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The following information describes the application procedures of the Texas Tech University School of Law. Before preparing your application, please read this material carefully. If you have any questions, contact Admissions at (806) 742-3990 ext. 273, or email the Admissions Office.

  1. Online Application
  2. Application Deadlines

    3. While transfer and visiting students may begin in any semester, most entering students are required to begin in the fall semester. Applicants are urged to register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS) immediately, take the LSAT no later than December, and submit their completed electronic applications as soon as possible. The deadline for Early Decision Admission is November 1, and the deadline for Regular Decision Admission is March 15; priority consideration for scholarships will be given to applicants who apply by February 1. .

    When you have earned 90 semester hours of undergraduate credit, you may submit an application, but your degree must be completed by the time you enroll. Apply early and do not delay filing your application to include later grades. You may submit an updated transcript to the LSDAS at any time, and your grade point average will be recomputed and reported to all law schools you have designated. The Texas Tech University School of Law will send you an e-mail message to acknowledge receipt of the application forms and to inform you when your file is complete. If you do not receive these acknowledgments within a reasonable time period, contact the Admissions Office to make inquiries.

    The LSDAS normally requires four to six weeks to process its reports and send them to law schools. When the LSDAS receives a transcript, it sends an acknowledgment to the applicant. If you have not received an acknowledgment within a reasonable time, you should contact the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) at 215.968.1001 to make inquiries.

  3. Application Checklist

    4. The Admissions Committee begins its consideration of an application file only when it is complete. Please use the detailed explanations and instructions, including the links to other sections of the Web site for assistance in answering the questions on the Application for Admission. If you need further information about a particular question, please contact the Admissions Office.

    1. A COMPLETED ELECTRONIC APPLICATION
    Applicants should take care to answer each question fully. The answers to the questions help the members of the Admissions Committee understand the background and educational experience of the applicant so that an informed decision can be made. Applicants must disclose prior academic and legal offenses, and, by signing the Certification Letter, they agree to inform the Texas Tech University School of Law promptly of offenses that occur after they submit their application. Applicants should read the questions requiring disclosure of offenses very carefully. The Texas Tech University School of Law and the Bar examiners in Texas and other states generally view the failure to answer questions fully as a lack of integrity on the applicant’s part. Failing to disclose an offense may result in the revocation of an offer of admission at any time after an applicant begins the study of law.

    In addition, the Honor Code of the Texas Tech University School of Law applies to the application process, and failing to disclose an offense constitutes a violation that ordinarily results in a penalty of suspension for one or more semesters. Applicants should err on the side of caution and disclose all but minor traffic offenses. This includes offenses for which an applicant received only a citation and never appeared in court. If you have any questions about disclosing an offense, you should contact the Admissions Office.

    Other questions help the Admissions Committee to become more familiar with your background and to determine what strengths you have that would add to the educational experience of the entering class. If you need more information about any section on the application form, please contact the Admissions Office.

    Admissions Office
    School of Law
    Texas Tech University
    1802 Hartford Ave.
    Lubbock, TX 79409-0004

    2. LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION TEST (LSAT) SCORE
    The LSAC offers many publications about the LSAT and how to prepare for it. Applicants may order these materials from the LSAC and register to take the LSAT. Many college counseling and placement offices offer copies of the Law School Admission Information Book or you may order a free copy from LSAC. The Admissions Committee will consider a file only when it is complete, which includes the report of the applicant’s LSAT score. As such, applicants should plan to take the LSAT in June, October, or December of the year prior to the fall semester in which the applicant wishes to enroll. The Admissions Committee will accept February test scores, but the entering class may be full before your score is reported.

    3. LAW SCHOOL DATA ASSEMBLY SERVICE REPORT (LSDAS) REPORT
    Applicants order this service from LSAC. After registering for the LSDAS service, an applicant should request each college or university at which credit was earned toward the undergraduate degree to send transcripts to the LSAC. The LSAC analyzes the transcripts and sends this analysis to the Texas Tech University School of Law.

