First-Year Applicants

We are excited you are interested in applying to Maryland Carey Law's JD program. If you have any questions throughout the application process, please contact our Office of Admissions at admissions@law.umaryland.edu or (410) 706-3492. For tips, tricks, and advice about the JD admissions process, please visit our Admissions Advice blog.

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. To be considered, applicants must also complete all required components of the application included in the first-year JD application checklist below. Students from the University of Maryland, College Park may be eligible to apply through our 3+3 Dual Degree Program.

Important Dates
September 1, 2025 - Application opens
February 1, 2026 - Application deadline for Carey Law Scholars Binding Program & Binding Early Decision Program 
March 1, 2026 - Priority application deadline
July 31, 2026 - Final application deadline  

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. You may submit a request for a fee waiver for our $70 application fee here. 

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 a Binding Decision program). The Committee evaluates the academic potential of applicants through a thorough assessment of each applicant's academic record, professional and educational experiences, and accomplishments. The Admissions Committee may request to interview candidates. Those interviews are done only at the request of the Admissions Committee and will be considered in the review process. 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. 

If there is a pending/future LSAT date on file when submitting your application then your application will be placed on hold until the new score is received. Should you wish to have your file reviewed without the pending LSAT score please email us at admissions@law.umaryland.edu. 

Waitlist
You may hear from the Admissions Committee that you have been added to our waitlist. Learn more about what that means on our Waitlist FAQ.

First-Year Application Checklist for Fall 2026
A completed application for a first-year JD applicant consists of the following:

1. The Application Form, submitted online through LSAC.
   
   
2. The non-refundable $70 application fee, submitted online by credit card through LSAC.
   
   
3. A valid score from either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), or the JD-Next exam. Test scores are valid for five years only and must be valid through October of the applicant's entering year. Applicants planning on submitting JD-Next or GRE scores must email the admissions office at admissions@law.umaryland.edu. The ETS GRE school code for Maryland Carey Law is 5765. If taking JD-Next, please contact jd.next@aspenpublishing.com to arrange sending your score report. For more information about the JD-Next program, please visit their website.
   
   
4. All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts: Applicants must request official undergraduate and graduate transcripts and have them submitted directly to LSAC.
   
   
5. 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, family friends or relatives, as they will not be given weight in the admissions process.
   
   
6. 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).
   
   
7. Personal Statement: Lawyers are routinely asked to engage critical analytical skills during moments of stress or engagement across difference. The ability to remain level-headed in the face of adversity is one essential lawyering skill. So too are leadership, resilience, determination, familiarity with diverse constituencies, and adaptability to change. While law school will provide you with training in all of these areas, our most successful applicants bring to their legal education some prior experience in one or more of them. To help us gain a fuller sense of who you are as a person, you are required to submit a 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, why you are interested 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.
   
   
8. Résumé: Submit a résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your education, employment, skills, honors, awards, and accomplishments. Upload your résumé as an attachment to the application form.
   
   
9. Optional Essay: Applicants are invited to complete one (and only one) of the optional essay prompts below. In responding to a prompt, please keep in mind that what you contributed to or took away from any experience is far more important to us than the experience itself. Your optional essay should be no longer than 250 words, double-spaced, and must be typed and not hand-written. Please title your document with the option you select. Upload any submission as an attachment to the application form.
   
   
   • Option 1: Some years ago, the Supreme Court struck down race-based affirmative action programs at two universities. Writing for the majority, the Chief Justice wrote: "At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant's discussion of how race affected his or her life." We invite you to describe how your identity or background (such as your race, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, culture, religion, socioeconomic status, etc.) has, as the Court wrote, "affected [your] life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise." In crafting your response, please note that the law school attaches no inherent value to any applicant's race, national origin, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, culture or religion, we are interested only in how your experience has impacted your courage, determination, adaptability, leadership skills, or other unique ability that you will bring to the law school and legal profession.
   • Option 2: Members of the Maryland Carey Law community make a difference in the world in ways big and small. We encourage our students and alumni to make their corner of the world a bit brighter through leadership and innovation. Describe one of your most important accomplishments and explain why it is important to you. Discuss how you demonstrated leadership, helped innovate, and/or drove change as part of that accomplishment.
   • Option 3: The Law School values determination and resilience and recognizes that these traits are critical to success not just in law school, but also in the legal profession. Describe a significant challenge, disappointment, or setback that you faced. Discuss how you approached this experience and what you learned from it.
   • Option 4: To succeed at the Law School and in the legal profession, you must be able to have respectful discussions across differences and, where appropriate, be open to changing your mind. Describe a time when you changed your mind on an important topic after discussing it with a person with whom you disagreed or after learning additional information. Discuss what you learned from this experience.
   • Option 5: Maryland Carey Law has a strong sense of community and a longstanding tradition of public engagement. Our students and graduates are committed in rich and varied ways to public service and community engagement. Describe a community that has been particularly meaningful to you. Discuss what you gain from being a part of this community and what you contribute to this community.
     
     
10. 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.
    
    
11. 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. Please submit your FAFSA form as soon as possible after it becomes available. Please review the University's financial aid website for deadlines and other relevant information here: https://www.umaryland.edu/fin/process/applying/. Submit this form online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa, and enter the code for the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus: 002104

ATTACHMENTS

Please upload attachments through the "Attachments" tab. Attachments should include your personal statement, résumé or curriculum vitae, optional essay (if applicable), 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.

1. 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.

APPLICATION FOR IN-STATE CLASSIFICATION

The Office of the Registrar for the University of Maryland, Baltimore makes all residency determinations. Applicants seeking In-State residency status, including Maryland and District of Columbia residents, must complete the online Application for In-State Classification at https://www.umaryland.edu/registrar/residency/application/. Some non-Maryland or non-District of Columbia residents may be able to qualify for in-state classification. More information about the in-state classification process and criteria can be found here: https://www.umaryland.edu/registrar/residency/.The application for the Fall semester opens in January. All applicants are considered non-residents/out-of-state residents for tuition purposes until the Application for In-State Classification has been submitted and approved.

IMPORTANT: ALL incoming students are deemed as NON-RESIDENTS/OUT-OF-STATE for tuition purposes.  Those seeking to obtain In-State classification for tuition purposes MUST complete an Application for In-State Classification in their first term for consideration (Contact residency@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7480 with questions).

DISCLOSURE POLICY: CHARACTER AND FITNESS FOR BAR ADMISSION

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. 

Failure to provide truthful and complete 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 School of Law, and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek 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.

Responding to Character and Fitness Questions in the Application

Please carefully read and respond to the 12 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.  The questions we ask in this section track the questions that will be asked by many state bar admission authorities.

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 each event, including the resolution of each incident. 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.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCY EXAMS

Because facility with written and spoken English is necessary to successfully participate in our academic experience, applicants for whom English is a second language or not their primary language and who have not completed the entirety of their undergraduate education in an English-speaking institution 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 any such statement as an attachment when completing the application form