Apply through LSAC
Click here for our fall 2019 application. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2019.
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.
Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
The exam is now offered six 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.
LSAT scores are reportable by LSAC for five years from the time of testing. Applicants must have a reportable LSAT score in order to be considered for admission. Strong preference will be given to applicants who take the LSAT by February 2019.
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 recommendations or evaluations
Two confidential letters of recommendation are required. Your recommenders should write their letters on either official or personal stationery and must mail 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 documents.
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
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 one 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
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 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.
Verify bar exam eligibility
Admission to the bar in all states and jurisdictions involves an evaluation of your character, fitness, knowledge of legal subjects, and other qualifications. 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). We encourage you to determine early what the requirements are in the state(s) in which you intend to practice by consulting the National Conference of Bar Examiners website.
National Conference of Bar Examiners
If you are considering sitting for the bar exam in New York, note that current standards there make it unlikely that a graduate from our part-time Hybrid Program could sit for the exam. 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.
Many Mitchell Hamline applicants plan to sit for the bar in Minnesota. Applicants with questions regarding whether their past conduct will not meet character and fitness standards here 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.