JD Application and Information
Applying to the Law School
Applicants are required to submit an application online. You may apply on-line at Click Here to Apply to Howard University School of Law as a JD
Please note that this link is for JD applicants only. If you want to apply as a JD/MBA, Visitor, Transfer or LLM applicant, please select the appropriate link under the “Prospective Student” section of the website.
PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE PAGE BEFORE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION.
Required Documents
Application
An application must be COMPLETED by FEBRUARY 28. The Admissions Committee no longer uses a rolling admissions system. Completed application files are considered beginning in November, and candidates are notified in either December or March. Accordingly, as an applicant, you are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible.
Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
Howard University requires a score from Law School Admission Counsel's (LSAC) Law School Admission Test (LSAT) for every applicant. The latest test you should take to apply for an active admissions cycle is the last test date before the deadline. Currently, Howard Law does not accept the GRE as a substitute for the LSAT. However, if you have a GRE score available that you would like considered, you may forward the score to Howard.
Personal Statement
Your personal statement assists the Admissions Committee in selecting a diverse entering class of students. It is also used to assess each applicant’s written English skills. The personal statement provides applicants with an opportunity to describe the uniqueness of his or her character, abilities, and experience and to assist us in getting to know and understand you as a person. You should discuss those aspects of your background, experience, talents, achievements, and interests that you believe would be important for us to know. Applicants are encouraged to write about issues of diversity, academic history, community service activities, and professional experience. Personal statements should also detail the applicant’s interest in Howard’s Law School and how attending Howard will allow you to realize your dreams and aspirations. Your personal statement should be typed, double-spaced, and no longer than three pages. Your statement must be submitted with the application.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Howard University requires two letters of recommendation in addition to the College Certification. For applicants who are currently matriculating or who have recently graduated, we prefer that faculty members submit both letters. If you are currently working on a full-time basis, letters from professional colleagues, employers, supervisors, or co-workers are acceptable. The letters should address your academic potential and your character. We will only accept letters that are submitted through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which serves all member schools. This service is included in your CAS registration subscription.
Resume
We require an up-to-date history of all of your employment since high school graduation, including summer or military positions. Please include the dates of your employment. If a period of time has elapsed since your graduation from college, please account for your activities from graduation to present, even if you have not been employed full-time.
Transcripts
We require a copy of your Transcripts from the CAS report that is submitted via the LSAC.org website.
Required Material from Foreign Educated Students
Howard University School of Law requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service ("CAS"). If you completed any postsecondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the CAS subscription fee. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your CAS report. If we determine that you need to submit a TOEFL score, you must contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC’s TOEFL code for the JD Credential Assembly Service is 0058. Your score will be included in the Foreign Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your CAS law school report.
To use the JD CAS, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts.
Questions about the JD Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001, or LSACINFO@LSAC.org.
Qualifications beyond Completion of Law School to Practice Law in the United States
In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.” http://www.ncbex.org/
Transfer Students Application and Information
Fall semester transfer deadline MAY 15th.
Each academic year a limited number of spaces are available to students seeking to transfer from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), are in good academic standing, and have at least a 3.0 law school grade point average. A student may transfer a maximum of 30 credit hours toward the Howard law degree.
In evaluating a transfer application, we consider the quality of performance as reflected by the law school transcript.
All students seeking transfer to Howard from another ABA accredited law school must have the dean of their law school send a letter of “good standing” and class rank. A decision will not be made on a students file until all grades have been submitted to HUSL.
Applicants may submit an application online. You may apply on-line at:
Click Here to Apply to Howard University School of Law as a Transfer Applicant
Requirements for the Program
- Required Documentation
- Completed, signed, and dated application
- Personal statement
- $60 nonrefundable application fee – check or money order payable to Howard University School of Law
- Current Resume
- Official law school transcript(s) forwarded by the Office of the Registrar
- Copy of CAS report (sent via LSAC)
- Letter of good standing and class rank forwarded by the Office of the Dean
Visiting Student Application and Information
Fall and Summer semesters visiting application deadline MARCH 15
Spring semester visiting application deadline NOVEMBER 1st
Students from ABA-approved law schools can attend Howard University School of Law for one semester or one academic school year. Visiting student status is granted on the basis of the applicant’s law school performance at their home institution and the availability of space in the requested courses at Howard.
