Application for First-Year Enrollment

Prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The LSAT covers a broad range of disciplines and measures a number of qualities that contribute to success in law school, including reading comprehension and analytical and logical reasoning. The exam also includes an unscored writing sample. It is a test of aptitude rather than knowledge, and it is taken under timed conditions, so preparation and familiarity are essential.

Plan to spend time equivalent to at least a two-month, part-time job studying and taking practice tests. The 160+ hours can be spent studying LSAT preparation books; taking an online or in-person course, which range in length; getting individual help from a tutor; or a combination of the above. Different methods of study work for different types of learners; we do not endorse a particular method of preparation.

For more information about LSAT preparation resources, please contact Ann Buesgens at ann.buesgens@mitchellhamline.edu.

Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The exam is offered nine times a year. Scores are typically released four weeks after the exam date. Other application materials can be submitted in advance of your receipt of your LSAT score. Mitchell Hamline will consider the highest LSAT score among multiple scores for admission and scholarship awarding purposes.

There is a fee to take the LSAT. There is an LSAC fee waiver program for candidates who cannot afford to pay for the LSAT.

• LSAT Fees

LSAT scores are reportable by LSAC for five years from the time of testing. Applicants must have a reportable LSAT score to be considered for admission.

• Register for the Law School Admission Test at LSAC.org

Register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

You will submit a number of documents necessary to complete your application for admission through CAS.

• Register for the Credential Assembly Service at LSAC.org

Request transcripts

Request transcripts from all colleges you have attended. Transcripts must be sent to CAS using the form provided by LSAC. Mitchell Hamline requires that students have earned a bachelor’s degree before entering law school.

Obtain letters of recommendation

Two confidential letters of recommendation are required. Your recommenders must submit their letters directly to CAS. Letters submitted directly to Mitchell Hamline will not be accepted.

You have the option of submitting up to two additional letters of recommendation, for a total of four letters.

Your recommenders should know you well and be able to assess your personal qualities and your potential for success in law school. They should describe at least some of these characteristics:

• Academic ability, including creative thinking, reasoning ability, and oral and written communication skills
• Leadership and interpersonal skills
• Motivation and self-discipline
• Demonstrated ethics

LSAC Letters of Recommendation Information

Complete application for admission

Applications must be submitted online. We do not charge an application fee. We must receive at least an application form by the application deadline even if other pieces needed to complete the application are submitted at a later date.

Attach a personal statement

Your personal statement should be two to three double-spaced pages in length and include any information that will help the Admissions Committee make admission or scholarship award decisions. Please consider including such information as:

• Your reasons for applying
• Life and career goals
• Particular experiences or background applicable to law school
• Academic abilities or special skills, talents, or strengths
• Leadership and interpersonal skills
• Reasons you believe Mitchell Hamline is the right school for you, including information about why you chose to apply for part-time or full-time enrollment, on campus or in a blended format.

We also urge you to discuss any obstacles or disadvantages that you have had to overcome, such as poverty, culture, hardship, or disability.

Attach a values statement

Mitchell Hamline values being a leading law school in civic engagement, public service, social justice, and access to law school and the legal profession.  Your value statement should be one to two doubled-spaced pages in length and explain what it means to you to attend a law school with these values.

Attach a blended-learning scholarship addendum (if applicable)

If you intend to use your legal education to practice law in a rural area, reservation, or small city or town currently underserved by local lawyers, please explain in an essay your commitment to practice in that community.

• Clearly indicate if you are applying for the Native Justice or Northstar Scholarship

Attach a résumé

Your résumé should include a complete history of your post-secondary employment and education, including graduation and employment dates, colleges, and degrees received. It may also include a listing of significant extracurricular activities, volunteer or community service experience, leadership activities, awards and honors, or internships.

Other Standardized Tests

If you have taken the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) and would like to include your scores in your application, please use Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s code (4750) to submit them. Mitchell Hamline does not require GRE scores or accept them in place of the LSAT score. However, we will take your GRE scores into consideration if you submit them.

Verify bar exam eligibility

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. Each state or jurisdiction has its own unique requirements, which may include activities to be completed prior to examination or admission to the bar, such as pro bono service, or registration during your first year of law school (as early as within 60 days of starting law school). Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

• National Conference of Bar Examiners

Many Mitchell Hamline applicants plan to sit for the bar in Minnesota. Applicants with questions regarding their past conduct and character and fitness standards in Minnesota are encouraged to call the Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners at 651-297-1857 for a confidential consultation with a Character and Fitness Administrator.