Return to Texas Tech Law Home

Apply to Texas Tech University School of Law

Expand All | Collapse All

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 Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) immediately, take the LSAT no later than December, and submit their completed applications to the Texas Tech University School of Law as soon as possible. The deadline for Early Decision Admission is November 1, and the deadline for Regular Decision Admission is 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 APPLICATION FORM
    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 application form, 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 ( www.lsac.org) and even register online to take the LSAT. Many college counseling and placement offices offer copies of the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book or you may order a free copy from LSAC through its Web site. 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 may order this service from the Law School Admission Council Web site ( www.lsac.org) or with the form found in a copy of the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book, which is available at most college counseling and placement offices. 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. LSDAS registration is $99 and lasts for five years. The registration fee includes sending the report to one law school. The cost of reports sent to additional schools depends on whether they are ordered at the time of registration or later.

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

    5. RESIDENCY QUESTIONNAIRE
    All applicants must complete the Residency Questionnaire and return it with their application.

    6. PERSONAL STATEMENT AND RESUME
    The application form requests that you submit with the application a personal statement and a copy of your resume. The personal statement will give you an opportunity to convey information about yourself beyond the questions in the application form. No specific format for the personal statement 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. Send the letters directly to the Admissions Office or the LSDAS.

    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. You may send transcripts directly to the Admissions Office or to the LSDAS.

  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. You may send transcripts directly to the Admissions Office or to the LSDAS.

    • Repeat LSAT Scores

      • An applicant may take the LSAT several times, though the Admissions Committee will consider the average of the scores received in making a decision on an application. Thus, while many applicants improve their scores slightly by taking the LSAT more than once, the increase is typically not high enough to make a difference to the Admissions Committee. Further, it is not uncommon for an applicant to receive a lower score on a subsequent test, thus requiring that the reported average be lowered. In deciding whether to take the LSAT more than once, applicants should consider how accurate the test score is. If some external reason exists to explain a score that is lower than expected, such as an illness or family emergency, you might consider taking the LSAT again. Without such a reason, however, most applicants will not score significantly better on a subsequent test.

    • 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 may choose to use the LSDAS service to distribute letters of recommendation to law schools by using the forms contained in the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book. The applicant may, however, request each letter writer to submit the letter directly to the Admissions Office of the Texas Tech School of Law. The Admissions Committee will examine the basis for the writer's comments when deciding the importance to assign to the letter. The Admissions 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. The Admissions Committee values much more the comments made by teachers, employers, and others who have had a close working relationship and know firsthand the strengths of the applicant.

    • Personal Statement & Resume

      • The application form requests that you submit with the application a personal statement and a copy of your resume. The personal statement will give you an opportunity to convey information about yourself beyond the questions in the application form. No specific format for the personal statement is required, though applicants should avoid restating, without elaboration, the facts found in the application or on the resume.

    • Information Concerning Offences

      • The Texas Tech University School of Law requests disclosure of offenses to prevent problems for the applicant later. Disclosing an offense does not preclude admission automatically. Failing to disclose an offense is often more significant and leads to more serious consequences than the offense itself. The Texas Tech University School of Law may also report applicants who failed to disclose offenses to the Law School Admission Council. Applicants should review their transcripts and disciplinary records to insure that they have answered correctly the questions on page thereof the application. If you have any questions, consult the Admissions Office (806-742-3990, ext. 273). Inquiries may be made anonymously. By submitting an application, the applicant agrees to inform the Texas Tech University School of Law when an academic or legal offense occurs (covered on the application) subsequent to the submission of the application. When a new offense is reported, the applicant's file is reviewed again, as if it had been submitted for the first time.

    • 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" for admission. All requests for an interview must be in writing and be received by the Admissions Office by March 15. Applicants are encouraged to supplement their application with new or revised material as needed at anytime before the admissions decision is made. 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 whose file was completed and who wishes to reapply for admission the following year need only secure a new application form and Oath of Residency. The applicant must submit them to the Admissions Office with the $50 application fee after September 15 prior to the year for which admission is sought. Materials from the previous file will be transferred to the new file. Unless more than five years have elapsed since the last application, reconstructing 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 admission to a comparable accredited institution.
      12. 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 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.

  6. Information for Transfer Students

    7. An applicant for admission as a transfer student must submit a completed 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 as to 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 to be eligible for a degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.

    Because most applicants are attending the spring semester in their respective schools and grades are not available until June, 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. Credit is transferred for courses in which the grade received is equal to the grade average required for graduation from the law school at which the course was taken.

  7. Pre-Legal Education