    4. APPLICATION FEE
    A non refundable application fee of $50 must be enclosed with your signed Certification Letter. Checks should be made payable to Texas Tech University.

    5. RESIDENCY QUESTIONNAIRE
    All applicants must complete the Residency Questionnaire included with the electronic application.

    6. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE, MANDATORY ESSAY AND RESUME
    The application form requests that you submit with the application a Statement of Purpose, Mandatory Essay and Resume. The Statement of Purpose should discuss your motivation for seeking a career in law, your philosophy of the legal profession, and your goals relevant to the profession. The mandatory essay will give you an opportunity to convey information about yourself beyond the questions in the application form. No specific format for the mandatory essay is required, though applicants should avoid restating, without elaboration, the facts found in the application or on the resume.

    7. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
    The Admissions Committee requires two and will consider up to three letters of recommendation. Choose very carefully the persons to write your letters of recommendation. Letters from politicians, attorneys, or judges do not impress the Admissions Committee if the writers cannot provide information about you gained firsthand from employment or other extended contact. If the writer can speak only to knowing you as a family acquaintance or simply repeat the accomplishments listed in your resume, that letter will not assist the Admissions Committee. Letters from employers or teachers, for example, typically provide much more to the committee. Applicants are required to use the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS) to distribute letters of recommendation to law schools by following the instruction under Letter of Recommendation in the Credential Assembly Service area on the LSAC website.

    8. OPTIONAL SUBMISSION
    The Admissions Committee will consider graduate study transcripts if you choose to include them in your file. Graduate grades are not included in the calculation of your undergraduate grade point average. In making a decision on your file, the Admissions Committee may give some weight to a superior performance in graduate school. Graduate study transcripts must be sent to the LSAC Credential Assembly Service.

  4. Additional Considerations

    5. In addition to the application, the Texas Tech University School of Law also considers the following items when evaluating an applicant:

    • Undergraduate Studies

      • The Admissions Committee considers the cumulative GPA, but it also takes into account a progression (or regression) of grades in an applicant's undergraduate record. Thus, the student whose junior and senior level performance evidences high quality may compete favorably with other applicants. The committee includes in its consideration the nature and difficulty of an applicant's undergraduate academic program.

    • Graduate Work

      • The Admissions Committee reviews any graduate transcripts submitted with an application, and these transcripts may serve to enhance the application, depending on the quality of the work. The Admissions Committee recognizes that applicants may have several reasons for deciding to attend graduate school prior to applying for law school. An applicant attempting to show that his or her undergraduate record does not represent academic ability must show outstanding performance in graduate school. Graduate grades, however, are not included in the calculation of your undergraduate grade point average. Because the Admissions Committee considers many factors beyond graduate work, attending graduate school for the sole purpose of securing entrance to law school is not recommended. Further, if an applicant chooses to attend graduate school before law school, he or she should pursue a graduate course of study that will enhance other career opportunities. Graduate study transcripts should be send to the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS).

    • Repeat LSAT Scores

      • It is never appropriate to take an official LSAT exam for practice! Although some accrediting agencies require law schools to use an applicant's highest LSAT score when reporting requested statistical date, the Admissions Committee finds value in examining all of the scores reported for an applicant. Deference is given to subsequent scores that are significantly higher than a previous score. However, barring some external reason to explain a score that is lower than expected, most applicants will not score significantly higher on subsequent exams. Applicants are strongly encouraged to take the appropriate measures necessary to ensure their best performance on their first examination.

    • Work & Military Experience

      • Employment or military assignments, particularly those experiences evidencing maturity or providing a background that could be helpful to a lawyer, are considered in the application review.

    • Writing Samples

      • The Admissions Committee reads the LSAT writing sample and considers it when making a decision on admission. Because an attorney's work often relies on the clarity of written expression, a poorly written section will weigh against the applicant, despite the fact that this section may not be included in the LSAT score.

