JD Admission & Application Information

Thank you for your interest in the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Maryland Carey Law is a top 50 law school located in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Our approximately 6:1 student to faculty ratio provides students with a collegial and community-based atmosphere while providing them with the myriad of experiential learning opportunities in the second-largest legal market in the country. While in law school, you will be a short walk away from three major courthouses, large national law firms, and government offices.

JD First-Year Application Checklist

A completed application for a first-year JD applicant consists of the following:

The Application Form, submitted online through LSAC.
Application Fees: The application fee is $70 and may be paid online by credit card through LSAC.
Standardized Test Score: A valid score from either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Test scores are valid for five years only.
All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Applicants must request official undergraduate and graduate transcripts and have them submitted directly to LSAC.
Two letters of recommendation. Applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation, but no more than four, through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Recommenders should include instructors under whom you have studied or with whom you have worked closely during college or graduate study. If you have not had recent contact with such individuals, you may submit letters of recommendation from employers. Please do not submit letters of recommendation from personal friends and relatives, as they will not be given weight in the admissions process.
Credential Assembly Service. All applicants are required to register and submit the appropriate materials through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS), including their LSAT score(s) (if applicable), all official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and all other required components of the application. (LSAC will compile these documents and will deliver them in the form of a Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report to the law school).
Personal Statement: Applicants are required to submit a personal statement. We recommend that you use the personal statement to present to the Admissions Committee information and perspectives regarding your background, experience, special circumstances and interests that you believe will help the Committee understand your unique story. In addition, the statement should address why you are interested in obtaining a law degree and, more specifically, in attending the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. The personal statement should be no longer than 750 words, double-spaced, and must be typed and not hand-written. Upload your personal statement as an attachment to the application form.
Résumé: Submit a résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your education, employment, skills, honors, awards, and accomplishments. Upload document as an attachment to the application form.
Diversity Statement (Optional): The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is committed to promoting diversity in legal education and in the profession as a whole. Toward that end, the Admissions Committee invites you to submit a statement explaining how you would contribute meaningfully to the diversity of the law school. For example, your statement may address how characteristics such as, but not limited to, your geographic origin, age, culture and language, or your experience overcoming barriers presented by race, social status, economics or disability demonstrate your capacity to make a special contribution to our law school community. Limit the length of the statement to approximately 250 words. Upload the statement as an attachment to the application form.
Admissions Interview: The admissions committee at Maryland Carey Law may request to interview applicants as part of the application review process and prior to issuing a decision. Interview requests are made at the sole discretion of the admissions committee, and candidates are not able to request interviews.
Attachments: Please upload attachments through the "Attachments" tab. Attachments should include your personal statement, résumé or curriculum vitae, diversity statement (optional), information about a prior law school that you have attended, information in explanation of any character and fitness issue, and any other information relevant to your application.
Signature and Date: Please type your name, and date the application. By signing this application and transmitting it electronically, you certify that the information in this application is complete, accurate and honestly presented. You also certify that any information submitted on your behalf is authentic, including letters of recommendation, academic transcripts and certifications. You understand and agree that any inaccurate, misleading or omitted information will be cause for an investigation of misconduct in the admissions process, rescission of any offer of admission, or cause for disciplinary action, dismissal or revocation of degree if discovered at a later date. You further agree to abide by the rules, policies, and regulations of the University of Maryland if you are admitted as a student.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid: The University of Maryland, Baltimore requires submission of the FAFSA for every student expecting to receive any form of financial aid, including those receiving merit-based aid only. The FAFSA becomes available on October 1, 2020 for the 2021-22 academic year. Please submit your FAFSA form as soon as possible after it becomes available. The University has set a priority deadline of March 1 for receipt of the FAFSA. Submit this form online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/, and enter the code for the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus: 002104.

Application for In-State Classification (Maryland Residents Only): The Office of the Registrar for the University of Maryland, Baltimore makes residency determinations. Applicants claiming Maryland residency must complete an Application for In-State Classification, and submit the application to the University’s Office of the Registrar. All applicants are considered non-residents for tuition purposes until the Application for In-State Classification has been submitted and approved. For more information about the in-state classification process and criteria, please see: https://www.umaryland.edu/registrar/residency/

Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for admission to the Juris Doctor program at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or expect to graduate during the current academic year. Maryland Carey Law will not review applications from students who are not in good standing or who have been dismissed from a law school within the past five years. Some students may be eligible to apply through our 3+3 Program in conjunction with the University of Maryland, College Park. Please click here for information about eligibility to apply to our 3+3 Program.