Due to the short period of time that a visiting student is in residence at Howard, participation in the On Campus Interviewing (OCI) process is reserved for full time and transfer students. However, visiting students are able to use the other resources of the Career Services Center.
- Letter of Good Standing from current law school
- Completed, signed, and dated application
- A statement expressing reasons for visiting
- $60 nonrefundable Application Fee – check or money order payable to Howard University School of Law
Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program
Qualifications for International Students to Practice Law in the United States
Beyond completion of the LL.M., candidates must take and pass a bar examination and also meet any character, fitness, or other qualifications for admission to the bar required by the U.S. jurisdiction in question. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Degree Requirements
All degree candidates must successfully complete the following requirements:
- Credits – Earn a total of 24 academic credits.
- Residency – Be registered as a full-time resident for a minimum of 2 consecutive semesters.
- Research and Writing – Complete 4 hours of writing, either by writing a 4-credit thesis or by writing research papers in 2 seminars.
- General requirements – Otherwise satisfy Howard Law’s requirements for graduation.
Grades – Grading is on a numerical scale of 50-100. As an LL.M. candidate, maintain a minimum grade point average of 77 (C+). However, LL.M. candidates must earn a grade of no less than 70 (C) in each course in order to receive credit for that course w
How to Apply
The application for fall enrollment is available from October 1-June 1.
J.D. from an ABA-accredited Domestic Law School
As a U.S. LL.M. candidate, one must have a degree in law from an accredited law school along with a demonstrated high degree of academic excellence and promise.
J.D. from an International Law School
As an international LL.M. candidate, one must have a degree in law from an accredited law faculty of a foreign law school or an equivalent qualification to be determined by the School of Law’s Graduate Programs Committee, along with a demonstrated high degree of academic excellence and promise.
Before a candidate’s application can be reviewed, he or she must submit the following documents:
-
A nonrefundable application fee of $60 in the form of a cashier’s check or money order listing “Howard University” as payee. Personal checks are not accepted.
-
A completed application for admission to the Howard University School of Law’s LL.M. Program.
-
A brief (2-3 pages), typed autobiographical statement describing professional goals and the role of the LL.M. degree in fulfilling those goals.
-
Official transcripts of records from both the university attended as an undergraduate and the institution attended for legal study. Each institution must send original transcripts directly to the Office of Admissions.
-
An essay, written in English, describing intended thesis topic.
-
Two letters of recommendation that support character and academic potential in a graduate law program. At least one letter of recommendation must be written by a member of the candidate’s law school faculty. Recommendations must be from persons not related to the candidate and must be sent by each person directly to the Howard University School of Law Office of Admissions.
-
In addition, international LL.M. candidates must provide the following:
-
One passport-size photograph
-
Proof of the ability to study in the U.S.
-
Statement of Financial Resources demonstrating the ability to pay for the program. The documentation must show the availability of funds no earlier than two months prior to enrolling.
-
Requisite “F-1” student visa (timeline of visa application process available upon request)
-
International-Trained Lawyers Visa Requirements and Application Timeline
|
October 1 - June 1 |
|
|
Application review process is typically 8 weeks |
|
|
|
|
|
Within 15 days of admissions |
|
|
No later than 60 days prior to enrollment |
|
|
As soon as possible |
|
|
|
– If applicant receives visa, applicant informs ISS and HUSL Admissions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Optional Practice Training” (OPT) setting (at any place that will hire him or her). If a student has worked at CPT for less than 12 months (say 11 months), he or she can stay in the host country another 12 months to work in an OPT area. |
U.S.-Trained Lawyer Application Timeline
|
October 1 - June 1 |
|
|
Application review process is typically 8 weeks |
|
|
Within 15 days of admissions |
|
|
As soon as possible |
|
|
No later than July 1st |
|
|
2nd week in August |
|
For further information or questions regarding the LL.M. program, use the following contact information:
2900 Van Ness Street, NW
Holy Cross, Suite 219
Washington, DC 20008
Howard University School of Law LL.M. Program
husladmit@law.howard.edu