    • Letters of Recommendation

      • Letters of recommendation can provide valuable information about an applicant, including his or her academic ability, motivation to study law, maturity, integrity, and other factors that the Admissions Committee may find valuable in making its decision. Two letters of recommendation are required, and the Admissions Committee will consider up to three letters in an applicant's file. The applicant is required to use the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS) to distribute letters of recommendation to law schools by following the instructions under Letters of Recommendation in the Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS) are on the LSAC website. The Admissions Committee will examine the basis for the writer's comments when deciding the importance to assign to the letter. The committee assigns little significance to letters written by politicians, attorneys, and judges whose primary basis of judgment is that the applicant is a family friend. If the writer can speak only to knowing you as a family acquaintance or simply repeat the accomplishments listed in your resume, that letter will not assist the Admissions Committee.strong> The committee values much more the comments made by those with whom you have had a close working relationship.

    • Statement of Purpose, Mandatory Essay& Resume

      • The application form requests that you submit with the application a Statement of Purpose, Mandatory Essay, and a copy of your resume. The Statement of Purpose should discuss your motivation for seeking a career in law, your philosophy of the legal profession, and your goals relevant to the profession. The Mandatory Essay will give you an opportunity to convey information about yourself beyond the questions on the application form. No specific format for the Mandatory Essay is required, though applicants should avoid restating, without elaboration, the facts found in the application or on the resume. Suggestions for possible topics follow under the Other Factors section.

    • Information Concerning Offences

      • Applicants must disclose prior academic and legal offenses. By signing the Certification Letter, applicants are agreeing to inform the Law School promptly of any new offenses that occur after they submit their application. When a new offense is reported, the applicant's file will be reviewed again as if it were being submitted for the first time.

      Disclosing an offense does not preclude admission automatically. However, failing to do so may cause the Law School and licensing boards to question the integrity of an applicant. Moreover, the Law School Honor Code applies to the application process. The failure to disclose an offense constitutes a violation of the Honor Code and may result in the revocation of an admission offer, suspension for one or more semesters, or expulsion from the law school. Applicants should read the questions requiring disclosure of offenses very carefully. Applicants should err on the side of caution and disclose all but minor traffic offenses. This includes offenses for which an applicant received only a citation and never appeared in court.

      If you have any questions about disclosing an offense, you should contact the Admissions Office. Inquiries may be made anonymously.

    • Interviews

      • Many applicants request interviews because they wish to discuss or explain academic records or background experiences. Because of the large number of applicants and time limitations, interviews must be limited. Interviews are more appropriate for that group of applicants who depend upon the "other factors" (previously listed) for admission. All requests for an interview must be in writing and be received by the Admissions Office by April 1. Applicants are encouraged to supplement their application with new or revised material as needed at anytime before the admissions decision is made. All materials must be submitted electronically, either by email or through LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS) The Admissions Office staff is pleased to answer questions regarding the application process and to address any special problems encountered by individual applicants. Information can also be secured from prelaw advisors on undergraduate campuses or members of the law faculty of Texas Tech during their recruiting visits to the campuses of Texas colleges and universities.

    • Reapplication

      • An applicant who wishes to reapply for admission the following year need only submit a new electronic application and Residency Questionnaire. The applicant must submit them through the on-line application at LSAC. The signed Certification Letter and application fee should be submitted directly to the Law School. Materials from the previous file will be transferred to the new file. Unless more than five years have elapsed since the last application, resubmitting the materials in the file is not necessary.

