.
- A letter of good standing must be submitted from each law school attended.
- A completed Proof of Immunization Form must be submitted before a student may register.
Admission of transfer students is a selective process. Final decisions are made by the Admissions & Scholarship Committee.
Prospective transfer students who are denied admission may consider applying as a non-matriculating student. Students are not admitted with advanced standing for the summer term.
LSU Law Center 3+3 Program
In collaboration with the LSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, and the LSU College of the Coast and Environment, the LSU Law Center offers a 3+3 program allowing students to receive their bachelor’s degree and law degree in six years. During the student’s junior year, students who meet the admission requirements of the Law Center are eligible to apply for admission. If admitted, students are eligible to begin study at the Law Center during their fourth year at LSU, during which completed coursework will count towards the final year of the undergraduate degree as well as the first year of the law degree.
In order to be eligible for admission to the Law Center under the 3+3 program, students must follow a prescribed curriculum to complete the bachelor’s degree and law degree within three years of full time study in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Manship School, or the College of the Coast and Environment and three years of full time study at the Law Center. In order to determine eligibility, students are encouraged to work with advisors in Humanities and Social Sciences, the Manship School, or the College of the Coast and Environment as early as possible in their undergraduate career. Students in HSS may contact prelaw@lsu.edu or 225-578-3141, students in the Manship Schools may contact masscomm@lsu.edu or 225-578-1899, and students in the College of the Coast and Environment may contact ttreloar@lsu.edu or 225-578-6824.
Non-Matriculating Admission (Visiting Students)
Students from other law schools who wish to apply to the Law Center as non-matriculating students must submit the following:
- A completed application and nonrefundable application fee of $50. The deadline dates to apply for admission are listed on the LSU Law website.
- A petition stating the reasons for requesting to visit the LSU Law Center. Applicants should indicate in their petition if they are applying for one or two semesters. A personal resume may be submitted.
- A letter from the dean of the law school currently attending certifying that the student has permission to attend as a non-matriculating student.
- A completed Proof of Immunization Form must be submitted before a student may register.
If the petition is granted with the stipulation that credit earned during this enrollment cannot be applied toward a degree from the Law Center in the event that a non-matriculating student later matriculates.
During residency at LSU, non-matriculating students from other schools are subject to all academic and disciplinary regulations of the Law Center. Students are specifically informed that exams will be graded and grades will be posted in the same manner and at the same time as LSU students. LSU faculty members are required to comply only with the Law Center’s grading deadlines. Students from other law schools are not eligible for financial aid through LSU.
Readmission
Any student who is not continuously enrolled in the Law Center (except for summer terms) must apply to reenter the Law Center. Law students applying for reentry are not guaranteed admission. Applicants who have not made satisfactory academic progress and/or do not show sufficient promise for success in the law curriculum may be denied permission to reenter.
Applicants must have good moral character, which includes characteristics and traits reflecting honesty and trustworthiness relating to the role of a lawyer in society and the legal profession.
The following materials must be submitted by the application deadline posted on the website to be considered for the fall semester:
- A complete application and nonrefundable application fee of $50.
- A petition for readmission must be submitted along with any additional supporting documents. Applicants may wish to submit a personal resume in addition to this information.
- Two letters of recommendation. We prefer that these letters be from individuals who can attest to your ability to enter a competitive professional program. Letters from employers are also acceptable.
- An official transcript of any work taken since last enrollment at the Law Center. Official transcripts must be sent directly to the Law Center.
- A completed Proof of Immunization Form must be submitted before a student may register.
The Admissions Committee meets periodically during the summer, depending upon the number of petitions to review, and applicants are usually notified by letter of their status by August 1.
Readmission after Academic Exclusion
Students who have been academically excluded may petition the Admissions Committee for readmission.
The deadline for applications and petitions for readmission in the fall semester is posted on the LSU Law website. The deadline for the spring and summer semesters is 45 calendar days prior to the beginning of that semester unless the academic dismissal first occurs within the 45-day time period. In the latter case, petitions must be submitted at least five calendar days prior to the beginning of the semester in which an applicant is seeking readmission. Petitions submitted after these deadlines are unlikely to receive a committee review. Students should be aware that immediate readmission is rarely granted.
While most students instinctively have a strong desire to start over without any delay, the Law Center strongly recommends that applicants for readmission wait at least one year before applying for readmission.
The committee will grant an exception only if there are strong reasons to do so.
Students are advised that, even after the one-year delay, readmission is never guaranteed. Each case is reviewed individually by the Admissions & Scholarship Committee.
Students who are permitted to reenter after exclusion for unsatisfactory academic performance, and who have not completed more than two semesters of study in the Law Center shall:
- forfeit all credits and quality points previously earned; all credits taken at an earlier date will be eliminated from computation of the grade-point average and cannot be applied toward the law degree. Such work will remain on the permanent academic records and transcripts, but will not be used in computation of the grade-point average.
