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Why UMass Law?

At UMass Law, the Commonwealth’s only public law school, you will receive an excellent, accessible, and affordable legal education that will enable you to graduate with less debt, prepared for the bar exam, and ready to practice in any field of law. We rank first among ABA-accredited law schools in the state for the lowest tuition and the smallest typical first-year class sizes. You can attend UMass Law on your schedule; our flexible degree programs include full-time day, part-time day, and evening/weekend.

People make the difference at UMass Law. You will be part of a collaborative and close-knit community and receive a range of academic, career, and wellness support—from orientation through the bar exam.

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All applications are completed online by going to LSAC.org. LSAC also collects the non-refundable application fee of $50. It is your responsibility to ensure that all admission materials are received.

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Requirements for admission

To apply for admission to UMass Law, you must:

Have earned a bachelor's degree from an institution that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Department of Education.
An LSAT, GRE or JD-Next score is required for all JD applicants. A valid reportable score must be received directly from LSAC, ETS or Aspen Publishing. Scores more than 5 years old are not acceptable for admission consideration. Applicants must submit all GRE test scores directly to UMass Law. UMass Law’s ETS code is 3392. JD-Next scores will be received directly from Aspen Publishing.
Register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
Official transcripts of an applicant's undergraduate, graduate, and professional schoolwork must be submitted to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), which will analyze the transcripts and provide copies to UMass Law as part of the CAS Report.

Letters of recommendation

You must submit two letters of recommendation:

One should be from a faculty member who taught you either in college or in graduate school.
If you are coming directly from college or from another graduate program, you may submit recommendations from two faculty members.
If you have been employed, you should also submit a recommendation from someone (preferably an employer or supervisor) who has known you in the course of your employment.

Your letters of recommendation must be submitted through the LSAC service. This service is included in your CAS registration. Your letters will be included in your CAS report.

Follow the directions for submitting letters outlined at the LSAC website. LSAC allows you to submit school specific letters of recommendation. If your recommender submits a specific letter for UMass Law, make sure you note that when selecting which letters of recommendation you are including in your CAS Report.

Resume and personal statement

You are also required to submit a resume and a brief (2-3 pages) typed personal statement explaining your reasons for wishing to study law. This statement should also include any other information that you feel might assist the committee in its review of your application.

Full-time or part-time program

You may use the same application to apply for our full-time or part-time program and indicate which program you are applying for.

Admission decision

UMass Law uses a rolling admissions process.

When an application is completed, it is reviewed by the Admissions Committee, and a decision is rendered within a few weeks. However, the committee may defer making decisions on completed applications until it has had the opportunity to review a substantial percentage of the applications for the coming year.

The Admissions Committee renders a decision on an application for admission after careful consideration of several factors. The Committee reviews the applicant's academic record in undergraduate and graduate school, the LSAT score, as well as recommendations, work experience, and reasons for wishing to study law.