    • Other Factors
      1. The socioeconomic background of the applicant, including the percentage by which the applicant’s family is above or below any recognized measure of poverty; the applicant’s household income; and the level of education of the applicant’s parents.
      2. Whether the applicant would be the first generation of the applicant’s family to attend or graduate from an institution.
      3. Whether the applicant has bilingual proficiency.
      4. The applicant’s responsibilities while previously attending school, including whether the applicant has been employed, whether the applicant has helped to raise children, or similar factors.
      5. The applicant’s region of residence.
      6. Whether the applicant is a resident of a rural or urban area or a resident of a central city or suburban area in the state.
      7. The applicant’s performance on the LSAT in comparison with that of other students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
      8. The applicant’s race or ethnicity.
      9. The applicant’s involvement in community activities.
      10. The applicant’s extracurricular activities.
      11. The applicant's criminal background disclosures.
      12. The applicant’s admission to a comparable accredited institution.
      13. Any other consideration the Texas Tech University School of Law deems necessary to accomplish its stated mission.

    The Texas Tech University School of Law may deny admission to any applicant who, in the judgment of the faculty, may appear to be unfit in character to engage in the study or practice of law.

  5. Information for Foreign Students

    6. In addition to completing the Application for Admission, each applicant must also register for and take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). Texas Tech University School of Law requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC J.D. Credential Assembly Service. If you completed any post secondary work outside the United States (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS) subscription fee. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers ( AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your LSDAS report. An official Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL) score report, showing proficiency in English, must also be submitted to LSAC. Please contact the Educational Testing Service ( ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be submitted to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for the J.D. Credential Assembly Service is 0058. Your score will be included in the Foreign Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your LSDAS law school report.

    To use the J.D. Credential Assembly Service, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts.

    Questions about the J.D. Credential Assembly Service call can be directed to LSAC at 215-968-1001 or LSACINFO@LSAC.org.

    TOEFL/IELTS score reports showing proficiency in English also must be submitted to LSAC and cannot be more than two years old. The TOEFL score must be received directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS), and the IELTS score must be received directly from the IELTS website. Your score will be included in the Foreign Credential Evaluation documetn that will be included in your LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS) law school report. The minimum TOEFL score required is 550 (paper-based version), 213 (computer-based version), or 79 (internet-based version); the minimum IELTS required score is an overall band score of 6.5. The TOEFL/IELTS examinations are not waived unless an applicant has a degree from a U.S. university or from a university in a country where English is the native language. Countries Texas Tech considers to hav English as the native language include: Australia, Canada (except the Province of Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean Countries (Anguilla, Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands), Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, United Kingdom (Englad, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), and the United States.

    Information about the TOEFL may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, 877.863.3546 (I.S., U.S. Territories and Canada), 609.771.7100 (all other locations), TOEFL website.LSAC's TOEFL code for the J.D. Credential Assembly Service is 0058. Information about the IELTS may be obtained from IELTS International, 100 East Corson Street, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91103, T 626.564.2954, F 626.564.2981, IELTS website.

  6. Information for Transfer Students

    7. An applicant for admission as a transfer student must submit a completed electronic application form and all supporting materials required of an applicant for an entering class. In addition, the candidate for transfer must have each law school attended provide the following:

    1. an official transcript showing grades for all law courses attempted; and
    2. a letter to the Texas Tech University School of Law from the dean concerning the present academic status and rank in class.

    If the school(s) no longer ranks its students, the school must advise Texas Tech University School of Law in which percentile of the first-year class the applicant stands. The transcript and dean’s letter must be provided after all first-year grades have been received. The applicant must have completed at least one year (about 28 to 30 hours) of law study and be in good standing at an ABA accredited law school to be considered for transfer.

    If accepted, a transfer student may be awarded a maximum of 30 semester hours of credit, with hours rather than grades noted on the final transcript from Texas Tech University School of Law. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 60 hours of credit and four semesters in residence to be eligible for a degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.

    Because grades are not available until June and most applicants are attending the spring semester in their respective schools, most transfer decisions are made in mid-summer. Factors such as availability of space, the number of first-year courses needed, and the grade record are considered in making these decisions. Transfer applications are usually not approved unless the applicant is in the top quarter of the class.

  7. Pre-Legal Education