Application Deadline
Our application opens on September 1, 2020. The application priority deadline is April 1, 2021. However, so long as space remains in the first-year class, we will continue to process applications and extend offers of admission until August 1, 2021.

Application Fees and Deposits
The application fee is $70 and must be paid online by credit card through LSAC. All fees and deposits are non-refundable.

Review Process
The Admissions Committee at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law makes admission decisions on a rolling basis (unless applying through the Binding Early Decision program, for which a decision will be received by December 18, 2020). The Committee evaluates the academic potential of applicants through a thorough assessment of each applicant's academic record, professional and educational experiences, and accomplishments. In addition, the Committee identifies candidates who will enhance the professional development of their peers and will contribute positively to the law school community as a whole.

Disclosure Policy: Character & Fitness for Bar Admission

Qualifications for Admission to the Bar
In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every US 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.

Character and Fitness Questions on the Application
Just as lawyers are held to high ethical standards, so are University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law students. One ethical duty is to fully and accurately disclose the information sought in our application. The failure to provide honest and accurate information in the application is a very serious matter and may result in a delay, rescission or denial of admission to the School of Law and/or a denial of admission to the bar. Applicants have a continuing duty throughout the application, admission and enrollment process to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes in the information provided in the application to ensure that it remains complete and accurate.

Applicants are encouraged to read the rules of admission to the bar of the state where they intend to practice law. These rules will provide an understanding of the qualifications for admission to the bar, including those related to the character and fitness of applicants to practice law in that state. The National Conference of Bar Examiners provides information on each state's requirements regarding character, fitness and other qualifications.

Responding to Character and Fitness Questions in the Application

Please carefully read and respond to the twelve questions in the application that relate to your Character and Fitness for Admission to the Bar. The failure to provide honest and accurate answers to the questions on the application is very serious, often more significant than the act or event requiring disclosure.

FAILURE TO DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER MAY RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY THE SCHOOL OF LAW AND COULD DELAY OR EVEN PREVENT YOUR ADMISSION TO THE BAR.

For any affirmative answer, please electronically attach a statement marked “Character and Fitness.” Your answer should include the date and location (city, town and state) of each incident, a description of the incident, and a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding – and the resolution of – each event. The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law reserves the right to request additional information from you, including further explanation concerning the incidents in question, court records, documents, or any other relevant information.

Applicants have a continuing duty throughout the application, admission, and enrollment process to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes in the information provided in the application to ensure that it remains complete and accurate. Failure to provide truthful answers, or failure to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes to your answers, may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action by the Law School, or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission to the bar

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English Language Competency Exams

English Language Competency Exams
Because facility with written and spoken English is necessary in order to successfully participate in our academic experience, applicants for whom English is a second language or not their primary language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Request that scores be sent directly to LSAC. LSAC has arranged with the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to receive your TOEFL Score. Please provide LSAC institution code (8395) when requesting that your score be sent to LSAC. LSAC has also arranged with IELTS to receive scores. LSAC will only accept scores from IELTS electronically. You must request that your score be forwarded to LSAC for electronic download.

Note: TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years.

Request for Waiver of TOEFL/IELTS: If you believe that you are proficient in English and that the English Language Competency Exam requirement should be waived in your case, please submit a statement describing your English language instruction and proficiency. Upload attachment(s) when completing the application form.

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Non-Discrimination Policy

Non-Discrimination Policy
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, marital status, protected veteran's status, or age. The University is required by federal regulatory agencies to supply admissions and enrollment information by racial, ethnic and gender categories. Provision of the information is voluntary and will not be used to determine eligibility for admission.

Applicants with Disabilities
The School's admissions policies fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws and regulations. Consistent with the School's commitment to diversity, the life experiences and backgrounds of applicants with disabilities may be viewed positively in admissions decisions. Applicants may use the personal statement or the diversity statement to emphasize these factors.

UMB Notice of Non-Discrimination »

No provision of this website shall be construed as a contract between any applicant or student and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The University and the School of Law reserve the right to make changes without prior notice in requirements for admission, curriculum, programs and their availability, standards for advancement and graduation, and rules and regulations. The University also reserves the right to make changes in the rates of tuition and fees. The University further reserves the right to ask a student to withdraw at any time when it is considered to be in the best interest of the University.

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Contact Us

If you have questions about this application or about the admissions process, please contact the Office of Admissions at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law at (410) 706-3492 or admissions@law.umaryland.edu. Be sure to notify the Office of Admissions promptly of any change in your address as well as any new facts that may change the responses to any part of your application.

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
Office of Admissions
500 West Baltimore Street, Suite 130
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(410) 706-3492 (phone)
admissions@law.umaryland.edu

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