Application Deadline
Our priority deadline for complete applications is March 1, but we welcome applications through early summer. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis.
Enrollment Requirements
A candidate must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, or expect to receive one by the date of their enrollment in the School of Law.
The only exception to this requirement is for participants in the University of South Carolina Honors College 3+3/Bachelor's + J.D. program.
How to Apply
All applications for admission are submitted through the Law School Admission Council's electronic application service. Applicants must create an account at LSAC.org, take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), complete LSAT Writing, the on-demand writing exam, and subscribe to the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). The application for admission and required documents are transmitted by LSAC to the admissions office. Applicants are notified by email when the application is received.
What items are required in the application for admission?
Complete instructions are provided when you fill out the electronic application. Applicants will be prompted to upload or attach some of the required documents. Your academic transcript and letters of recommendation will be submitted by others on your behalf at your request.
These items are required:
Complete each section of the application, provide certification of your responses when prompted, and attach any required documents.
Two letters of recommendation are required for an application to be complete. Faculty recommendations are preferred; other recommenders should be advised to address your potential as a law student. Evaluations of your maturity, self-discipline, good judgment, and professionalism are also helpful.
You are responsible for having an official transcript from any college or university you attended, sent by that institution directly to your account at LSAC. LSAC will analyze these transcripts and provide copies of the actual transcript as part of the CAS report submitted to the admissions office on your behalf.
LSAT Writing is a proctored, on-demand writing exam that is administered online using secure proctoring software that is installed on the candidate’s own computer. You will have 35 minutes to write an essay in response to the prompt presented to you.
The personal statement is like a one-way interview. The personal statement should be a solid sample of your writing and help us get to know you better.
A copy of your most up-to-date resume should be included.
A nonrefundable application fee of $60 is payable through LSAC's secure server. A candidate who is serving in an established public service program (e.g., Teach for America, Peace Corps) or for whom the fee poses a financial hardship or a barrier to their application is encouraged to request a fee waiver code from the School of Law Office of Admission. The application fee is automatically waived for a candidate who received a waiver of LSAT or CAS fees from LSAC.
Please click here to request an application fee waiver. Contact the Office of Admissions at usclaw@law.sc.edu if you have any questions.