- be placed on scholastic probation, and required to achieve an average of 2.0 or higher during each of the next two semesters and also a 2.0 in all substantive courses;
- be required to register for and complete all required first-year courses during each of the next two semesters, unless a lesser load is permitted by faculty action because of exceptional circumstances;
- be governed by the curriculum in effect at the time of reentry;
- be subject to the general University rules applicable to students who have been excluded twice for unsatisfactory work; and
- be subject to such conditions as may be established in a particular case by the Admissions Committee.
Any student who is, or is placed, on scholastic probation at the end of a semester or summer term and who fails to meet the conditions of probation or who fails to return to the Law Center in the next regular semester is ineligible to return to the Law Center unless permission therefore is granted by the Admissions & Scholarship Committee on the written petition of the student, under such conditions as the faculty may impose.
Summer-Only Admission
A student in good standing, enrolled in a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, who wishes to receive academic credit from the LSU Law Center, and who plans to return to his or her law school for the fall semester, may be admitted as a non-matriculating student for the summer term. This admission will terminate at the end of the summer term.
The following information must be submitted to be considered:
- A complete application with a nonrefundable $50 application fee. The deadline to apply for summer only admission is posted on the LSU Law website.
- A letter of good academic standing from the law school attending.
- A completed Proof of Immunization Form must be submitted before a student may register.
Summer Study in France — University of Lyon
The Law Center conducts a summer program in France at the University of Lyon III School of Law, Lyon, France.
Lyon, France’s second largest city, is located in the center of the country and boasts a population of more than 1 million. The university campus stretches throughout the city, and the main law school building is located on the banks of Rhone River just across from the city’s financial district. The law faculty is renowned for its leadership and initiative in comparative legal education and research.
The program attracts many internationally distinguished professors and lecturers. All classes are in English and are designed to meet the requirements of the ABA and AALS.
Resident Status
A student’s state residency status will be determined based on LSU System regulations and evidence provided on the admission application along with any related documents provided.
Regulations are based primarily on location of a student’s home and place of employment.
In accordance with PM-31, a resident student for tuition purposes is defined as one who:
- has abandoned all prior domiciles
- has been domiciled in the state of Louisiana continuously for at least one full year (365 days) immediately preceding the first day of class for the academic term in which residency classification is sought
- has not been enrolled in a Louisiana institution of higher learning, except through a program providing dual secondary and postsecondary education credit
Individuals living within Louisiana for one year must prove there was intent to maintain a residence in the state. Residing in Louisiana solely for educational purposes without evidence of the intent to remain in Louisiana will not be sufficient for classification as a resident, regardless of the length of time within the state. Owning property and paying property taxes in the State of Louisiana is not sufficient evidence to claim residency.
Special provisions have been made for adults moving to Louisiana for employment purposes, military personnel stationed in Louisiana, and international students with immigrant visas. An international student on an F1 student visa is classified as a nonresident.
Resident classification and all fees are audited and adjusted, if necessary, after each registration.
Certification of Selective Service Compliance
All persons who are required to register for the federal draft under the federal Military Selective Service Act shall be required to certify that they have registered with the Selective Service prior to enrollment.
Students who need to register with the Selective Service System can do so using the Internet at www.sss.gov . All questions regarding compliance should be directed to the Office of Admissions and Student Records at 225-578-8646.
Veterans’ Benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs, located in Pleasant Hall as part of Financial Aid and Scholarships, assists students who qualify for various Veterans Affairs educational benefits, Louisiana National Guard, or Dependents’ State Aid exemptions. Students should contact the Office of Veterans Affairs to request processing of enrollment certifications for each term they will receive the benefit.
More information is available at the Office of Veterans Affairs website: www.lsu.edu/vetaffairs.
Law Study for International Students
The close similarity in origin, development, and methodology of the private law of Louisiana to that of continental Europe, Quebec, Latin America, and a number of African and Asian countries makes LSU a natural choice for students desiring to study the law of civil law jurisdictions, whether they intend to practice in a civil law, common law, or mixed jurisdiction, or to be active in the international legal scene.
The LSU Law Center is the only law school in the United States with fully developed programs in both common and civil law. Our exceptional faculty is comprised of noted scholars and outstanding legal professionals. The faculty’s depth of knowledge of both the common and civil law provides students with one of the most thorough and profound Comparative Law programs available.
International Exchange Program
Each year the Law Center may accept international exchange students from its partner schools throughout the world. These students must apply for admission to the Law Center and pay the application fee of $50. All international exchange admissions are governed by the Exchange Agreement in effect between the Law Center and the partner school at the time of admission.
Students interested in participating in the Exchange Program should contact the program coordinator at their home university.
For additional information, contact:
LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center
Office of International Programs
Suite W326
1 East Campus Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
International Programs staff may be contacted by telephone at 225-578- 7831 or 225-578-1126, or by email at llmadmissions@lsu.edu.
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