Applicants who are non-U.S. citizens, regardless of the location of their degree-granting institution(s), are considered international applicants. All requirements for admission apply to international applicants.
All international students must have a reportable LSAT score. LSAT scores are reportable by LSAC for five years from the time of testing.
We require an international transcript evaluation through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) if you completed more than one year of international post-secondary work. If the total amount of post-secondary work you completed outside the U.S., its territories, or Canada is the equivalent of one year or less of undergraduate study in the U.S./Canada, you can use a credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), such as World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), as LSAC does not evaluate international work equal to or less than the equivalent of one U.S./Canadian academic year.
Note that if your only international work was through a study-abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript, no international transcript is required.
The evaluation of international transcripts is included in the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) subscription fee. Transcripts submitted through CAS will have an International Credential Evaluation completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your CAS Law School Report.
To use the Credential Assembly Service, 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 international transcripts.
Questions about the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) can be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001 or LSACinfo @LSAC.org.
If you need an F-1 student visa, and if you are accepted for admission, you will be required to submit a Certification of Finances Form. You may submit it directly to Mitchell Hamline’s international student adviser, Jack Her at jack.her@mitchellhamline.edu.
Non-U.S. citizens must submit at least one of the following as supporting documentation of your current status: a photocopy of your permanent resident (green) card, I-94, I-515, photocopy of current passport visa stamp, employment authorization document, or other USCIS-approved document.
Competency in English
All courses are taught in English. If you are a non-native speaker of English or if you have been educated in a country where English is not the primary language, the Admissions Committee will look for evidence of language proficiency in your application, including your LSAT score and the quality of writing throughout your application.
We welcome, but do not require, the submission of a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score, or other test of English proficiency. To submit your score, you will need to make arrangements with the Educational Testing Service (toefl.org) or IELTS (ielts.org) to take the test and have your score sent to LSAC for inclusion in your Credential Assembly Service Law School Report. LSAC’s TOEFL code for the Credential Assembly Service is 0058.
Permanent resident applicants
All requirements for admission apply to permanent resident applicants.
Permanent resident applicants with bachelor’s or law degrees from non-U.S. colleges or universities must follow the above procedures for international applicants.
Permanent resident applicants with bachelor’s degrees from U.S. colleges or universities must submit a photocopy of their green card with their Mitchell Hamline application.
Foreign-educated lawyers
All requirements for admission and the above international applicant procedures apply to applicants who are foreign-educated lawyers.
Foreign-educated lawyers who are admitted to Mitchell Hamline may be eligible for up to 27 advanced standing credits. Advanced standing credit is considered for students who have completed a law degree outside of the U.S. or have completed the equivalent of at least one additional full-time year of graduate law study in a foreign country. The Registrar determines how many credits you are eligible for after you have been admitted to the school.
To submit your foreign law school coursework for advanced standing consideration, you must submit a course-by-course evaluation of your foreign law school transcript by a credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Mitchell Hamline recommends that students use one of the following services:
Canadian Licensure Process
The National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) assesses the legal education and professional experience of individuals who obtain their law credentials outside of Canada. You must be NCA certified to be eligible for entry to a Canadian law society bar admission process. This indicates that you have finished all coursework the NCA requires and your knowledge of Canadian law is similar to the knowledge of someone who earned a Canadian law degree.
Assessments are completed on a case-by-case basis. We have provided some basic guidelines below, but those interested in practicing law in Canada should contact the NCA early in their program to make sure they are on track and understand the requirements. Contact the NCA at nca@flsc.ca.
Considerations and requirements for those applying for NCA Certification:
- Applicants must complete two full years of in-person coursework. For students in the blended learning option, this means completing additional credits on-campus at Mitchell Hamline or after graduation through NCA direction.
- Applicants will typically need to demonstrate competence in at least five core subjects, listed below, through the completion of NCA exams or courses in an approved Canadian common law program.
- Canadian Administrative Law
- Canadian Constitutional Law
- Canadian Criminal Law
- Canadian Professional Responsibility
- Foundations of Canadian Law
- The NCA may assign additional subject requirements for applicants to satisfy by exam or course completion.
- NCA requires a law school transcript showing that the applicant’s JD degree is conferred to finalize the certification plan. However, students are encouraged to start the application process once they begin their final semester.